Tag: lobandsmash.com

<!–qv q:id=6q q:key=vcaa: Tennis fans might have been waiting for the Cinderella slipper to no longer fit Maja Chwalinska at the 2026 French Open. The player with the slowest average forehand in the field at Roland Garros would surely wilt against the relative power and precision shot-making of Mirra Andreeva in the final. –> Tennis…

<!–qv q:id=6q q:key=vcaa: Aryna Sabalenka ended up not coming all that close to claiming her first French Open title in 2026. She was bounced out in the quarterfinals by Diana Shnaider. To make matters worse, Sabalenka didn't win a single game in the third and final set. It was embarrassing for the WTA No. 1.…

<!–qv q:id=6q q:key=vcaa: In a French Open that has had a lot of unexpected turns of events, the latest is Matteo Arnaldi, a player who had never reached a semifinal of a Grand Slam before, withdrawing due to a viral illness. The timing was odd, though, and tennis great Andre Agassi appeared to know that,…

<!–qv q:id=6q q:key=vcaa: One might rightly wonder if Matteo Arnaldi would have withdrawn from any other Grand Slam semifinal had he not been playing a fellow Italian? A Paris conclave amongst players from the Mediterranean boot would not seemingly be likely, but the French Open has now changed nonetheless. –> One might rightly wonder if…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: Alexander Zverev has been criticized in the past for not taking enough chances in high-stress matches. He possesses a metronomic serve, one of the best backhands on the ATP tour, and doesn't normally beat himself. He certainly didn't do so against Jakub Mensik in the semifinals of the 2026 French Open. –>…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: No matter whether Maja Chwalinska defeated Diana Shnaider in the semifinals of the 2026 French Open or not, the Polish player was already a winner at the event. Ranked No. 114 on the WTA tour before the start of Roland Garros, she battled through qualifying to become the Cinderella story of the…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: In a match that was arguably the biggest of both Marta Kostyuk and Mirra Andreeva's careers, tennis fans might have been disappointed from the beginning. The French Open semifinals featured the two players have been the best over the clay-court season, and it was set up to be an excellent watch, but…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: Matteo Berrettini began well against Matteo Arnaldi in the quarterfinals of the 2026 French Open. The former led 3-0 in the opening set, maybe finally on the cusp of getting his first Grand Slam title with just a couple more victories. Then, his career-long problem hit. –> Matteo Berrettini began well against…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: The opening set of the quarterfinal match of the 2026 French Open between Falvio Cobolli and Felix Auger-Aliassime was a mess. The players had to battle through heavy wind with the roof open on Court Philippe-Chatrier, and it was the Canadian who was getting the better of the match. –> The opening…

<!–qv q:id=6p q:key=vcaa: Aryna Sabalenka has four Grand Slam wins in her career, but none of those have been at the French Open. Not yet anyway. On Wednesday, she took on a difficult opponent, Diana Shnaider, in the quarterfinals, and Sabalenka had to get past more than just her opponent across the net. –> Aryna…