Satoko Miyahara wins Skate America; U.S. women miss podium

By Nick ZaccardiOct 21, 2018, 11:59 PM EDT

Japan’s Satoko Miyahara repeated as Skate America champion, while the U.S. failed to put a woman on the singles podium for the second time in the event’s 40-year history.

Miyahara, a two-time world medalist and fourth at the Olympics, became the first woman to win back-to-back Skate Americas since Yuna Kim in 2008 and 2009. She topped the short program and free skate, totaling 219.71 points and winning by 5.81.

She relegated countrywoman Kaori Sakamoto to silver at Skate America for a second straight year. Russian Sofia Samodurova, a 16-year-old in her Grand Prix debut, held on for bronze as the top of the standings went unchanged from after Saturday’s short.

SKATE AMERICA: Full Results

U.S. champion Bradie Tennell entered Skate America with the best total score of the field this season, but she had trouble with her triple Lutz-triple loop combination both days.

Tennell finished fourth, one spot lower than at her Grand Prix debut breakout at Skate America a year ago. The difficult triple Lutz-triple loop combo was done by just one senior woman last season — Olympic champion Alina Zagitova.

“I came into this competition feeling very prepared, and yesterday’s [triple-triple combo] mistake kind of threw me off a little bit,” Tennell, the only U.S. Olympian doing two Grand Prix events this fall, told Andrea Joyce on NBCSN. “But I’m proud of how I recovered from that, both in that [short] program and this [free skate]. I have a lot to work on.”

The only other time the U.S. didn’t put a woman on the Skate America podium was 10 years ago, when it was also held in Everett, Wash.

Miyahara, 20, has been the leading Japanese woman for most of the last four years, filling the void left by Mao Asada. Only 4-foot-11, Miyahara hasn’t challenged top Russians Zagitova and Yevgenia Medvedeva in jumping consistency, but her artistry has helped her make the podium in 10 of 12 Grand Prix starts.

Miyahara is arguably the top threat to the Russians this season with world champion Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada taking the year off and Italian Carolina Kostner out of the Grand Prix series with a hip injury. Two other Japanese may have a strong say — 16-year-old Rika Kihira, who landed two triple Axels in her senior international debut last month, and world silver medalist Wakaba Higuchi.

Earlier Sunday, Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue earned the U.S.’ 10th straight Skate America ice dance title. More on the new leading U.S. couple here.

The Grand Prix season continues next week with Skate Canada featuring Olympic silver medalist Medvedeva with coverage on NBC and NBC Sports Gold.

As a reminder, you can watch the ISU Grand Prix Series live and on-demand with the ‘Figure Skating Pass’ on NBC Sports Gold. GO HERE to sign up for access to every ISU Grand Prix and championship event, as well as domestic U.S. Figure Skating events throughout the season…NBC Sports Gold gives subscribers an unprecedented level of access on more platforms and devices than ever before.

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MORE: Nathan Chen wins Skate America by record margin

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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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