Sports world daily: Djokovic, Alcaraz advance at Roland Garros; Ramos also set to leave PSG

Novak Djokovic battled into the French Open fourth round for a 14th consecutive year on Friday as Carlos Alcaraz also progressed, after women’s third seed Jessica Pegula and men’s seventh-ranked Andrey Rublev were dumped out of the tournament.

In football, PSG announced on Friday that former Spain defender Sergio Ramos will join Lionel Messi in leaving the club at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, in cricket, England piled on the misery against Ireland as Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett both compiled record-breaking centuries before debutant Josh Tongue took his first wickets in Test cricket.

Here’s a look at the key stories from international sporting events through the day for 3 June, 2023:

Djokovic, Alcaraz reach last 16

Novak Djokovic had made headlines for his comments about Kosovo this week but his on-court progress has been relatively serene, reaching the second week without dropping a set.

The Serb star was made to work hard by Spanish 29th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who served for the first set and missed a set point in the second, but won 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

“I thought if I lost the second set we would play five hours today, but I’m proud of the performance,” said Djokovic.

Two-time champion Djokovic, who has also made the French Open quarter-finals in each of the past 13 years, will take on Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas in the last 16.

Carlos Alcaraz thrashed Canadian 26th seed Denis Shapovalov for the loss of just seven games in the night-session match. The Spaniard powered to a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 victory, with the only slight blip when he trailed 4-1 in the second set.

He reeled off seven straight games after that wake-up call, though, to set up a fourth-round meeting with Italian 17th seed Lorenzo Musetti who dismantled British No 1 Cameron Norrie 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

The 20-year-old is bidding for a second straight Grand Slam title after winning the 2022 US Open and then missing this year’s Australian Open through injury.

Italian Lorenzo Sonego battled back from two sets down to knock out Rublev and reach the last 16 for the second time.

The world No 48 was two points from defeat during a fourth-set tie-break but prevailed 5-7, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3 after three hours and 42 minutes.

Sonego will face Russian 11th seed Karen Khachanov for a possible quarterfinal meeting with Djokovic.

Stefanos Tsitsipas continued his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 win over former semi-finalist Diego Schwartzman.

American Pegula’s hopes were ended in comprehensive fashion by a 6-1, 6-3 loss to Belgian Elise Mertens.

World No 3 Pegula has still never passed the quarterfinal stage of a Grand Slam tournament.

Sabalenka ‘not safe’

Aryna Sabalenka refused to do an official post-match press conference after powering into the last 16 for the first time with a straight-sets win over Kamilla Rakhimova.

The Belarusian claimed she “did not feel safe” when asked to condemn her country’s support of Russia’s war in Ukraine during a press conference earlier this week.

The second seed is yet to drop a set in the tournament after a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win against world No 82 Rakhimova.

Sabalenka will face former US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the fourth round.

Russian Daria Kasatkina, a semi-finalist last year, raced past American Peyton Stearns 6-0, 6-1 in under an hour.

The ninth seed will next face Elina Svitolina on Sunday for a place in the quarterfinals.

Ukrainian Svitolina reached the fourth round on her first Grand Slam appearance since the 2022 Australian Open with a 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over Anna Blinkova.

Sergio Ramos to leave PSG

French champions Paris Saint-Germain announced on Friday that veteran former Spain defender Sergio Ramos will join Lionel Messi in leaving the club at the end of the season.

Ramos, 37, arrived in French capital in 2021 after a trophy-laden spell with Real Madrid, lifting the Champions League on four time.

“We would like to express our immense gratitude to Sergio Ramos for the two years he has spent with us,” PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi said in a statement.

“Sergio’s leadership, team spirit and professionalism, combined with his experience at the highest level, make him a true football legend, and it was an honour to have him in Paris.

“Everyone at the club wishes him all the best,” Al-Khelaifi added.

The announcement came less than 24 hours before PSG’s final game of the Ligue 1 season as they host Clermont.

Ramos follows Argentina’s 2022 World Cup winner Messi out of the Parc des Princes door with reports also linking Brazil’s Neymar with a departure.

“Tomorrow is a special day, tomorrow I will say goodbye to another stage of my life, goodbye to @psg,” Ramos said on social media.

“I don’t know in how many places one can feel at home, but without a doubt PSG, the fans, and Paris were one of them for me.

“Thank you for two special years in which I was able play in every tournament and give my all,” he added.

The ex-Sevilla defender won Ligue 1 twice in Paris, playing 57 games and his PSG contract will end on June 30.

Ramos, who won the 2010 World Cup with Spain, and Messi arrived in the same summer eyeing a Champions League title with PSG but they were knocked out in the last 16 of both editions.

Pope, Duckett score record-breaking tons

Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett both compiled record-breaking centuries before debutant Josh Tongue took his first wickets in Test cricket as England continued to dominate their Ashes warm-up against Ireland on Friday’s second day at Lord’s.

Pope’s 205, the fastest double hundred in a Test in England, and Duckett’s 182, the quickest 150 in a Test at Lord’s, were the cornerstones of a huge first innings total of 524-4 declared.

Ireland then slumped to 18-2 in their second innings before reaching 97-3 at stumps, with fast bowler Tongue, who struck twice in an over, taking all the wickets in a return of 3-27 in eight overs.

Harry Tector (33 not out) and Lorcan Tucker (21 not out) held firm on a good pitch but Ireland were still 255 runs away from avoiding an innings defeat.

“A hundred at Lord’s is special,” Duckett told Sky Sports. “Batting with Ollie Pope was a breeze, really enjoyable to be at the other end watching him play.”

Earlier, Duckett and Pope ran riot against an outclassed attack lacking the experience of the Ireland bowling unit that reduced England to 85 all out in a corresponding Lord’s clash four years ago.

Both batters scored a hundred runs in a session on Friday, left-hander Duckett achieving the feat in the morning’s play and Pope in the afternoon.

And Duckett, by making a run-a ball 150, surpassed Australia great Don Bradman’s record of 166 balls for the fastest Test 150 at Lord’s, in what was also the England opener’s first Test on home soil.

Rybakina withdraws from French Open

World number four Elena Rybakina withdrew from the French Open on Saturday due to illness, handing an unexpected title boost to defending champion Iga Swiatek.

Rybakina had been due to face Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain in the third round in the opening match on Court Philippe Chatrier.

“I was not feeling good yesterday and the day before. I didn’t sleep last night,” said the 23-year-old Wimbledon champion.

“I had fever and a headache and it’s difficult to breathe. I tried in the warm-up but I feel it’s the right decision to withdraw.”

Rybakina had swept into the last 32 without dropping a set.

The Russian-born Kazakh was seen as a potential champion in Paris having arrived at Roland Garros with the prestigious Italian Open clay-court title under her belt.

She had been seeded to face two-time champion Swiatek in the semi-finals.

“I guess with my allergy that my immune system just went down and I picked up something,” said Rybakina. “The doctor said there’s a virus in Paris.”

Rybakina said she will focus on recovery ahead of defending her title at Wimbledon which gets underway on July 3.

Warner: ‘T20 World Cup 2024 will probably be my final game’

Under-pressure Australia batter David Warner said Saturday he wanted to finish his Test career next year with a farewell match in his hometown of Sydney.

Warner was speaking in Beckenham, near London, where Australia are preparing ahead of next week’s World Test Championship final against India, when he unveiled his plan to bow out of Test cricket against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January.

Warner, 36, added he still hoped to keep playing white-ball cricket for Australia until the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States.

“You’ve got to score runs. I’ve always said the (2024) World Cup would probably be my final game,” Warner told reporters.

“I probably owe it to myself and my family – if I can score runs here and continue to play back in Australia...If I can get through this (WTC final and subsequent five-Test Ashes campaign in England) and make the Pakistan series I will definitely finish up then.”

Warner added he had suffered no major damage after being stuck in the practice nets on the same left elbow he fractured during Australia’s tour of India earlier this year, an injury that meant he missed the final Two Tests.

He underwent treatment by a physiotherapist on Thursday but expects to be fit for Wednesday’s start of the WTC final at the Oval.

“It was sore, it got me right on the same point but from a different angle,” said Warner.

“It went numb and I had to get it strapped, but it’s fine now –- a little bit sore, but lucky it didn’t hit me on top.”

Warner has been a mainstay of the Australia team since making his debut against New Zealand in 2011. But the left-handed opener approaches the WTC final and ensuing Ashes with one century in his past 32 innings and a mediocre record in England.

With text inputs from AFP

Updated through the day