Russia strikes first Sochi gold in team figure skating; U.S. gets bronze

By Chris EstradaFeb 9, 2014, 2:07 PM EST

From the go, Team Russia made it clear that the inaugural Olympic team figure skating competition would be theirs.

Today at Iceberg Skating Palace, the Russians emphatically finished off a gold-medal triumph with wins in the men’s and women’s free skates from Yevgeny Plushenko and Yulia Lipnitskaya. In the final standings, Russia eclipsed Canada by a full ten points, 75-65.

As for the U.S., they were able to hold off Italy and Japan to take the bronze with 60 points. Meryl Davis and Charlie White won the free dance, earning a score of 114.34 that was confirmed by U.S. Figure Skating to be the highest free dance score in history – a great sign for them going into the individual ice dancing competition that begins next Sunday.

Plushenko – who jokingly thanked the critics that questioned whether he should even be on the Russian Olympic team – notched a score of 168.20 in the men’s free to add another 10 points for the host nation.

Meanwhile, Jason Brown of the U.S. fell in his free program, suffering the same fate that teammate Jeremy Abbott did in his short program on Thursday. He finished fourth out of five with a score of 153.67.

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In the ladies’ free skate, Gracie Gold had a strong Olympic debut that was marked with the same confidence she had in claiming the U.S. Nationals title last month in Boston. Her score of 129.38 vaulted her into the lead.

But Russia’s 15-year-old dynamo Yulia Lipnitskaya followed Gold with yet another tremendous performance that netted a 141.51, ten more points for her country, and rapturous applause from all in attendance – including the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

The free dance closed the proceedings, with Davis and White earning a second win in the team competition after taking the short dance on Saturday, which helped put the U.S. back in medal position.

Their main rivals, reigning Olympic dancing champs Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada, were runners-up today with a score of 107.56.

TEAM FIGURE SKATING – FINAL STANDINGS
1. Russia – 75
2. Canada – 65
3. United States – 60
4. Italy – 52
5. Japan – 51

Eliminated after short programs
6. France – 22
7. China – 20
8. Germany – 17
9. Ukraine – 10
10. Great Britain – 8

source: Getty Images — Team Russia celebrates its historic Olympic gold in team figure skating. Photo: Getty Images

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2023 French Open men’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkJun 5, 2023, 4:59 PM EDT

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The French Open men’s singles draw is missing injured 14-time champion Rafael Nadal for the first time since 2004, leaving the Coupe des Mousquetaires ripe for the taking.

The tournament airs live on NBC Sports, Peacock and Tennis Channel through championship points in Paris.

Novak Djokovic is not only bidding for a third crown at Roland Garros, but also to lift a 23rd Grand Slam singles trophy to break his tie with Nadal for the most in men’s history.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Women’s Draw

But the No. 1 seed is Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who won last year’s U.S. Open to become, at 19, the youngest man to win a major since Nadal’s first French Open title in 2005.

Now Alcaraz looks to become the second-youngest man to win at Roland Garros since 1989, after Nadal of course.

Alcaraz missed the Australian Open in January due to a right leg injury, but since went 30-3 with four titles. Notably, he has not faced Djokovic this year. They could meet in the semifinals.

Russian Daniil Medvedev, the No. 2 seed, was upset in the first round by 172nd-ranked Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild. It marked the first time a men’s top-two seed lost in the first round of any major since 2003 Wimbledon (Ivo Karlovic d. Lleyton Hewitt).

All of the American men lost before the fourth round. The last U.S. man to make the French Open quarterfinals was Andre Agassi in 2003.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

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2023 French Open Men’s Singles Draw

Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek set French Open rematch

By OlympicTalkJun 5, 2023, 3:25 PM EDT

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Coco Gauff swept into the French Open quarterfinals, where she plays Iga Swiatek in a rematch of last year’s final.

Gauff, the sixth seed, beat 100th-ranked Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 7-5, 6-2 in the fourth round. She next plays the top seed Swiatek, who later Monday advanced after 66th-ranked Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko retired down 5-1 after taking a medical timeout due to illness.

Gauff earned a 37th consecutive win over a player ranked outside the top 50, dating to February 2022. She hasn’t faced a player in the world top 60 in four matches at Roland Garros, but the degree of difficulty ratchets up in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

Swiatek won all 12 sets she’s played against Gauff, who at 19 is the only teenager in the top 49 in the world. Gauff said last week that there’s no point in revisiting last year’s final — a 6-1, 6-3 affair — but said Monday that she should rewatch that match because they haven’t met on clay since.

“I don’t want to make the final my biggest accomplishment,” she said. “Since last year I have been wanting to play her, especially at this tournament. I figured that it was going to happen, because I figured I was going to do well, and she was going to do well.

“The way my career has gone so far, if I see a level, and if I’m not quite there at that level, I know I have to improve, and I feel like you don’t really know what you have to improve on until you see that level.”

FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men | Broadcast Schedule

Also Monday, No. 7 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia dispatched 36th-ranked American Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-1, breaking all eight of Pera’s service games.

Jabeur, runner-up at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year, has now reached the quarterfinals of all four majors.

Jabeur next faces 14th-seeded Beatriz Haddad Maia, who won 6-7 (3), 6-3, 7-5 over Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo, who played on a protected ranking of 68. Haddad Maia became the second Brazilian woman to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal in the Open Era (since 1968) after Maria Bueno, who won seven majors from 1959-1966.

Pera, a 28 year-old born in Croatia, was the oldest U.S. singles player to make the fourth round of a major for the first time since Jill Craybas at 2005 Wimbledon. Her defeat left Gauff as the lone American singles player remaining out of the 35 entered in the main draws.

The last American to win a major singles title was Sofia Kenin at the 2020 Australian Open. The 11-major drought matches the longest in history (since 1877) for American men and women combined.

In the men’s draw, 2022 French Open runner-up Casper Ruud reached the quarterfinals by beating 35th-ranked Chilean Nicolas Jarry 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5. He’ll next play sixth seed Holger Rune of Denmark, a 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7) winner over 23rd seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina.

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2023 French Open Men’s Singles Draw

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