Simone Manuel, Katie Ledecky win first TYR Pro Swim Series races

By Beau DureNov 7, 2019, 8:55 PM EST

Getty Images

Simone Manuel won the 100m freestyle by nearly a full second and Katie Ledecky won the 400m free by nearly nine seconds in the first full night of action at the TYR Pro Swim Series opener Thursday in Greensboro, N.C.

The times reflected the start of a new swim season: Manuel finished in 53.44 seconds, well off her U.S. record of 52.04 set this summer, and Ledecky won in 4:01.68.

The second place finisher in both races was the same — four-time Olympic gold medalist Allison Schmitt.

Ledecky was listed on the psych sheet for the 100m free but did not start. She’s still due to face Manuel in the 200m free on Friday.

READ: Manuel, Ledecky set for rare matchup

Hali Flickinger also won easily in the 200m butterfly, finishing in 2:07.65. Second place went to 15-year-old Charlotte Hook in 2:10.10.

Flickinger also raced in the 400m freestyle and tied for fifth with Ashley Twichell, who won the 1,500m free Wednesday night.

The other 1,500m winner, Zane Grothe, won the 400m in 3:48.80, more than three seconds ahead of Mitch D’Arrigo.

MORE: Twichell, Grothe win 1,500m races

The men’s 200m butterfly saw teenagers make a podium sweep — Luca Urlando (17), Matthew Fenlon (17) and Carson Foster (18). Urlando finished in 1:56.00, more than two seconds ahead.

Ryan Lochte, who returned from a 14-month suspension in August to win the U.S. title in the 200m medley, made two finals in events that aren’t his strongest, finishing seventh in the 200m butterfly and eighth in a tightly packed bunch in the 100m free.

Andrew Wilson, who won two relay silver medals in the world championships this summer, was pushed in the 100m breaststroke, winning in 1:00.76 to Jorge Murillo‘s 1:00.99.

Recent and current collegians won the other two events of the night. Dean Farris, who won the 100m free and 100m backstroke for Harvard in the 2019 NCAA championships, won the 100m free in 49.74, just ahead of the N.C. State tandem of Nyls Korstanje and Coleman Stewart. N.C. State sophomore Sophie Hansson, a 2016 Olympian for Sweden, won the 100m breaststroke in 1:07.89, just 0.06 ahead of Molly Hannis.

Coverage will air on the Olympic Channel at 6 p.m. ET Friday and on NBCSN at 6 p.m. ET Saturday. Prelims will be streamed at usaswimming.org

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

Follow @nbcolympictalk

Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz exit French Open, leaving no U.S. men

Associated PressJun 3, 2023, 7:35 PM EDT

Getty

Frances Tiafoe kept coming oh so close to extending his French Open match against Alexander Zverev: 12 times Saturday night, the American was two points from forcing things to a fifth set.

Yet the 12th-seeded Tiafoe never got closer than that.

Instead, the 22nd-seeded Zverev finished out his 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1, 7-6 (5) victory after more than 3 1/2 hours in Court Philippe Chatrier to reach the fourth round. With Tiafoe’s exit, none of the 16 men from the United States who were in the bracket at the start of the tournament are still in the field.

“I mean, for the majority of the match, I felt like I was in control,” said Tiafoe, a 25-year-old from Maryland who fell to 1-7 against Zverev.

“It’s just tough,” he said about a half-hour after his loss ended, rubbing his face with his hand. “I should be playing the fifth right now.”

Two other American men lost earlier Saturday: No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz and unseeded Marcos Giron.

No. 23 Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina beat Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5, and Nicolas Jarry of Chile eliminated Giron 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-3.

There are three U.S women remaining: No. 6 Coco Gauff, Sloane Stephens and Bernarda Pera.

FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men | Broadcast Schedule

It is the second year in a row that zero men from the United States will participate in the fourth round at Roland Garros. If nothing else, it stands as a symbolic step back for the group after what seemed to be a couple of breakthrough showings at the past two majors.

For Tiafoe, getting to the fourth round is never the goal.

“I want to win the trophy,” he said.

Remember: No American man has won any Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick at the 2003 U.S. Open. The French Open has been the least successful major in that stretch with no U.S. men reaching the quarterfinals since Andre Agassi in 2003.

But Tiafoe beat Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the U.S. Open along the way to getting to the semifinals there last September, the first time in 16 years the host nation had a representative in the men’s final four at Flushing Meadows.

Then, at the Australian Open this January, Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda and Ben Shelton became the first trio of Americans in the men’s quarterfinals in Melbourne since 2000. Paul made it a step beyond that, to the semifinals.

After that came this benchmark: 10 Americans were ranked in the ATP’s Top 50, something that last happened in June 1995.

On Saturday, after putting aside a whiffed over-the-shoulder volley — he leaned atop the net for a moment in disbelief — Tiafoe served for the fourth set at 5-3, but couldn’t seal the deal.

In that game, and the next, and later on, too, including at 5-all in the tiebreaker, he would come within two points of owning that set.

Each time, Zverev claimed the very next point. When Tiafoe sent a forehand wide to end it, Zverev let out two big yells. Then the two, who have been pals for about 15 years, met for a warm embrace at the net, and Zverev placed his hand atop Tiafoe’s head.

“He’s one of my best friends on tour,” said Zverev, a German who twice has reached the semifinals on the red clay of Paris, “but on the court, I’m trying to win.”

At the 2022 French Open, Zverev tore ligaments in his right ankle while playing Nadal in the semifinals and had to stop.

“It’s been definitely the hardest year of my life, that’s for sure,” Zverev said. “I love tennis more than anything in the world.”

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

Follow @nbcolympictalk

2023 French Open women’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkJun 3, 2023, 7:30 PM EDT

At the French Open, Iga Swiatek of Poland eyes a third title at Roland Garros and a fourth Grand Slam singles crown overall.

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

Swiatek, the No. 1 seed from Poland, can join Serena Williams and Justine Henin as the lone women to win three or more French Opens since 2000.

Having turned 22 on Wednesday, she can become the youngest woman to win three French Opens since Monica Seles in 1992 and the youngest woman to win four Slams overall since Williams in 2002.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Men’s Draw

But Swiatek is not as dominant as in 2022, when she went 16-0 in the spring clay season during an overall 37-match win streak.

She retired from her last pre-French Open match with a right thigh injury and said it wasn’t serious. Before that, she lost the final of another clay-court tournament to Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, is her top remaining challenger in Paris.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula, the highest-seeded American man or woman, was eliminated in the third round. No. 4 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, who has three wins over Swiatek this year, withdrew before her third-round match due to illness.

No. 6 Coco Gauff, runner-up to Swiatek last year, is the best hope to become the first American to win a Grand Slam singles title since Sofia Kenin at the 2020 Australian Open. The 11-major drought is the longest for U.S. women since Seles won the 1996 Australian Open.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

Follow @nbcolympictalk

More: Olympics

2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

More: Olympics