Argentina, Mexico move close to Olympic men’s basketball berths

By Nick ZaccardiSep 8, 2015, 9:15 AM EDT

Argentina or Mexico will clinch an Olympic men’s basketball berth with a victory in the FIBA Americas semifinals Friday, which would mark Argentina’s fourth straight trip to the Games and Mexico’s first since 1976.

The two nations are the only undefeateds at FIBA Americas, hosted by Mexico, and on Monday clinched two of the four semifinal spots.

Their games Tuesday will go a long way in determining their semifinal opponents. Argentina plays fourth-place Dominican Republic, while Mexico plays third-place Canada.

There are also group-play games Wednesday, after which the semifinal matchups will be known.

Argentina is playing without stalwart Manu Ginobili at FIBA Americas. The 38-year-old Ginobili, who led the team to Athens 2004 Olympic gold (beating the U.S. in the semifinals), reportedly said in March he’s 98 percent sure he’s finished playing for the Argentina national team.

One of Ginobili’s 2004 Olympic champion teammates is leading Argentina in FIBA Americas. That’s Luis Scola, the 35-year-old forward for the Toronto Raptors. Scola had 26 points and 13 rebounds in a win over Uruguay on Monday.

Argentina’s roster also includes 2004 Olympic champion Andres Nocioni, a 35-year-old former NBA forward who now plays professionally in Spain.

Argentina has placed no lower than fourth in each of the last three Olympic basketball tournaments, playing the U.S. in the semifinals each time.

Mexico’s roster includes one NBA player, Milwaukee Bucks backup point guard Jorge Gutierrez, plus former NBA big man Gustavo Ayon.

Mexico reached the FIBA Americas semifinals for the first time, four years after it wasn’t even qualified to play in the 10-team Olympic qualifying tournament. In 2013, it didn’t qualify, either, but made it in when Panama was suspended and excluded from the tournament. Mexico went on to win the 2013 FIBA Americas and then was thumped by the U.S. by 23 points in the 2014 FIBA World Cup round of 16.

Notably, Mexico has yet to face Argentina or Canada at FIBA Americas. Argentina and Canada came into the tournament as arguably the favorites to secure the two Olympic berths available.

Mexico won bronze in the first Olympic basketball tournament at Berlin 1936 with zero medals since and zero appearances since 1976.

The FIBA Americas semifinals losers, plus the fifth-place team, will advance to a global, last-chance Olympic qualifying tournament in July.

The U.S., Brazil, Australia and Nigeria have already booked spots in the 12-team Olympic men’s basketball tournament.

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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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