Chronicle (Zimbabwe)

Muguruza knocked out of French Open 2017

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DEFENDING champion Garbine Muguruza is out of the French Open after losing 6-1 3-6 6-3 to home favourite Kristina Mladenovic.

Spaniard Muguruza only won 15 points in the first set and although she rallied to take it to a third could not match the French 13th seed.

Muguruza’s defeat means that only four of the top 10 seeds remain in the draw.

Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina and Karolina Pliskova are all safely through after wins yesterday.

Mladenovic, who won despite serving 16 double faults, was tearful in a post-match interview on a Suzanne-Lenglen Court which had offered passionate support throughout.

No French woman has won the title at Roland Garros since Mary Pierce in 2000.

Mladenovic, 24, will now face Venus Williams or Timea Bacsinzky in the last eight.

Former world number one Wozniacki moved into the quarter-finals with a three-set win over Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova.

The Dane, 26, had not reached the last eight at Roland Garros since 2010 but came through to win 6-1 4-6 6-2 against the eighth seed and 2009 champion.

Pliskova, the Czech second seed, is into round four after she beat Carina Witthoft of Germany 7-5 6-1.

Fifth seed Svitolina of Ukraine is also safely through to the fourth round after beating Poland’s Magda Linette 6-4 7-5. — BBC Sport ANTOINE GRIEZMANN says he will stay at Atletico Madrid next season as it would be a “dirty move” to leave the club after their transfer ban was upheld.

The 26-year-old forward had been linked with a move to Manchester United, before their interest in him cooled.

Atletico’s appeal against a transfer ban for breaching Fifa rules over the signing of minors was rejected by the Court of Arbitratio­n for Sport (Cas).

“It’s a hard time for the club,” Griezmann told French television.

The France internatio­nal told Telefoot he had decided to stay at the Spanish side after discussion with his sporting advisor Eric Olhats.

“It would be a dirty move to leave now - we talked to the leaders and we will be back for next season,” he added.

Atletico, together with city rivals Real Madrid, were banned in July 2016 from registerin­g players for two transfer windows and fined after a Fifa investigat­ion concerning players aged under 18 who played in competitio­ns for Atletico between 2007 and 2014, and Real from 2005 to 2014.

Both sides failed in their initial appeals to Fifa, but Real had their ban halved by Cas, while Atletico’s suspension was upheld on Thursday, although their fine was reduced.

Atletico called the Cas ruling “unfair” and said it would cause “irreparabl­e damage” to the club.

Later on Thursday, Griezmann posted a message on social media reading: “Now more than ever! #atleti #alltogethe­r.”

He had previously told French television show Quotidien there was a “6/10” chance of joining Manchester United this summer.

As Atletico cannot register new players again until 1 January 2018, it is anticipate­d they will offer Griezmann a new contract - his current deal includes a 100m euro (£86m) release clause. — BBC Sport

 ??  ?? Garbine Muguruza
Garbine Muguruza

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