Mattea Issa improved her lead over former national female golf champion Emily Mayne by three shots after scoring one over par 73 on the second day of the national senior trials to Mayne's four over par 76. Issa's combined score of five over par 149 is eight strokes ahead of Mayne's 157.
Issa was very pleased with her second round score card which showed a birdie and a bogey on the front nine and just one bogey on the back nine. She was even par up to the 13th hole, then she dropped the bogey on the 14th. Now five strokes ahead she is well positioned to top the female section of the senior trials for the first time.
Mayne's scorecard showed four bogeys and a double bogey but she had two birdies which cut her second round deficit to four. She still had a reasonable day on the course as she was even par up to hole number 14 but had a double bogey on 15 along with bogeys on 17 and 18. She has it all to play for on Sunday's final day of the trials but came in with some confidence as she had a very successful collegiate season which saw Howard University winning the championship.
Last year's national champion William Knibbs and the 2022 national champion Oshae Haye were joint leaders at the end of the second round after both golfers scored five over par 77s for the round. Their two-day scores were four over 76 and 77, respectively, for a total of nine over par 153. They were in joint second play at the end of the first round.
Dr. Mark Newnhan, Ryan Lue and Shamar Wilson all share the third spot with combined scores of 154 each after scoring 75, 75 and 76, respectively, in the second round.
First round leader Rocco Lopez scored 14 over par 86 in his second round for a total of 14 over par 158. He is the only golfer to post an even par score (72) so far, which he did in the first round.
Current national champions, Zandre Roye dropped from joint second (76) to seventh place after posting eight over par 80 in the second round. He will start the third and final round on 12 over par 156 but just three strokes behind leaders Knibbs and Haye.
The golfers will tee off at 9:00 am on Sunday aiming to qualify for a spot on the team to represent Jamaica at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship in July.
Clifton Johnson, Diane Hudson, and George Hugh emerged as the top winners at the 7th MCOBA/Lindy Delapenha Golf Tournament, held at the Caymanas Golf and Country Club recently. The tournament, which saw 88 participants, was marked by excellent weather conditions until the afternoon when rain began to fall, just as most players completed their rounds.
Johnson was crowned the overall winner of the tournament, scoring 44 points in the Stableford format. His victory earned him a weekend stay for two at the Half Moon Hotel and a gift basket from Carimed. Hudson, who won the Women's championship with 38 points, received a weekend stay for two at the Spanish Court Hotel and a gift basket from Carimed. Hugh, the Super Senior Men's champion with 41 points, was awarded a weekend stay for two at Jamaica Inn.
In the Men and Senior Men’s category, Damian Chung took first place with 42 points, followed by Calvery Winn with 41 points, and Paul Authurs with 40 points. In the Super Senior Men's category, Khaleel Azan finished as the runner-up, also with 41 points, and Gord Hutchinson came in third with 39 points. Jennifer Mendes was the runner-up in the Women's category with 37 points, while Maggie Lyn finished third with 30 points. Dane Marsh, with 36 points, was the best-performing Munro Old Boy.
Tournament Manager Telroy Morgan, who also participated in the tournament, described this year's event as the most successful yet. "This is the most successful event to date on several fronts inclusive of the tournament being oversubscribed. Unfortunately, we couldn’t accommodate some of the golfers who tried to register on the day, so it seems like next year we’ll need to stage the event over two days to accommodate all the golfers."
Morgan added, "It was a thrill to participate in the tournament for the first time. The possibility of winning the hole-in-one prize was thrilling, but more so, just being out on the course interacting with fellow golfers enjoying the atmosphere was priceless."
Nevin Nish, Qualified Principal Broker at Keller Williams, the main sponsors of the event, expressed pride in the success of the tournament. "Keller Williams Jamaica is very proud of this year’s staging of the Lindy Delapenha Munro College Golf Classics. As title sponsors, it was so heartwarming to see that we were oversubscribed."
Nish continued, "Even to the end of the tournament, and even as it rained, 90% of the golfers stayed right throughout the ceremony. We had a great time. The boys at Munro College will definitely benefit from all the proceeds because 100% of the proceeds go back to those boys at the institutions which are facing hard times. We are delighted, and we congratulate the organizers as well as the Caymanas Golf Club Team for this year's execution, and we look forward to continued support."
Winsome Gibbs, Branch Manager of CG United Insurance Limited, which sponsored the hole-in-one prize, reflected on the event as a day well spent. "It was an honor for our company, CG United, to participate in such a prestigious event. As a people-first organization, we are always happy to support initiatives that contribute to the growth and development of young people in our communities. The experience of watching each golfer take their shot at the hole-in-one was both exciting and nerve-wracking for me. Ultimately it was a bittersweet feeling at the end of the day but with our golfer’s insurance in place, I knew we were covered."
Both golfers and sponsors are already looking forward to next year's event after enjoying a memorable day of golf and camaraderie.
George Russell edged out Max Verstappen to claim pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix.
Russell and Verstappen, the reigning Formula One world champion and championship leader, set identical lap times.
Both clocked in at one minute and 12 seconds, but Russell was given the edge as he banked his first. That had not happened in F1 since 1997.
It is a huge boost for Mercedes, who seem to have turned a corner in recent races following some upgrades to their car.
"It's sort of come from nowhere," Russell said after qualifying in Montreal. "But maybe not a surprise with the upgrades we've been bringing.
"We brought these upgrades to Monaco, which has been a really challenging circuit for us in the past, and we were 0.1secs from the front row and we thought going into Montreal we had a shot here.
"It's just turning really nicely through the corners. We struggled a lot with understeer before.
"Last year, we had a lot of oversteer and we've been trying to find the halfway house between what we had last year and what we had this year.
"And it feels like we're sort of dialling in that sweet spot right now. So it feels like something we've been saying for a long time, in all honesty. But you know, just really a sense of relief to actually see it translate into a pole position. [There's] more to come.
"We are the favourite at the moment because we have the fastest car and I was feeling great behind the wheel.
"But there is rain on the horizon and the wind is picking up. We are going to have to be so on our feet. It's a bit of a shame in a way. But I am feeling optimistic."
Verstappen said: "It's how it is. We had a good qualifying. The whole weekend has been still a bit tricky for us but to be P2, I'll take it. Going into qualifying I would have definitely taken that. It makes it more exciting for the race as well."
Russell's team-mate Lewis Hamilton did not have as much luck, as he could only manage seventh place, behind the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Pisastri.
Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate, Sergio Perez, also had a poor session, as he was knocked out in Q3 for the second straight race.
Perez's Red Bull future was confirmed this week, though the team are also keeping on Yuki Tsunoda as back up.
It was a poor day for Ferrari, with both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz missing out on the top 10.
Sainz is hoping to claim a top seat for next season, with Hamilton replacing him at Ferrari, but Mercedes boss Toto Wolff confirmed that would not be with his team.
"Carlos deserves a top seat," Wolff said. "He's done a fantastic job, but for us we've embarked on a route now.
"We want to reinvent ourselves a little bit going forward and Kimi Antonelli definitely plays a part in that.
"We haven't taken a decision yet for next year but we didn't want to have Carlos wait as well because he needs to take decisions for himself and that's fair, but he's doing a super job."
Ranger Suarez became the majors’ first 10-game winner and Bryce Harper celebrated his tying home run with a soccer slide as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the New York Mets, 7-2 in the opener of Major League Baseball’s third London Series on Saturday.
Harper’s homer sparked a six-run fourth that included Whit Merrifield’s three-run homer and the major league-best Phillies (45-19) won their fourth in a row and seventh in eight games.
Harper finished a triple shy of the cycle and did a soccer slide in front of the Phillies dugout and moments later yelled “I love soccer!” while high-fiving teammates.
Nick Castellanos went deep in the eighth inning as manager Rob Thomson earned his 200th regular season win (200-137).
Suarez gave up two runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings and Philadelphia’s bullpen worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings.
Starling Marte had two hits and an RBI for the Mets, who had won three straight.
Streaking Reds edge Cubs
TJ Friedl homered and knocked in three runs and Jeimer Candelerio also went deep as the Cincinnati Reds held off the Chicago Cubs, 4-3, for their seventh straight win.
The Cubs threatened to tie in the ninth with runners at first and third with one out, but Justin Wilson got Ian Happ on a foul popup and retired Mike Tauchman on a groundout for his first save since 2019.
Andrew Abbott allowed five hits and walked four in five innings, but the only run he gave up was on Dansby Swanson’s first-inning RBI double. He struck out Patrick Wisdom three times and Christopher Morel twice.
Candelerio’s first-inning home run off Ben Brown lifted the Reds into a 1-1 tie, and Friedl’s two-run shot in the third was his third homer in the last seven games.
Hernandez goes deep twice as Dodgers rout Yankees
Teoscar Hernandez belted an eighth-inning grand slam for his second homer of the game and drove in six runs to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to an 11-3 victory over the New York Yankees.
Hernandez opened the scoring in the second inning with a solo shot off Nestor Cortes and connected for his fifth career grand slam in the eighth to extend the lead to 8-2.
The six RBIs matched a career high for Hernandez, who had done that twice previously. He has eight RBIs in the first two games of this series.
Kike Hernandez also went deep and Freddie Freeman added a two-run double for Los Angeles, which has taken the first two games of this marquee series in the Bronx.
Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 22nd and 23rd home runs as the Yankees lost their second straight following an eight-game winning streak.
New York’s star right fielder Juan Soto sat out his second consecutive game with left forearm inflammation.
Sergei Bobrovsky continued his red-hot play with 32 saves and Carter Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues scored to lift the Florida Panthers to a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night.
Bobrovsky was the story as the Oilers outshot the Panthers 32-17. He turned in one of the most memorable playoff goaltending performances in recent history, denying multiple breakaways and even managed to make saves without his stick for 30 seconds.
Over his last four playoff games, the 35-year-old Bobrovsky has stopped 101 of 106 shots for a .953 save percentage.
Three-time MVP Connor McDavid, who leads all scorers in the postseason with 31 points, led all skaters with six shots but couldn’t beat the Russian goaltender.
Thanks to him, the Panthers have a lead in the Cup final for the first time in franchise history and are three wins away from their first championship.
Eetu Luostarinen scored into an empty net with five seconds remaining, but that insurance goal was hardly needed the way Bobrovsky played.
Game 2 is Tuesday in Florida.
The goals by Verhaeghe and Rodriguez came on the first five shots against Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner, who wasn't to blame for either one.
The Oilers were shut out in the playoffs for the first time since June 2, 2022, against Colorado.
On May 25, 2024, Ingrid Graham made history as the first ever female to be elected as President of the Jamaica Table Tennis Association.
Graham secured 14 votes compared to 10 received by her opponent Colette Palmer at the elections held at the Sports Development Foundation in Kingston.
“It’s really a great honour to be in that capacity,” Graham told Sportsmax.tv in an interview this week.
“It just tells to show our young ladies that the sky is the limit and nothing is unreachable to them as long as the interest is there and they love it and have a passion for it,” she added.
The journey to get to this point was not without its ups and downs according to the President.
“It was a strenuous journey and a tiresome one. Sometimes you think of giving up but when I look back on all the children and young ladies and the development of Table Tennis and where it really has taken them, I decided to continue,” she said.
Graham got right to work after winning the election with her immediate attention going to organizing trials to select Jamaica’s teams to the Caribbean Mini and Pre-Cadet Championships set for July 1-7 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
“In the one week that I was in office I was tasked with basically putting on a trial for the Under-11 and Under-13 Pre and Mini Cadets who should be going to the Dominican Republic from June 29.”
Graham says she has also reached out to a number of players and entities to try and send the “excellent” team of youngsters to the tournament.
“The good thing about this set is that we have five children on this team who are from the inner city and they are very talented. They love this sport and they put in their everything they have,” she said.
In addition to planning those trials, which were held at the Excelsior High School, Graham says her and her team are currently planning a one-day rally for Prep and Primary Schools.
“We have not had a proper competition since 2019. Last year, myself, Skills Unlimited Table Tennis Academy (SUTTA), the Kingston and St Andrew Table Tennis Association (KSATTA), and Supersonic Table Tennis Club and the JTTA, we all came together and hosted a one-day rally which was excellent and well supported by the schools. We even had sponsors come on board last minute to assist us,” she said.
“We’re doing the same thing this year. We’re currently planning that and I have to be seeking funding and resources for the team to leave on June 29 for the Pre and Mini cadet,” Graham added.
While admitting that a lot of work needs to be done, she remains confident that her and her team will be able to get the job done.
“It can happen and it will happen. It’s a lot of work but once the structures are in place and persons are dedicated to the cause, we will get there,” she said.
That team consists of First Vice President Andrea Murray, Second Vice President Simon Lei, General Secretary Sean Wallace and Treasurer David White. Wallace will be assisted by Konata Beluchi while White be assisted by Mark Edwards and Errol Howlett.
The Council members include former national champion Simon Tomlinson, current national champion Mark Phillips, Matthew Dawson, Kevin Peterkin and Lisette Wilson.
“We have a diverse team. We have persons in the field of media, accounting, persons who operate their own businesses. We are aiming for positive output, unity, transparency and accountability,” she said.
“We want the entire Jamaica to know that whatever we’re tasked with, we’re going to fulfil it. Each sponsor that comes on board, they will get a report of players participation as well as documentation of hos the resources were spent,” Graham added.
An emotional Jasmine Paolini says this year's French Open was "the best days of my life" following her final defeat to Iga Swiatek on Saturday.
It was the Italian’s maiden Grand Slam final after she saw off Mirra Andreeva in straight sets in the semi-finals.
Paolini was already assured of breaking into the top 10 in the WTA rankings on Monday, no matter her result in the final.
She also booked her place in the women's doubles final after coming from behind with partner Sara Errani and will be playing that showpiece on Sunday.
Speaking after the single’s final, Paolini said she could not believe the journey she had been on in the past two weeks.
"Thanks for coming. I really enjoyed playing today," a choked-up Paolini said.
"The best days of my life, I think. Tomorrow, I have the doubles final. It's been a very intense 15 days, and I'm really happy to be here.
"Today was tough, but I'm really proud of myself anyway. You were cheering for me and that is unbelievable.
"I have to say congratulations to you, Iga. Playing you here is the toughest challenge in the sport. You are doing a great job - world number one and many slams.
"I want to thank my team, my family, everyone who is cheering for me every day. Congratulations to everyone who made this tournament special."
Iga Swiatek thanked the fans at the French Open for giving her the belief she needed to win the tournament after nearly being knocked out in the second round.
The world number one won her fourth title at Roland Garros, and her third in a row with a dominant 6-2, 6-1 victory over Jasmine Paolini on Saturday.
However, she almost made a shock early exit in the tournament at the hands of Naomi Osaka but pulled off an incredible comeback.
Swiatek saved a match point against the former world number one to come from 5-2 down to win the deciding set 7-5, setting her on her way to the trophy.
Now, she is the second player in the Open Era to win all of her first five Women's Singles Grand Slam finals after Monica Seles.
From the round of 16 onwards, Swiatek dropped just 11 games combined on her way to securing the title, but following her win, she said it was the crowd in Paris that boosted her confidence following that game.
"I love this place, I wait every year to come back here," Swiatek said after winning her title.
"I was almost out in the second round so thank you for still cheering for me. I needed to believe that this was possible. It’s been an emotional tournament. Thank you for supporting me.
"I want to thank my team, my family, without them I wouldn't be here. I want to thank everyone who made this tournament possible."
Paolini played in her maiden Grand Slam final and also reached the doubles final on Sunday with partner Sara Errani.
Swiatek was full of praise for her opponent and wished her well in her upcoming showpiece.
"Congrats for an amazing tournament," she added.
"I'm really impressed with how you've been playing these last two weeks. I hope we'll have many more matches in final rounds."
Rocco Lopez and Mattea Issa are the early leaders at the Jamaica Golf Association's National Senior Trials which began on Friday at the Half Moon Golf Course in St. James.
Lopez ended the first round on even par 72 after being on one under par up to the 17th hole but bogeyed the 18th hole.
His scorecard showed three birdies on holes five, twelve and sixteen but they were cancelled out by the three bogeys on holes number one, three and eighteen.
Three former national golf champions Zandre Roye (the current champion), William Knibbs (2023) and Oshae Haye (2022) all shot four over par 76 for a three-way tie for second place.
Roye held the lead at the 13th hole with a two under par score but had a wretched time on the course after that after sending down four bogeys and a double bogey. Overall, he shot four birdies, six bogeys and a double bogey for the round.
Knibbs, who has been away from the local golf scene for a while, sent town six bogeys in the round including bogeys on holes 17 and 18 but he had two birdies in the back nine on holes 10 and 12.
Haye's scorecard showed four bogeys and a double bogey but his two birdies on holes 11 and 12 helped him to share the second spot.
Many time national representative Owen Samuda was one stroke back in fifth place on five over par 77.
Fresh off her first national female golf title was Mattea Issa leads the female section of the national trials by five clear strokes.
Issa closed the first round on four over par 76 after recovering from a rough start bogeying holes number one and two.
She followed up with a birdies on hole number seven but got into trouble again with bogeys on holes nine and sixteen plus a double bogey on hole number 11. She did get a reprieve with a birdie on fifteen.
Emily Mayne returned for the trials after coming off a successful college season in the United States where she helped her university to win the national collegiate championship.
She had a torrid time on the course, sending down 10 bogeys and a birdie for a first-round score of nine over par 81. She topped the national trials in 2022 at the same venue so she will be looking to improve in the second and third rounds.
The golfers will tee off at 10:00 am on Saturday as they seek to improve their scores and positions in order to gain a spot on the national team to represent Jamaica at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship in July.
Iga Swiatek wins her third consecutive French Open title with a dominant straight-sets victory over Jasmine Paolini on Saturday.
The world number one's brilliant winning streak continued as she won 6-2, 6-1 in one hour and eight minutes on court Philippe-Chatrier.
Paolini, playing in her maiden grand slam final, caused a few nerves by getting an early break, but it was exactly what Swiatek needed to get her focus.
Swiatek won every game in the first set from that point, using power to force Paolini to cover more ground. As mistakes crept into her game, the Pole pushed harder and took the lead.
Swiatek upped her level once more in the second set, with the Italian struggling to find any answers to get back into the tie.
The 23-year-old worked her way through the gears neatly, earning another double break to storm through the first five games.
In her last chance to stay in the match, Paolini went on the offensive to ensure she did not end up on the wrong end of a bagel scoreline, but it only took one more game for Swiatek to wrap up her fifth grand slam title.
Swiatek chases down greats
Swiatek has been equalling records for fun this year, and that only continued with her French Open victory on Saturday.
She now has an impressive four titles at Roland Garros under her belt, and she is just the second women's player to win three consecutively since Justine Henin between 2005 and 2007, and the youngest since Monica Seles between 1990-92.
She is also just the second women's player to win all five of her finals in Grand Slams after Seles during the Open Era, having won the US Open in 2022 as well.
Not only that, but Swiatek is the first player to win three consecutive titles at a single Grand Slam tournament since Serena Williams dominated the US Open between 2012-14.
Swiatek had already previously picked up silverware at the Qatar Open, Indian Wells, Madrid Open and Italian Open in 2024 before adding the Grand Slam title.
She was the favourite going into Saturday's match-up and looked unstoppable, and many will be left wondering just how far she will be able to go in the rest of the year.
A French Open run to be proud of for Paolini
Labelled as a late-bloomer, Paolini is the third player in the last decade to reach her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros after turning 28, along with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (2021) and Lucie Safarova (2015).
It was always going to be a tough ask for Paolini to get her hands on the French Open trophy going up against as formidable an opponent as Swiatek.
Though she had already pulled off a big upset against Elena Rybakina in the quarter-finals, and it looked like she could be on for another shock after a strong opening, she struggled to match her opponent's aggression.
2024 has already seen Paolini undergo huge changes – she came into the year with a losing record of 78-87 and one career title.
Since the turn of the year, she is 22-10 with one trophy and has the French Open doubles final to look forward to on Sunday with partner Sara Errani.
She is already confirmed to move into the top 10 of the rankings following the end of the tournament, having said before the final that she never dreamed this far ahead, only taking each match as it came.
Adelaide Thunderbirds produced what was arguably their best performances of the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) League season so far to turn the tables on leaders West Coast Fever, with an emphatic 68-50 victory at a sold-out Entertainment Centre, on Saturday.
Having lost the first meeting between the two by one goal in a nail-biting encounter, the Thunderbirds –comprising Jamaicans Romelda Aiken-George, Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and Latanya Wilson –were out for revenge against their Jamaican counterparts Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, Shanice Beckford and Kadie-Ann Dehaney, and they delivered it in a swift and vicious manner with the 18-goal romp that handed Fever their second loss of the season.
In fact, the win for the Thunderbirds also marked a rebound from last week’s shock defeat to Queensland Firebirds, as they capitalised on 19 gains against the uncharacteristically careless, out-of-sorts Fever.
Aiken-George, as always, led the Thunderbirds from the front with 50 goals from 60 attempts, backed by Lauren Frew, who had nine goals from 13 attempts, while Georgie Horjus had five goals from six attempts, and Lucy Austin scored four goals from five attempts.
Meanwhile, Fever’s attacking front saw Fowler-Nembhard tally 41 goals from 46 attempts, as Alice Teague-Neeld (four goals from five attempts), and Olivia Wilkinson (three goals from four attempts) offered some support. Beckford failed to score from her three attempts.
As expected, the encounter started at a decent tempo, as Fever accounted for the first two goals, before Thunderbirds responded, finding free targets and keeping pace in a goal-for-goal opening term.
Sterling-Humphrey made her presence felt early, when she got her hands on the ball within the first two minutes, though she couldn't quite secure it to make it count. Still, she went on to Sterling-Humphrey tally eight intercept possessions by halftime.
Jamaican Shamera Sterling-Humphrey of Adelaide Thunderbirds soars above her West Coast Fever opponent to win possession.
The Fever defenders focused on protecting the backspace with a split circle, aiming to stifle the tall timber, Aiken-George, but it was to no avail.
Latanya Wilson later pulled off a crucial intercept, which assisted Thunderbirds, the reigning champions, to a two-goal lead heading into the Power Five, where they added three more goals to open a five-goal lead a 20-15 at the end of the first quarter.
Tayla Williams also shone early for Thunderbirds, as she racked up 53.5 Nissan Net Points, with eight goal assists, 11 feeds, and a deflection in the first term alone.
Much like she ended the first, Wilson started the second quarter in a similar vein, as she soared for another intercept, and kept possession in play even as she flew out of bounds. That play extended the Thunderbirds' lead and they duly maintained the momentum from there to take the quarter 19-9 for a 39-24 lead at half-time.
The Fever stepped up their game in the third quarter and that resulted in a slight momentum shift. For the first and only time in the contest, they outscored Thunderbirds 17-12 to cut the deficit to 10 goals at 51-41 heading into the final quarter.
Though Fever showcased moments of fluid play that signalled a notable shift in energy and momentum at the top of the final quarter, their hopes of a comeback victory dwindle, as Thunderbirds regained their rhythm just before the Power Five and accelerated to cap a tidy victory.
Max Verstappen admitted it was not an "ideal" start to his Canadian Grand Prix after enduring technical trouble with his car on Friday.
The practice session in Montreal was heavily disrupted by intermittent rain, causing the headline lap times to be effectively meaningless.
However, Verstappen, who was 18th fastest in the second session, suffered a problem with the energy recovery system (ERS) in Practice Two after just four laps, with the Red Bull trailing smoke before returning to the pits.
Red Bull are investigating the cause of the fault ahead of Saturday's qualifying.
"It's not ideal," said Verstappen.
"I would have liked to drive more laps, some other people had a few more laps in the dry and a few more laps in the wet.
"It's definitely not how I would have liked to get on in FP2 but it's more important to figure out what actually happened and what kind of implication it will have for this year and the rest of the year."
Verstappen has won just one of the last three Grand Prix, with Red Bull now holding just a 24-point lead over Ferrari in the championship.
Alexander Zverev is looking to put previous disappointments in major tournaments behind him when he faces Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final on Sunday.
Zverev booked his place in his maiden final in the competition with a comeback victory over Casper Ruud, who was affected by illness, winning 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.
Zverev previously reached the US Open final in 2020, which he lost to Dominic Thiem, before having to retire in the French Open semi-final in 2022 after just two sets.
It has not been a smooth journey to the final this year, as he has been forced to go the distance and come from behind in most matches, but Zverev is confident that will only make him stronger.
"No, I think, look, to go deep and to win a Grand Slam, you have to go through difficulties, and you have to go through a lot of ups and downs," Zverev said after his win on Friday.
"Normally to win a Grand Slam you have to go through battles. You have to come back in tough five-set matches. You have to come back from difficult moments. I'm happy about the way and the path I had. I'm happy to be in a Grand Slam final and give myself the best chance to win on Sunday."
"Going from the US Open final where I was two points away to then being rolled off in a wheelchair here two years ago. It's all the path of my journey.
"Look, I'm in the final. I haven't won yet. But I just want to play my best tennis and give myself the best chance. If I am able to lift that trophy, it will mean the world to me."
Zverev has already won the Italian Open this year, his sixth Masters title, and his first since 2021.
Aiming to win his first major title, the 27-year-old looked back at his previous tournament experiences, noting how they pushed him to where he is now.
"There was one of two ways to come back from two situations," he added.
"You either come back stronger, and you come back hungrier, which I feel like I did in 2021 when I had my best year on tour so far. Didn't win a Grand Slam, but felt like I had opportunities, won the gold medal, won the most titles on tour by any player that year.
"Or you kind of go into yourself. You drop mentally a bit, as well. I'm happy that I was the sort of person that took the first path.
"Here I am. I want to give myself the best chance, and that's what I'm doing at the end of the day. We'll see how Sunday goes."
Nelson Velazquez's run-scoring fielder's choice capped a three-run 9th inning and the Kansas City Royals rallied from an eight-run deficit for a stunning 10-9 win over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.
The Mariners scored seven runs in the first inning – highlighted by Mitch Haniger's bases-clearing double and Ryan Bliss's first career homer.
They took a 9-7 lead into the bottom of the ninth but were without injured closer Andres Munoz. Ryne Stanek walked Nick Loftin before Garrett Hampson hit an infield single that third baseman Josh Rojas threw wildly to put runners on second and third.
After Maikel Garcia's groundout scored a run, Bobby Witt Jr. tripled home the tying run. The Mariners intentionally walked the next two batters and Velazquez hit a potential double-play grounder to shortstop J.P. Crawford, who bobbled the ball and the throw to first was late.
Ty France’s RBI double in the fourth stretched the lead to 8-0, but the Royals responded with four runs in the bottom half. Velazquez's infield single scored a run and MJ Melendez followed with a three-run homer.
Seattle tacked on a run in the sixth before Kansas City closed to 9-7 in their half. Melendez knocked in a run on a groundout and Hunter Renfroe had a two-run single.
Teams trailing 7-0 after one inning had lost 75 straight games, a streak that dated back to 1995.
Dodgers end Yankees' streak in 11 innings
Teoscar Hernandez lined a two-run double in the 11th inning to break up a scoreless game and the Los Angeles Dodgers held on for a 2-1 victory, ending the New York Yankees' eight-game winning streak.
With automatic runner Shohei Ohtani on second, Freddie Freeman walked against Ian Hamilton before Will Smith lined out. Hernandez then drilled a shot into the left-center field gap to easily score both runners.
Aaron Judge singled home a run with one out in the bottom half, but Yohan Ramirez struck out Giancarlo Stanton and got Anthony Rizzo to foul out for his first save of the season.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto limited New York to two hits over seven innings with two walks and seven strikeouts. The Dodgers' bullpen allowed three hits and an unearned run over the next four innings.
Ohtani went 0 for 5 and is batting .195 with three homers and 10 RBIs since May 16 to drop his average from .364 to .312.
The Yankees loaded the bases in the eighth after Judge worked a 10-pitch walk but Blake Treinen got Stanton to fly out.
Juan Soto missed his first game of the season for New York due to a sore left forearm.
Cody Poteet gave up two hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings in his third start of the season.
Reds hold off Cubs for 6th straight win
Nick Lodolo pitched six strong innings and Tyler Stephenson had a two-run double to lift the Cincinnati Reds to their sixth consecutive victory, 3-2 over the Chicago Cubs.
Lodolo limited the Cubs to one run and four hits while walking two and striking out seven to win his third straight start.
Alexis Diaz gave up a run in the ninth but struck out Patrick Wisdom with the tying run on second for his 13th save.
Cincinnati has won 11 of 14 to pull even with Chicago for second place in the NL Central, both at 31-33.
The Cubs have lost 11 of 15.
Stephenson's double off Justin Steele in the fourth came after Spencer Steer reached on a strikeout/wild pitch and Elly De La Cruz's walk.
Nelson Velazquez’s run-scoring fielder’s choice capped a three-run 9th inning and the Kansas City Royals rallied from an eight-run deficit for a stunning 10-9 win over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.
The Mariners scored seven runs in the first inning – highlighted by Mitch Haniger’s bases-clearing double and Ryan Bliss’s first career homer.
They took a 9-7 lead into the bottom of the ninth but were without injured closer Andres Munoz. Ryne Stanek walked Nick Loftin before Garrett Hampson hit an infield single that third baseman Josh Rojas threw wildly to put runners on second and third.
After Maikel Garcia’s groundout scored a run, Bobby Witt Jr. tripled home the tying run. The Mariners intentionally walked the next two batters and Velazquez hit a potential double-play grounder to shortstop J.P. Crawford, who bobbled the ball and the throw to first was late.
Ty France’s RBI double in the fourth stretched the lead to 8-0, but the Royals responded with four runs in the bottom half. Velazquez’s infield single scored a run and MJ Melendez followed with a three-run homer.
Seattle tacked on a run in the sixth before Kansas City closed to 9-7 in its half. Melendez knocked in a run on a groundout and Hunter Renfroe had a two-run single.
Teams trailing 7-0 after one inning had lost 75 straight games, a streak that dated back to 1995.
Dodgers end Yankees’ streak in 11 innings
Teoscar Hernandez lined a two-run double in the 11th inning to break up a scoreless game and the Los Angeles Dodgers held on for a 2-1 victory, ending the New York Yankees’ eight-game winning streak.
With automatic runner Shohei Ohtani on second, Freddie Freeman walked against Ian Hamilton before Will Smith lined out. Hernandez then drilled a shot into the left-center field gap to easily score both runners.
Aaron Judge singled home a run with one out in the bottom half, but Yohan Ramirez struck out Giancarlo Stanton and got Anthony Rizzo to foul out for his first save of the season.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto limited New York to two hits over seven innings with two walks and seven strikeouts. The Dodgers’ bullpen allowed three hits and an unearned run over the next four innings.
Ohtani went 0 for 5 and is batting .195 with three homers and 10 RBIs since May 16 to drop his average from .364 to .312.
The Yankees loaded the bases in the eighth after Judge worked a 10-pitch walk but Blake Treinen got Stanton to fly out.
Juan Soto missed his first game of the season for New York due to a sore left forearm.
Cody Poteet gave up two hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings in his third start of the season.
Reds hold off Cubs for 6th straight win
Nick Lodolo pitched six strong innings and Tyler Stephenson had a two-run double to lift the Cincinnati Reds to their sixth consecutive victory, 3-2 over the Chicago Cubs.
Lodolo limited the Cubs to one run and four hits while walking two and striking out seven to win his third straight start.
Alexis Diaz gave up a run in the ninth but struck out Patrick Wisdom with the tying run on second for his 13th save.
Cincinnati has won 11 of 14 to pull even with Chicago for second place in the NL Central, both at 31-33.
The Cubs have lost 11 of 15.
Stephenson’s double off Justin Steele in the fourth came after Spencer Steer reached on a strikeout/wild pitch and Elly De La Cruz’s walk.
Sara Errani will prioritise helping doubles partner Jasmine Paolini ahead of her French Open final against Iga Swiatek this Saturday.
The Italian duo beat Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse 1-6 6-4 6-1 on Friday to book their place in the women's doubles final, where they will face Coco Gauff and Katerina Siniakova.
Paolini has been partners with compatriot and five-time grand slam doubles champion Errani since the start of 2024, and the pair have quickly created a special partnership, having triumphed at the Linz Open and the Italian Open.
The world number 15 will play in her first grand slam singles final one day before her doubles fixture but faces a sizeable task in stopping Swiatek from claiming a third straight title in Paris.
However, she has the backing of her doubles partner, with Errani hoping the 28-year-old can enjoy the occasion this weekend.
"It's a special moment. Of course, being in a slam final is amazing. For sure, I will speak with Jasmine. If I can help a little bit, for me it would be amazing. I don't really know what to say," Errani said.
"I hope she enjoys it. I hope she believes. I believe in her. It's a really tough match, but I think she's an amazing player."
It proved to be a difficult opening set for the Italian pairing, but they were able to recover from that slow start.
"Today was a really tough match," Paolini said. "The first set, I mean, we didn't see any ball. They were just passing, and we were there and trying to fight.
"Then we said, okay, this cannot go worse. We managed to come back. It was a really tough match, but we are happy to be in the final."
Alexander Zverev roared into his second grand slam final by beating Casper Ruud 2-6 6-2 6-4 6-2 at the French Open, the Norwegian affected by illness as he wilted on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Ruud entered Friday's semi-final rested after benefitting from Novak Djokovic's withdrawal in the last eight, and he controlled the baseline rallies with confidence as he took the opener.
However, a long forehand gifted Zverev a break in the opening game of the second set and the German did not look back from there, winning 92 per cent of points behind his first serve as he levelled things up.
More mistakes crept into Ruud's game and he told the umpire he was feeling unwell three games into the third, when Zverev continued to press home his physical advantage.
Ruud left the court after going 2-1 down in a bid to recompose himself, but Zverev set the tone for another dominant set by crashing home a big forehand winner for an opening-game break, and Ruud never looked like hitting back as the big-serving German advanced.
Data Debrief: Zverev's clay form rewarded
Zverev has become increasingly comfortable on the clay this year, winning the Italian Open and reaching his first final at Roland Garros.
He is just the fifth player in the last two decades to reach the men's singles final at both events in the same year, after Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
He will take on Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday's showpiece match, having won five of his nine tour-level meetings with the Spaniard.
Carlos Alcaraz described his five-set French Open semi-final triumph over Jannik Sinner as one of the toughest matches of his career.
The Spaniard overcame the soon-to-be world number one 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Court Philippe-Chatrier to become just the fifth player in the last 30 years to make the men's singles final at Roland Garros before the age of 22.
It marks the first time the 21-year-old has reached the final of the competition, also making him the fifth-youngest player to get his fifth win against a top-five opponent in grand slam events since the ATP Rankings were first published in 1973.
Speaking shortly after his win, Alcaraz acknowledged the magnitude of the result but pointed out that he had to suffer to emerge victorious in Paris.
"You have to find the joy in suffering, that is the key," he said.
"Here on clay at Roland Garros, long rallies, four-hour matches and five sets, you have to suffer, but I was told by my team many times that you have to enjoy suffering."
The pair have enjoyed thrilling encounters in previous meetings, and despite the latest instalment of their flourishing rivalry lasting four hours and 10 minutes, it was not the longest time they have spent together on court, having played for five hours and 15 minutes at the US Open in 2022.
Alcaraz prevailed in that encounter to reach his maiden major semi-final, going on to win the tournament. He ranks his latest meeting with the Italian among the toughest matches of his career.
"The toughest matches I have played in my short career have been against Jannik," he said.
"There was the US Open in 2022, this one. That shows the great player that Jannik is, the team that he has as well, and the great work he puts in every day.
"I hope to play many, many more matches like this one against Jannik, but it was definitely one of the toughest matches I have played in, for sure."
Alcaraz will face either Casper Ruud or Alexander Zverev in the final on Sunday.
Carlos Alcaraz is into his first French Open final after an incredible comeback against Jannik Sinner on Friday.
Dubbed as the match "everybody wants to watch", it certainly lived up to its billing as Alcaraz won 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in four hours and 10 minutes on the court.
Sinner, who had dropped just one set coming into the final, started quickly, getting an early double break to cruise to a 4-0 in the opener, and though Alcaraz fought back, he was quickly seen off.
The Spaniard responded well in the second despite another slow start, and Sinner had few answers as Alcaraz dragged himself level.
Sinner began to struggle in the third, needing medical treatment for hand cramp, but it did not slow him down as he once again held his nerve to take the set. He stayed in the fight in the fourth as well, matching Alcaraz until the final game, when his serve was broken.
The 21-year-old wore Sinner down with his aggressive play, and produced moments of magic, earning an early break. He kept his fate in his own hands then, seeing out the victory.
He will face either Casper Ruud or Alexander Zverev in the final on Sunday.
Data Debrief: More records broken for Alcaraz
Alcaraz (21 years and 33 days) is the youngest player in the Open Era to reach the men's singles finals in Grand Slam events on clay, grass and hard court.
He is also the fifth-youngest player to get his fifth win against a top-5 opponent in men's singles Grand Slam events since the ATP Rankings were published in 1973.
The Spaniard is keeping good company, as he is just the fifth player in the last 30 calendar years to make the men's singles final at Roland Garros before the age of 22, behind Alberto Berasategui, Gustavo Kuerten, Carlos Moya and Rafael Nadal.
Only Michael Chang and Bjorn Borg (12 each) have won more Grand Slam five-setters than Alcaraz before turning 22 in the Open Era (10, equalling Marat Safin).
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