SM
Barcelona vs. Brann: 9 hrs 24 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

5 things we learned at this year's French Open

:Headline: 5 things we learned at this year's French Open: ID:361622: from db_amp
Lessons to take from Roland Garros.

The French Open ended with Rafael Nadal lifting his 12th title and Ashleigh Barty her first.

British number one Johanna Konta was an unexpected star with her run to the semi-finals.

Here, Press Association Sport picks out five things we learned from the year's second grand slam.

No stopping Nadal yet

Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates his record 12th French Open title (AP)

At some point another man will get his hands on the Coupe des Mousquetaires but that moment does not feel like it is getting any closer. Nadal had a difficult build-up to the tournament after more knee problems in the spring but he only lost two sets all tournament and once again quelled the challenge of Dominic Thiem, the pretender to his clay-court crown, in the final. If Nadal's body can hold out, and he rarely seems to struggle on clay, then another couple of titles at least appear a probability.

Thiem's time will come

Dominic Thiem is a talented player (AP)

It may or may not have been a crumb of comfort for Thiem to hear his conqueror declare him a champion of the future here. Last year's run to the final came with the caveat that Novak Djokovic was not at his best, but here Thiem did what no one had managed for 12 months by beating the Serbian at a grand slam. His ranking of world number four shows that he is more than simply a clay-court specialist and, if he continues to improve at the rate he is showing, then the 25-year-old should have chances to win more than just the French Open.

Variety the name of the game

Ashleigh Barty was an unexpected chaimpion in Paris (AP)

No one was more surprised than Barty that it was she who lifted the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. The Australian had been thought of as a potential grand slam champion on faster surfaces, particularly grass, but not clay. However, what Barty showed with her spins, slices and volleys is that an all-court game can triumph on any surface. Her final opponent, 19-year-old Marketa Vondrousova, also plays with a lot of variety, as does 17-year-old Amanda Anisimova, who made her first slam semi-final. Power no longer trumps all in the women's game, and that is definitely to be welcomed.

Konta is a contender again

Johanna Konta had a good run (RIchard Selllers/PA)

Another player who exceeded all expectations was Konta, who had lost all four main-draw matches at Roland Garros prior to this year. She had been a revelation on clay in the run-up to the tournament and played a series of superb matches, particularly her quarter-final victory over Sloane Stephens. The British number one's serve is back to the height of its powers and she no longer relies entirely on her powerfully-hit ground strokes. The striking mental poise she had shown slipped in the semi-finals but Konta loves grass and should look to Wimbledon with optimism for another strong run.

Women deserve respect

The weather did not help organisers at Roland Garros (AP)

The French tennis federation, which runs the tournament, will no doubt breathe a huge sigh of relief that the last edition without a roof on Court Philippe Chatrier is over. Bad weather in the second week gave them a major scheduling headache, and they did not cover themselves in glory with the way they handled it. Putting one women's semi-final on the third court and then delaying the women's final for a men's semi-final sent a message, unintended no doubt, that men's matches were more important. There was no easy solution, but a better one should have been found.

amp_article__361622 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2019-06-11 17:54:07:
html db last update - 2021-03-11 01:25:55 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .