Two-time defending champion Justine Henin and world number two Maria Sharapova stormed into the semifinals of the French Open on Tuesday in straight sets. Henin (25) gave United States star Serena Williams a lesson in clay-court tennis that had the Australian Open champion once again smashing her racket in frustration as she fell 6-4, 6-3 to the top seed.
Defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium won the French Open for the third time on Saturday, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in straight sets. Fifth seed Henin-Hardenne, the 2003 and 2005 Roland Garros champion, achieved her fifth Grand Slam and 26th title of her career with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in 1hr 36min over the eighth seed.
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/ 27 February 2006
The colourful closing ceremony of the 20th Winter Olympics was marred on Sunday night when a protestor rushed the platform during the finishing speeches. The intruder ran onto the stage when the president of the organising committee Valentino Castellani was making his closing remarks.
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/ 9 February 2006
After 64 days of travel, the Olympic torch has finally arrived in Turin to begin the countdown to Friday night’s lavish opening ceremony extravaganza for the 20th Winter Olympic Games when the cauldron will be lit. Over 10 000 torch-bearers have borne the torch on its 11 300 km odyssey from the lighting of the flame at Olympia in Greece.
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/ 28 October 2005
Gerard Houllier’s Lyon will be looking to get back to winning ways at Sochaux on Saturday after suffering their first defeat of the season as they exited the French League Cup. The loss to Nantes 4-3 on penalties after the match finished 1-1 after extra time ended Houllier’s dream of the four-time French champions ”winning everything” this season.
Unseeded Argentine Gaston Gaudio overpowered Australian 12th seed Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to advance to his first Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open in Paris on Wednesday. The 25-year-old from Buenos Aires totally outclassed the former Wimbledon and US Open champion.
The United States men suffered their worst Grand Slam showing on Wednesday when outsider Olivier Mutis dumped second seed Andy Roddick out of the French Open in their second-round tie. Roddick’s 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-2 defeat to world 125th-ranked Mutis follows that of former champion Andre Agassi.