Coco Gauff marched into her first grand slam semi-final with a straight-sets defeat of fellow American Sloane Stephens at the French Open.

Teenager Gauff will face the unseeded Martina Trevisan for a place in the final after beating her compatriot 7-5 6-2 at Roland Garros on Tuesday.

The composed 18-year-old has not dropped a set in Paris and produced another assured display on Court Phillipe-Chatrier to break new ground.

Eighth seed Gauff was rewarded for an aggressive display, breaking six times as Stephens paid the price for being too passive in a contest that was over in 90 minutes.

Gauff started with huge confidence, racing into a 3-0 lead courtesy of some heavy hitting while creating great angles.

Stephens clicked into gear with a more aggressive approach, winning three games in a row from 5-2 down as Gauff was unable to serve out the set.

The teenager halted with momentum with a hold and wrapped up the set with a backhand winner after the 2017 US Open champion made a mess of a volley at the net.

Stephens came out firing to break in the first game of the second set, but Gauff hit straight back to get back on serve and led 3-1 after ending another point she dictated with a cross-court backhand winner.

The 64th-ranked Stephens was gifted a chance to get back on serve when Gauff presented her with a simple volley at the net, but she inexplicably drilled it long and the youngster held for a 4-1 lead after saving three break points.

Gauff had won five games in a row and was on the brink of victory when her opponent crashed a forehand into the net, and although she failed to serve out the match in a nervy game, she broke for a fourth time in the second set to seal it.

 

Data slam: Gauff living the teenage dream

Gauff became only the fifth female player to reach the last four at Roland Garros this century before turning 19. On the evidence of this display, she has a great chance of playing in a maiden major final on Saturday.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Gauff– 18/23
Stephens – 16/31

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Gauff – 3/6
Stephens– 0/1

BREAK POINTS WON
Gauff – 6/10
Stephens – 3/9

Sergio Perez will race for Red Bull until at least the end of the 2024 Formula One season after signing a new deal following his triumph at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Mexican put pen to paper on fresh terms during race weekend, as he went on to earn the third victory of his career in a rain-soaked race at the weekend.

The 32-year-old sits third in the driver standings this season, just 15 points off team-mate and leader Max Verstappen.

"For me, this has been an incredible week," Perez said in an official statement.

"Winning the Monaco Grand Prix is a dream for any driver and then to follow that with announcing I will continue with the team until 2024 just makes me extremely happy.

"I am so proud to be a member of this team and I feel completely at home here now. We are working very well together and my relationship with Max, on and off the track, is definitely helping drive us forward even more.

"We have built tremendous momentum as a team and this season is showing that, I am excited to see where that can take us all in the future."

Initially entering F1 in 2011 with the Australian Grand Prix, Perez worked through a succession of teams in the sport, including Sauber, McLaren, Force India and Racing Point.

The Mexican looked poised to be without a seat for 2021 after the latter confirmed he would be replaced by Sebastian Vettel following the team's transition to Aston Martin.

But a shock maiden victory at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix earned him a drive with Red Bull and saw him set a record for the most races before a first win in F1, with 190.

Since his move to Red Bull, he was won two more, including Monaco, and will seek to defend the trophy he won in Baku last year at next month's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

"Since joining Red Bull, Checo [Perez] has done a fantastic job," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

"Time and again he has proved himself to not only be a magnificent team player but as his level of comfort has grown he has become a real force to be reckoned with at the sharp end of the grid.

"This year he has taken another step and the gap to world champion Max has closed significantly, evidenced by his superb pole position in Jeddah earlier this year and by his wonderful win in Monaco just last weekend.

"For us, holding onto his pace, race craft and experience was a no-brainer and we are delighted that Checo will continue to race for the team until 2024. In partnership with Max we believe we have a driver pairing that can bring us the biggest prizes in F1."

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan theorised it was "destiny" for him to deliver a quickfire double to win his side the Premier League on the final day of the season.

The Germany international struck twice in a dramatic second-half comeback, as Pep Guardiola's side overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Aston Villa 3-2.

That result ensured a successful defence of their top-flight crown, edging rivals Liverpool by one point to make it four league titles in the past five seasons under Guardiola.

Having been benched for the start of the game, Gundogan's introduction helped cement a turnaround in form, and he suggests his crucial intervention may have been fate. 

"I don't know, maybe it was destiny, maybe it was a bit of luck," he told City's official website.

"But I was twice at the right spot and was able to score. I didn't really have a choice I feel.

"We just had 20 minutes to play, we were 2-0 down so all I wanted to try was to get into the box and smell where the danger might be.

"The first goal, the header, I knew that [Raheem Sterling] was going to go to the by-line and cross.

"I felt like the danger might be at the second post and the ball was perfect to be honest. I just had to put my head on it.

"The third goal, we all know Kevin [De Bruyne]'s quality, whipping the ball to the second post.

"So, for me, the timing was important to anticipate when he was going to play the ball, make the run and try to stay onside. The timing was perfect!"

LaLiga club Espanyol have confirmed the appointment of Diego Martinez as their new coach.

Espanyol finished 14th in LaLiga in the 2021-22 season, after gaining promotion back to the Spanish top flight as champions of the second tier.

However, they dismissed Vicente Moreno this month and have now moved for Martinez, who left Granada in May 2021 and has signed a two-year deal.

Martinez spent three seasons at Granada. He led the team back to LaLiga in 2019 before finishing seventh and reaching the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey in the following campaign.

A ninth-placed finish followed in the 2020-21 season, along with a run to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where they were beaten by Manchester United.

He opted against extending his stay at Granada, however, and the work he had done there was emphasised when the side went on to be relegated this season, finishing 18th.

In total, 41-year-old Martinez won 29 of his 76 LaLiga games in charge of Granada (38.16 per cent), losing 32 and drawing the other 15, with his side averaging 1.34 points per game.

Leylah Fernandez's French Open run came to a halt as the teenager fell short against Martina Trevisan.

Fernandez was the favourite heading into her second grand slam quarter-final, but despite showing strong resolve, last year's US Open runner-up ultimately could not match Trevisan, who prevailed 6-2 6-7 (3-7) 6-3.

Trevisan, who reached the Roland Garros quarters in 2020 and won her first singles title in Rabat prior to the French Open, set the tone by breaking Fernandez in the first game, and the 19-year-old's task was made more difficult when she required medical treatment for a right foot problem.

The first set went Trevisan's way in 35 minutes, but Fernandez rallied with the first break of set two.

Trevisan broke straight back before holding from 0-40 down, and Fernandez's resolve was tested further in the next game, yet a misdirected forehand down the line saw the Canadian hold.

Fernandez sent a forehand wide to hand the world number 59 the chance to serve out the win, but Trevisan could not capitalise at match point as her opponent went from the brink of defeat to levelling the tie.

But if the momentum seemed with Fernandez after the tie-break, then Trevisan firmly regained control by reeling off seven straight points to start the decider.

Fernandez saved the first two break points, yet Trevisan clinched the third, and after an almighty tussle in game four, the Italian claimed a key double break.

Although world number 18 Fernandez claimed one of those back, Trevisan had the bit between her teeth and, for the second time, had the chance to serve out the match.

Again, the opportunity slipped from her grasp, and a swift hold from Fernandez piled the pressure on.

This time, Trevisan held her nerve – a wonderful serve setting up a second match point, which she took with a fantastic cross-court forehand.

Data Slam: Lesser-spotted all left-hander clash as Trevisan joins exclusive club

Tuesday's match was the first French Open women's quarter-final featuring two left-handed players since 1981, when Martina Navratilova went up against Sylvia Hanika.

Trevisan is the eighth Italian female player to reach the semi-finals in a grand slam after Maud Levi, Annalisa Bossi, Silvana Lazzarino, Francesca Schiavone, Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci and Flavia Pennetta.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Trevisan – 43/29
Fernandez – 29/44

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Trevisan – 1/7
Fernandez – 0/4

BREAK POINTS WON
Trevisan – 7/14
Fernandez – 4/10

Karim Benzema has been named the 2021-22 Champions League Player of the Season after helping Real Madrid to a 14th European crown.

Benzema also won the competition's Goal of the Season honour for a supreme header against Chelsea in the quarter-finals, while team-mate Vinicius Junior has been named Young Player of the Season.

The duo were instrumental in Madrid's defying run to Saturday's final in Paris, where Vinicius' finish was enough to earn a 1-0 victory over Liverpool.

With 15 goals across the season, Benzema topped the scoring charts in Europe, with a joint-record ten of those goals in the knockout stage.

The attacker, a heavy favourite for the Ballon d'Or this season, was at the centre of dramatic comeback wins against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Vinicius meanwhile delivered four goals and six assists throughout, with the latter tally only bettered by Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes.

Both Madrid players were named to the Champions League Team of the Season, alongside club-mates Thibaut Courtois and Luka Modric.

Courtois made nine saves in the final to keep Liverpool at bay. He finished the Champions League campaign having faced 72 shots on target, conceding 14 goals. According to expected goals data, the Belgium international prevented 4.7 goals.

 

Beaten finalists Liverpool also contributed four players, with Fabinho, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Andrew Robertson featuring.

Kylian Mbappe, who scored six goals in eight Champions League matches, was named alongside Benzema and Vinicius in attack – an attacking trio that might have been lining up for Los Blancos next season had the France forward not decided to stay at PSG.

City playmaker De Bruyne also made the XI, as did Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger, who is set to join Madrid on a free transfer.

2021-22 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid); Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Andy Robertson (Liverpool); Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Fabinho (Liverpool), Luka Modric (Real Madrid); Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid).

Newcastle United should ignore the temptation to buy "big stars" and focus on more players like Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.

That is the view of Shaka Hislop, the ex-Magpies goalkeeper, who has been hugely impressed by the performances of the Brazilian midfield pair.

Newcastle signed Guimaraes in January for a fee that could eventually surpass the club-record figure of £40million previously spent on compatriot Joelinton.

Brazil international Guimaraes hit the ground running at St James' Park, scoring five goals in 17 appearances before the end of the season – more than in 71 outings over two years for former club Lyon.

Joelinton endured a considerably trickier start to life in England following his 2019 arrival, toiling as a striker as he netted only 10 times in 80 games across his first two seasons.

Yet Eddie Howe has transformed the ex-Hoffenheim man into a dominant, destructive midfielder, contesting the second-most duels in the Premier League this season (529).

Guimaraes and Joelinton were key to Newcastle's impressive late-season form, winning six of the nine games they started together, but Howe's XI could look very different next term after another transfer window.

Since a lucrative takeover last year, Newcastle have been linked to Neymar, Gareth Bale, Eden Hazard and Ousmane Dembele, among others.

But Hislop says his former club should be looking for more players like Guimaraes.

"If big stars become available at the right price and the right fit for Newcastle, I don't see why not," he told Stats Perform.

"But at the same time, while I think there's this temptation, if not an expectation to go for those big stars, one of those January signings was Bruno Guimaraes, who was not a big star, but goodness me, what a player he's turned out to be.

"And I think that's in keeping with what the transfer policy will be.

"At the same time, while I mention Bruno Guimaraes, I've got to mention Joelinton, whom many had dismissed and thought was on his way out.

"And Eddie Howe found his position for him as a defensive midfielder, and he ended up winning [Newcastle's] player of the season – and justifiably so.

"Those are the kind of players, because when you see them, and you see their performances, that's exactly what you want from Newcastle players.

"So while the temptation will be to go for the big names, I don't think that is how they'll do their business – that's not going to be their M.O. so to speak.

"It will be finding those gems and those gems that fit with what Newcastle United stands for."

Hislop was at Newcastle's 2-0 win over Arsenal, watching Guimaraes score the second goal, and he said: "Seeing him live, as I did against Arsenal, just painted his talents in a very different light for me.

"He is so calm under pressure, and I think that feeds to everybody else. He's calm under pressure when he's in possession, he's first to press the ball, he, of course, popped up with the second goal against Arsenal.

"He really is an incredible talent and, again, he epitomises so much about Newcastle or the way that they play under Eddie Howe."

Hislop believes Newcastle may not need as much investment as has been suggested, having earned the fourth-most points in the Premier League in 2022 (38) and the third-most points per game (2.0) – behind only Liverpool and Manchester City.

"Given that stat, where is the urgent need to strengthen?" Hislop said. "Listen, I also understand that when you're playing well that is a perfect time to bring fresh faces in to add competition in the squad.

"I believe that those players who performed so well in the second half of the season deserve the chance to build on that.

"So, if I am adding to the squad, it's around competition for places; having real strength in depth is a need for every Premier League team now.

"Newcastle are not yet competing in Europe, but the hope will be that they put together some decent cup runs and, if you do that, again, your squad will be tested. So, right now, my thinking is just in terms of our squad depth."

Iga Swiatek has revealed her low-key 21st birthday plans, saying she simply wants to watch two tennis greats in action at the French Open.

Swiatek progressed to the quarter-finals at Roland Garros by defeating Zheng Qinwen on Monday.

The Pole, who won her maiden grand slam title in Paris two years ago, dropped a set for the first time in more than a month as Zheng took the opener, but she came back to win 6-7 (5-7) 6-0 6-2.

Swiatek has now won 32 matches in a row, with only Venus Williams (35) and Serena Williams (34) now having enjoyed longer streaks this century.

The world number one is also the fifth female player to win 15+ consecutive matches as the number one in the 2000s after Martina Hingis, Serena Williams, Justine Henin and Dinara Safina.

Monday's win provided an early birthday gift for Swiatek, who turned 21 on Tuesday.

And while her main focus will be on a last-eight showdown with Jessica Pegula, she wants to celebrate by watching Novak Djokovic take on 13-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal.

"It is always pretty hard to celebrate when you are in the middle of the tournament, but I hope I'm going to have time on my day off to do something," Swiatek wrote in her column on BBC Sport.

"I never plan things for my own birthday – it's not like I'm going to throw a party in the locker room! I just hope I will get a proper rest. But I heard my team have prepared something fun for me – so we will see.

"As everyone knows I am a Rafael Nadal fan and I would love to watch his match against Novak Djokovic.

"I will be too curious about what will happen not to see it, but I will watch on TV rather than at the stadium. I watched Rafa's last match against Felix Auger-Aliassime, although not the full game because it was so long.

"During the tournament I need to be focused on my own preparations, my rest and my routine. That's why I won't be going to watch the quarter-final in the stadium.

"But, like always, I'll be rooting for Rafa."

Swiatek added that the inspiration she takes from 21-time grand slam champion Nadal only grew after she visited the 35-year-old's academy in his native Mallorca.

"Recently I went to Rafa's academy in Mallorca and saw all his trophies in the museum he has there," she added. "I got more excited about those trophies than the ones I saw when I went to Real Madrid's stadium, although they were impressive too.

"I was really in awe at seeing the grand slam trophies Rafa has won. But I was also amazed at all the others, like the trophies he has won at Barcelona, Monte Carlo and Rome. There are so many!

"It was amazing to see the consistency he has had during his career and seeing all his trophies was really inspiring."

Massimiliano Allegri says the "divine" Paulo Dybala must go back to "being himself" rather than trying to emulate Lionel Messi.

Dybala has decided to leave Juventus when his contract expires at the end of next month and Serie A rivals Inter want to sign him on a free transfer.

The Argentina forward has also been linked with several Premier League sides as he prepares to embrace a new challenge following seven years with Juve.

Bianconeri head coach Allegri believes Dybala's next club will only get the best out of him if he is not trying to emulate his legendary compatriot Messi.

Allegri told DAZN: "He has to go back to being himself, there was a moment when he got carried away by the fact that he was the new Messi.

"A player cannot emulate or think he is like another. He still has a lot to give because he has extraordinary technical qualities, he plays in a divine way."

Captain Giorgio Chiellini is another player whose time in Turin has come to an end.

Allegri says there is no shortage of leaders to step up in the absence of the long-serving centre-back.

He said: "For the future we already have two leaders, [Matthijs] De Ligt and [Manuel] Locatelli.

"Manuel was an excellent signing and could be the future Juventus captain, he has the technical and moral characteristics to stay here for many years.

"This year Danilo was a pleasant surprise: when he speaks he is never banal and puts the team first. A true leader is silent, he must speak little and must always put the team in front.

"And if you do this, it is the team that recognises you as a leader."

Allegri also expects Dusan Vlahovic to become a figurehead for Juve following his big-money move from Fiorentina in January.

"Dusan can also be a leader in his own way. He is loyal, he always wants to win, he will become a charismatic leader on the pitch on a character level."

Vlahovic scored seven goals in 15 Serie A appearances for Juve following his switch from Florence.

The Football Association (FA) has fined Frank Lampard £30,000 after the Everton manager was charged with improper conduct.

Everton, who secured Premier League survival with a dramatic 3-2 win over Crystal Palace on May 19, lost 2-0 to their Merseyside rivals Liverpool at Anfield on April 24.

However, Lampard was left infuriated when referee Stuart Attwell failed to give a penalty after Joel Matip bundled into Anthony Gordon early in the second half when the game was goalless. 

He said during a post-match news conference: "If that was [Mohamed] Salah at the other end, he gets a penalty. You don't get them here. That's the reality of football sometimes." 

The FA asked Lampard for an explanation of his comments and subsequently issued a charge of improper conduct by attacking the integrity of the referees.

Lampard responded to that claim but denied the charge, and for that he has now been fined.

A tweet from the FA Spokesperson account read: "An independent regulatory commission has fined Frank Lampard £30,000 after finding a charge against him for breaching FA Rule E3 in relation to media comments proven during a personal hearing.

"The Everton FC manager made the comments after their Premier League game against Liverpool FC on Sunday 24 April 2022, and he denied that they constitute improper conduct as they imply bias and/or attack the integrity of the match referee – or referees generally – and/or bringing the game into disrepute contrary to FA Rule E3.1."

Andy O'Boyle has returned to Manchester United as deputy football director.

O'Boyle will leave his role as head of elite performance at the Premier League in a move that the Red Devils say will "further strengthening leadership across the club's football department."

He is to provide support for football director John Murtough in driving the club's football strategy across the first team, academy and women's team.

O'Boyle will be a familiar face at the Premier League club in a new era under manager Erik ten Hag, having spent 16 years as a coach in the United academy working with the likes of Marcus Rashford.

"We are delighted to welcome Andy back to Manchester United to take up this important role in the club's leadership," said Murtough.

"Andy has experience across all technical areas of football, from fitness and sports science to scouting and recruitment.

"This will make him a valuable addition to my team at Carrington as we continue to strengthen leadership and strategic planning across all our football activities."

United confirmed on Sunday that former interim manager Ralf Rangnick would not be taking up the consultancy role initially planned for him.

Rangnick has been appointed as Austria's head coach. He took over from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November last year but only managed to guide United to sixth place and their lowest ever Premier League points total of 58.

Shaka Hislop is willing to be patient with Newcastle United's rebuild and believes fans are too, knowing the club will "be there to stay" once they reach the top of the Premier League table.

Newcastle have been struggling in the bottom half of the top flight for many years, but supporters' optimism was renewed by a lucrative takeover last year.

A consortium backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund bought Newcastle from Mike Ashley, in theory making the club the richest in world football.

No team spent more than Newcastle in the January transfer window, as an outlay of around £90million brought in the likes of Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes and inspired a surge up the table.

Bottom at the start of December, a sensational run under Eddie Howe took Newcastle up to a comfortable 11th by the season's end.

Further spending is anticipated ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, when Newcastle will be expected to have loftier ambitions, although former goalkeeper Hislop suggests success will not be immediate.

"A lot of the thinking is that this ownership isn't going to come and spend that kind of money straight off the bat," he told Stats Perform.

"Many thought they would like PSG are doing, or for argument's sake [Manchester] City may have done, [but] it's going to be a slow, gradual and deliberate process in bringing back some of those glory days.

"The signings have to make sense, they have to make fiscal sense, while the ownership are going to focus on building out the infrastructure so that once Newcastle are back and competing at the top end of the table, it's just sustained effort, it is not just fuelled by big spending and transfer windows, but they're going to build out the infrastructure.

"Now, building out infrastructure is going to take years, but I think the fanbase is understanding of that. They are okay with that. That's what they want.

"They are happy to take their time to get back to competing for Premier League honours. As long as it's a sustained effort, I think that's tying into everybody's feeling around the club and one that just comes together so well.

"So, the short answer is it's going to take time, but there's no doubt in my mind that they will be competing for honours before long. We'll see how long, but once they do, they'll be there to stay."

Hislop's thoughts were informed by a visit to Newcastle's training ground to chat to former Portsmouth team-mate Howe and members of backroom staff who remain at the club from his time on Tyneside in the 1990s.

Following those conversations, the 53-year-old – who was awarded the freedom of Newcastle for his work with Show Racism the Red Card – suggested "rekindling" an atmosphere that is "like nothing else" was more important than any promises of investment.

"The way that they felt the club was going under Mike Ashley, to them, it felt like it's lost its way, it lost its direction and sense of significance around the city, around the north-east in general," Hislop explained.

"And they felt that that had been renewed under the new ownership.

"Nobody at the club, nobody at the city is talking about the wealth of the new owners and any big spending there is to come.

"Everybody's just focused on rekindling that atmosphere that we saw and loved during the 90s and having some of that football back into the place, having a sense of optimism, because it felt that that had been taken away and neglected over the last few years."

Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob has nothing but a burning desire to win against the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.

Lacob used to have a minority stake in the Celtics and was part of the ownership when Boston won the most recent of their 17 NBA championships back in 2008.

He bought the Warriors in 2010, and under his ownership the team have won three titles, in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

But a victory this time around would mean even more to Lacob.

"Boston was very important, and those guys were very helpful. They're friends to this day. Not too close friends, though," Lacob told reporters.

"I want to kill them right now, I'm going to be honest. I'm very competitive about this, and I'm sure they are, too.

"It's going to be a battle on the court and a little bit of a battle on the ownership level, too. We want to kill each other and we want to win, both teams. And they should."

Lacob looks back fondly on his time co-owning the Celtics, however, even if he is set on getting the better of Boston in the Finals.

He added: "It was very important. I think to run any business in life, actually, I think it doesn't even need to be a business, you just kind of need some experience, right?

"You need to be able to do some pattern matching. You need to see what works and what doesn't work.

"In this case, it's the same kind of thing. Boston was an experience for me, as a limited partner, to get to see how an NBA team ran, upfront, in person, and real.

"I got to know people like Danny Ainge, and Doc Rivers was the coach. I've got a ring from 2008, by the way, from the championship.

"Five years, I think it was; it was a tremendous experience with the basketball side and the business side. I learned some things I liked to do the way they did it and things that maybe would be different."

Iga Swiatek revealed she sang a Dua Lipa song to take her mind off a difficult first set in her French Open victory against Zheng Qinwen.

World number one Swiatek extended her astonishing winning run to 32 matches by beating Zheng in the fourth round at Roland Garros, with only Venus Williams (35) and Serena Williams (34) now having enjoyed longer streaks this century – although the Pole remains a long way short of Martina Navratilova's outrageous all-time record of 74.

But Swiatek was made to work for this victory, dropping a set for the first time in more than a month as Zheng took the opener 7-6 (7-5).

Swiatek ultimately considered this a positive, though, responding with her 16th 6-0 set of the year in the second en route to winning 6-7 (5-7) 6-0 6-2.

"For sure, for me, I'm taking a lot of confidence in my comeback in the second set," she said afterwards. "So I think it's important that I had this kind of match, which is kind of like a cold shower.

"It reminded me how to find these solutions after losing a first set. Yeah, I feel when I'm going to take some positives from it. I think it's going to give me a lot before the next matches."

Yet what were Swiatek's solutions?

"It wasn't easy to find solutions and to find other tactics and to do something differently, because I wasn't sure what I was doing wrong," she explained.

"In the first set, I get many technical [things] that I wanted to change, like staying lower in my legs and sometimes not pushing the ball but swinging it like I was doing, like I would do normally.

"She was playing really fast balls, and it wasn't easy to loosen up, because I felt a little bit tense.

"So, in the second set, I just wanted to focus more and not really talk to the box maybe that much.

"And honestly, I speeded up a little bit my forehand. Maybe that was the solution. But I felt like my mind is a little bit more clear.

"I was sometimes just singing songs, and I realised in the first set, when I was really focusing on that technical stuff, it didn't really work, because I got more and more tense when I couldn't do that and couldn't really prepare to the shot the best way.

"I was singing in my mind, basically. That's not the first time. I'm always singing something, but I changed the song. It was Dua Lipa, so kind of a guilty pleasure."

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