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ATP ATP 500 BMW Open

Zverev advances at BMW Open with composed win; Cerundolo and Molcan move on

Zverev beat Gabriel Diallo in straight sets at the BMW Open; Cerundolo and Molcan also advanced QF.

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Top seed Alexander Zverev moved into the BMW Open by Bitpanda quarterfinals with a controlled straight-sets victory over Gabriel Diallo. Playing on a packed Center Court with several Bayern Munich players in attendance and his family nearby, Zverev closed the match in one hour and 13 minutes, winning 83 per cent of his first-service points, saving the only break point he faced and converting five of eight break-point opportunities.

“It was much more straightforward than in the first match,” Zverev said. “I think he had some issues with his back and wasn’t serving fully in the second set anymore. Very unfortunate, but of course I am happy with the win and getting an easier match today.”

Zverev also praised his favorite football club after their Champions League result. “It was an amazing win yesterday; I was there watching. I took the kids down to the locker room afterwards and they were so nice to them. It was a great experience,” he said.

Up next for the German is fifth seed Francisco Cerundolo. The Argentine defeated two-time Munich finalist Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-0 in 64 minutes.

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“I wasn’t in a hurry, but it’s always nice to win fast to save energy for tomorrow when I have to play again,” Cerundolo said. “I played well from the baseline. I probably didn’t serve well in the first set, but it got better in the second. I am trying to improve every day.” He added that the conditions suit him: “I like the conditions here. The clay is similar to the one in Argentina. It feels like home. There is a bit of altitude, but I am comfortable on this surface. My tennis is good and I hope I can keep going.” Zverev leads their head-to-head 4-3 and has won their last four meetings, all on hard courts. “I have never beaten him on clay, which is his favorite surface, but I am definitely looking forward to the challenge,” Zverev said. “I am very happy to be at this stage, facing a tough opponent. That’s what it’s going to be tomorrow.”

Qualifier Alex Molcan extended his run with a 6-4, 7-6 (10) win over Daniel Altmaier in one hour and 43 minutes, handling six aces and breaking once. “It means everything. I cannot be happier or prouder of myself that I have reached the quarterfinals here,” Molcan said. “It’s been a long time since I played at this level. I don’t want to say that I am back, but it’s great to feel the emotions and the crowd again. Competing against the best players and even winning matches motivates me a lot.” He added, “We both served well and I only broke him once in the first set. It was not easy to return. I had to fight mentally in the tie-break because it was so close. I saved two set points and, in the end, I am just happy.” Molcan will face Denis Shapovalov, who beat Fabian Marozsan 7-6(4), 6-2 in one hour and 25 minutes to reach his first quarterfinal on clay since the 2022 Rome Masters.

The Allianz Para Trophy also began in Munich after the tournament was upgraded to a 500-level event, featuring Open and Quad divisions. “We are very proud to be a partner and to promote not only the sport, but also equality and to provide the athletes with a bigger stage,” said Manuel Duhnke. “Compared to other tournaments, everything here is very professional – just like at the ATP event,” said Niels Vink. The Dutchman, who lost both legs and several bones in his hands due to illness, has already achieved a remarkable career Golden Slam at a young age, winning all four majors and Paralympic gold.

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ATP French Open Grand Slam

Auger-Aliassime advances to first Roland Garros quarterfinal, completes Canadian Grand Slam milestone

Auger-Aliassime reached his first Roland Garros quarterfinal and became the first Canadian man ever.

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Felix Auger-Aliassime continued his run at Roland Garros on Monday, defeating Alejandro Tabilo 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 to reach his first quarterfinal at the clay major.

The victory marked two milestones for the No. 4 seed. It was his first trip to the Roland Garros quarterfinal; his previous best showings at the tournament were fourth-round exits in 2022, when he lost to eventual champion Rafael Nadal, and in 2024, when he fell to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz. It also made him the first Canadian man ever to reach the quarterfinals or better at all four Grand Slam events. Not just in the Open Era, but ever.

In a match between Canadian-born players—Auger-Aliassime was born in Montreal and Tabilo in Toronto, though he now competes for Chile—Auger-Aliassime seized control early. He broke in the fourth game to lead 3-1 and closed the first set in 39 minutes. The second set was tighter; Tabilo produced chances, including a break point with Auger-Aliassime serving at 3-4, but Auger-Aliassime saved it, held, then secured the only break for a 6-5 lead and served out the set.

Tabilo held to open the third set, but Auger-Aliassime then ran off six consecutive games. He finished the match with a powerful backhand return winner after two hours and six minutes.

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“My best match so far in the tournament,” he said. “Over the victory, it feels good. It feels good to play the way that I ambition to play in this game. Today, in a Grand Slam, this is the type of match that you want to play. I’m happy with my performance.”

Waiting in the quarterfinals is No. 10 seed Flavio Cobolli, who beat Zachary Svajda 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5) earlier in the day. Cobolli holds a 2-0 head-to-head edge over Auger-Aliassime, with both wins coming in 2024: Acapulco (2-6, 6-3, 6-2) and Cincinnati (6-3, 6-2).

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ATP French Open Grand Slam

Fonseca’s Paris surge: a 19-year-old handling the hard part at Roland Garros

Fonseca’s Paris run: the 19-year-old beat Djokovic and Casper Ruud, showing power and poise. Greatly

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Joao Fonseca followed a headline-making third-round victory over Novak Djokovic with another major statement at Roland Garros, defeating two-time finalist Casper Ruud in four hours and minus four minutes of drama, 7-5, 7-6 (8), 5-7, 6-2. The 19-year-old Brazilian, already one of the tournament’s most talked-about young players, is now one of two teenagers through to the quarterfinals alongside Rafael Jodar.

Fonseca’s path here included a remarkable comeback against Djokovic, becoming just the second man to beat Djokovic at Roland Garros after dropping the first two sets, a mark previously set by Jurgen Melzer in 2010. On Sunday he traded heavy forehands and long rallies with the 27-year-old clay specialist before pulling away late. The final numbers underscored how close the contest was: each man finished with 51 winners and an identical 52 errors. Fonseca’s backhand, however, proved the decisive edge in several key moments.

Asked about his versatility in a post-match interview with Mats Wilander, Fonseca said: “It’s more like heart, or mind, I don’t know, I just try to be me on the court. Try to be happy, try to hit winners, try to hit good shots, try to be entertainment … try to be me, and that’s what it is.”

Those words echoed across a week that also drew the attention of Gustavo Kuerten, who watched the match and appeared pleased with the way Fonseca is building on a Brazilian legacy. Fonseca is a 6-foot-2 right-hander with notable power and a broad set of weapons; his temperament and shotmaking have become a central part of his rise.

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The run here follows a turbulent sophomore season: a nagging back injury that affected his off-season preparation, an early Australian Open exit and a 1-3 record heading into Indian Wells. He has been careful about expectations, saying in Monte Carlo, “I think the expectations are going to come. People see young players doing great things, and they pull us into the top of the rankings. People need time. Everyone has their own time, so I want to do my history. I hope I’ll be there competing against them [top players], but people need to understand that I need time to become what they want me to do and I want to become.”

Fonseca’s run now brings fresh comparisons and cautions; Jim Courier advised, “Be careful of that hangover.” Still, after five-set wins over Dino Prizmic and Djokovic and Sunday’s victory over Ruud, Fonseca’s immediate problem is simple: maintain the level that has taken him this far. I just try to be me on the court. Try to be happy, try to hit winners, try to hit good shots, try to be entertainment … and that’s what it is. Joao Fonseca

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ATP French Open Grand Slam

Roland Garros fines Adolfo Daniel Vallejo $65,000 after sexist remark about chair umpire

Vallejo fined $65,000 by Roland Garros after saying the match ‘has to be refereed by a man’ in 5 sets

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Roland Garros has imposed a $65,000 fine on Paraguayan Adolfo Daniel Vallejo after comments he made about the chair umpire following his second-round match.

The 22-year-old, ranked 71st, lost a nearly five-hour, five-set match to 17-year-old Frenchman Moise Kouame. Vallejo led 5-2 in the fifth set before the contest was decided in a tiebreaker. After the match he criticized Brazil’s Ana Carvalho, saying she was not strong enough to handle the partisan crowd and that such a match “has to be refereed by a man.”

“It’s a very demanding crowd and you need a lot of strength to go against the crowd,” he told Spanish-language outlet Clay. “The crowd was very out of line, but I understand they’re supporting their compatriot. It’s quite an intense crowd and that’s why I was prepared; I already knew it would be like that and, to be honest, it didn’t harm me, but rather strengthened him.”

Roland Garros and the French Tennis Federation called the remarks “unacceptable” and said Vallejo would receive a “significant sanction.” “The competence of an umpire is not determined by their gender, but by their professionalism and ability to officiate at the highest level,” the statement read. “The outcome of a sporting event, whether positive or negative, can never justify or excuse such remarks.”

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Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo told reporters the fine was “representing roughly half of his prize money.” Organizers noted that players reaching the second round at the French Open receive 130,000 euros ($151,000) and later clarified that the fine was $65,000, not euros. “This is clearly unacceptable,” Mauresmo said. “Once again, such remarks have no place here.”

Vallejo subsequently said his comments had been misrepresented and issued an apology on social media. “my comments were not meant in the way they have been understood.” “I have respect for the umpire and for the job they do, after a [five-hour] battle I was very heated and with a lot of emotions, I apologize,” Vallejo wrote on Instagram late on Friday. “I also want to clarify that I didn’t blame the lost [sic] on her, she did a good job throughout the whole match.”

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