Oscar Pistorius’ restaurant gun incident recounted at murder trial; Day 3 recap (video)

By Nick ZaccardiMar 5, 2014, 9:25 AM EST

Oscar Pistorius‘ murder trial shifted focus to a January 2013 restaurant incident, when he accidentally shot a gun under a table and convinced a friend to take the blame, according to a witness.

Three witnesses testified Wednesday about a lunch incident at a Johannesburg restaurant — professional boxer Kevin Lerena (who was part of the four-man party including Pistorius at the table) and the restaurant’s owner and wife.

The group members at the table were Lerena, Pistorius, two-time British Olympic 400m runner Martyn Rooney and Darren Fresco. Fresco passed a gun under the table to Pistorius, who accidentally shot it, grazing Lerena’s foot and putting a hole through the floor, Lerena said.

Pistorius apologized, asked if everybody was OK and, before anybody came to the table, asked Fresco to take the blame for the gunshot. Pistorius cited the amount of media hype around him when asking Fresco, Lerena said. Fresco obliged.

The incident could affect the judgment of the murder charge against Pistorius for shooting and killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on the early morning of Valentine’s Day 2013 in Pretoria. Pistorius fired a gun in both cases and did not own up to the restaurant shooting, according to Lerena’s testimony.

Pistorius, the first double amputee to run at the Olympics in 2012, has said he thought Steenkamp was an intruder in his bathroom when he shot four times through the door and killed her last year.

The prosecution asserts Pistorius shot her after a fight. Pistorius could face life in prison if convicted of premeditated murder with a minimum of 25 years.

The trial is scheduled to resume Thursday at 2:30 a.m. ET.

Here’s NBC News’ full recap from Wednesday.

Here’s video of Lerena describing the silence and shock of the restaurant gun incident and Pistorius asking Fresco to take the blame:

Here’s audio of the restaurant owner’s wife saying she hit Fresco over the head after reminding him of gun safety:

Here’s some atmosphere from Pretoria via Twitter:

Here's the little guy – the Hippo left on the bench where #Reeva family sit. #OscarPistorius pic.twitter.com/jc8Tz3XMNR

— Kate Forbes (@forbeesta) March 5, 2014

Charl Johnson said he received intimidating phone calls and text messages after the defense read his # out in court. "It keeps on ringing."

— Erin Conway-Smith (@ejcs) March 5, 2014

#OscarPistorius trial > Reporter getting grilled by judge for a laptop making noise. Judge NOT happy.

— Gerald Imray (@GeraldImrayAP) March 5, 2014

Here are photos from Pretoria via The Associated Press:

source: AP — Pistorius is mobbed by media as he is escorted by police outside court.

Video: Ato Boldon offers perspective on Oscar Pistorius

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Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz set French Open semifinal showdown

By OlympicTalkJun 6, 2023, 6:59 PM EDT

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will play in the French Open semifinals on Friday in the most anticipated match of the tournament.

Each man advanced with a quarterfinal win on Tuesday.

Djokovic, eyeing a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam men’s singles title, rallied past 11th-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov 4-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2, 6-4. The Serb reached his 45th career major semifinal, one shy of Roger Federer‘s men’s record.

Later Tuesday, top seed Alcaraz crushed fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (5) to consolidate his status as the favorite in Friday’s showdown.

“This match, everyone wants to watch,” Alcaraz said. “I really wanted to play this match as well. I always say that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.”

FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men | Broadcast Schedule

Alcaraz, who at last year’s U.S. Open became the first male teen to win a major since Rafael Nadal in 2005, is at this event the youngest man to be the top seed at a major since Boris Becker at 1987 Wimbledon.

The Djokovic-Alcaraz semifinal will produce the clear favorite for Sunday’s final given left-handed 14-time French Open champion Nadal is out this year with a hip injury and No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev lost in the first round. Djokovic and Nadal share the record 22 men’s major titles.

Djokovic and Alcaraz met once, with Alcaraz winning last year on clay in Madrid 6-7 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5).

“[Alcaraz] brings a lot of intensity on the court,” Djokovic said, before breaking into a smile. “Reminds me of someone from his country that plays with a left hand.”

Alcaraz and Djokovic were set to be on opposite halves of the draw — and thus not able to meet until the final — until Medvedev won the last top-level clay event before the French Open to move ahead of Djokovic in the rankings. That meant Djokovic had a 50 percent chance to wind up in Alcaraz’s half, and that’s what the random draw spit out two weeks ago.

Earlier Tuesday in the first two women’s quarterfinals, No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and 43rd-ranked Czech Karolina Muchova advanced to face off in Thursday’s semifinals.

Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion, swept Ukrainian Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-4 to complete her set of semifinals in all four Grand Slams. Sabalenka will take the No. 1 ranking from Iga Swiatek if Swiatek loses before the final, or if Sabalenka makes the final and Swiatek does not win the title.

Svitolina, a former world No. 3, returned to competition in April from childbirth.

Muchova took out 2021 French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 7-5, 6-2, to make her second major semifinal after the 2021 Australian Open.

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2023 French Open men’s singles draw

By OlympicTalkJun 6, 2023, 5:16 PM EDT

Getty

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 meet in Friday’s 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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