Michael Andrew wins 100m butterfly over Caeleb Dressel ahead of trials

By OlympicTalkMar 4, 2022, 8:53 PM EST

Michael Andrew made the U.S. Olympic team last summer in the freestyle, breaststroke and individual medley. Could he add a butterfly for the world championships this summer?

The versatile Andrew won the 100m fly over Olympic champion and world-record holder Caeleb Dressel at a Pro Series meet in Westmont, Illinois, on Friday. Andrew clocked 51.74 seconds, edging fellow 22-year-old rising star Shaine Casas by .03 and Dressel by .05.

PRO SWIM SERIES: Full Results

Andrew entered last summer’s Olympic Trials as the fastest American in the 100m fly for the year, but scratched the event as he focused on the overlapping 200m individual medley. In Tokyo, he finished fourth, fourth and fifth in three individual events, adding a gold with the medley relay.

Next month, Andrew will face more schedule decisions at the world championships trials, where the top two per individual Olympic event are again in line to make the team. The 100m fly is the same day as the 50m breaststroke and 50m backstroke, non-Olympic events that Andrew swam at the last worlds in 2019.

If USA Swimming selection procedures remain the same as in the past, Andrew could swim those non-Olympic 50m events at worlds without swimming them at trials, provided he makes the team in the 100m in the corresponding stroke.

Dressel should still be considered the massive 100m fly favorite at trials next month in Greensboro, N.C. He has a reputation for making massive time drops at major meets, so defeats on the Pro Series circuit aren’t too significant. Andrew appears the favorite for the second spot at trials, assuming he swims it this time.

In other events Friday, Claire Curzan, who made the Tokyo Olympic team in the 100m fly at age 16, won both the 100m fly and the 200m backstroke. Curzan flew the fastest in 56.89, beating Rio Olympian Kelsi Dahlia by .64.

The women’s 100m fly at world trials could include four of the five fastest Americans in history in the event, including American record holder Torri Huske, who isn’t in Westmont as she competes for Stanford.

Curzan lowered her personal best in the 200m back in prelims and finals, bringing it from 2:10.16 to 2:07.31 against a field lacking the top Americans. She now ranks fifth in the U.S. in the event since the start of 2021.

Katie Ledecky bypassed the 200m freestyle for the 400m individual medley and placed third in an event she doesn’t swim at major meets. Olympic bronze medalist Hali Flickinger prevailed in 4:36.46, distancing Leah Smith by 3.32 seconds. Ledecky touched in 4:40.28.

Ryan Murphy extended a near-three-year domestic win streak in the 200m backstroke, touching in 1:56.78, a comeback win over Casas (1:58.09).

The Pro Series meet finishes Saturday at 7 p.m. ET with finals streaming on USASwimming.org.

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

Associated PressJun 3, 2023, 7:35 PM EDT

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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.”

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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

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