French Open: Nadal and Djokovic through first round ties

Tennis Updates:

Rafael Nadal began his quest for a 10th French Open title with a straight-sets victory over teenager Quentin Halys. Frenchman Halys, an 18-year-old wildcard, had the Roland Garros crowd on his side but was not consistent enough to trouble the champion.

And 6th seed Nadal, 28, won 6-3 6-3 6-4 in an hour and 50 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The Spaniard is in the same half of the draw as top seed Novak Djokovic, who beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-2 7-5 6-2.

Djokovic, 28, has now won 23 matches in a row as he bids to claim his first title at Roland Garros and become the 8th man to complete the career Grand Slam.

He was given a useful workout by Finland’s Nieminen, the 33-year-old taking a surprise 5-2 lead in the second set.

That merely served to bring the best out of Djokovic, who won the next 9 games in a row to effectively seal victory.

He could meet Nadal – who has slipped down the world rankings during a disappointing clay-court season by his standards – as early as the quarter-finals.

Nadal took the first step in that direction, and improved his record at Roland Garros to 67 wins and 1 defeat, with a solid opening effort.

There were a few worried glances to coach Toni Nadal in the stand when one service game went against him in a scratchy first set, but the nine-time champion made just one error in the 2nd.

Halys, the US Open boys’ runner-up in 2014, showed enough flashes of talent to engage his home crowd with his forehand, drop shot and willingness to attack the net.

Nadal was restricted to a single break of serve in the 2nd and 3rd sets but it was all he needed to earn a second-round meeting with compatriot Nicolas Almagro.

“When I’ve had some up and downs during the season, it’s normal that can happen here,” said Nadal.

“I am trying to avoid that. I am here to try to play good tennis and give myself a chance to play well and compete for everything.

“My mentality and my goal is the same always.”

by ScoresPro.com

French Open: Nadal and Djokovic through first round ties

Bundesliga: Roberto Di Matteo is no longer coach for FC Schalke 04

Soccer News:

Roberto Di Matteo is no longer coach for FC Schalke 04. Club has confirmed this new on their web pages. Official news statement that Schalke 04 sport director Horst Heldt and Di Matteo had a meeting in which they analyze last season. As the results of that Roberto Di Matteo steps down as head coach.

Di Matteo survived only seven months on Schalke 04 bench

Di Matteo manages to survive in Gelsenkirchen for only seven month. In October Schalke 04 appointed Di Mateo as new head coach after terrible start of season from Jens Keller. At that point Schalke 04 was at 11 places in Bundesliga, kicked out from DFB Pokal and was close of getting eliminated from UEFA Champions League by Slovenia Champions NK Maribor. After appointing Di Matteo manages to consolidate Schalke 04 ranks and go into UEFA Champions’ League group stage. Schalke 04 was kick out from UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid. They lost first in Gelsenkirchen 0-2 but then almost had a miracle at Santiago Bernabeu where they won 4-3. In Bundesliga Schalke 04 at one time was 3^rd team in Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg, but bad results from March and April result with a league drop.

“I suggested my plan about the next season to the club but after several constructive talks I noticed that we don’t share the same opinion for the next season. Because of that I think it is in our best interest that everyone goes in their separated ways.”

 

In his career Di Matteo was coaching West Bromwich Albion, Chelsea and now Schalke 04. Unfortunately he never last long in WBA he gets fired after only six months, in Chelsea he manage to live for eight months and now in Schalke 04 seven months. Probably the biggest achievement in his coaching career was winning UEFA Champions League in season 2012 with Chelsea.

by ScoresPro.com

Photo by Daniel Kraski

Bundesliga: Roberto Di Matteo is no longer coach for FC Schalke 04

French Open: Sharapova opens with a win

Tennis Updates:

Maria Sharapova made a successful start to the defence of her French Open title with a 6-2 6-4 win over Kaia Kanepi from Estonia in the first round.

The 2nd-seeded Russian, 28, will now face compatriot Vitalia Diatchenko.

Former world number 2 and 2012 Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, seeded 14th, lost 6-2 3-6 6-1 to Annika Beck from Germany.

In the men’s draw, 4th seed Tomas Berdych reached round 2 by beating Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 6-0 7-5 6-3.

The Czech, 29, is next scheduled to meet compatriot Radek Stepanek.

The biggest name to falter on day 2 so far is Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, with the 11th seed suffering a 6-3 7-6 (11-9) 6-3 defeat by Teymuraz Gabashvili.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Sabine Lisicki beat Monica Puig 6-3 6-2 while Roberta Vinci lost 4-6 6-4 6-1 to Alize Cornet.

Double Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka , who is seeded 27, marked her return to Roland Garros after missing last year’s event with a foot injury with a 6-2 6-1 win over Spain’s Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor.

French player Virginie Razzano stunned the crowd on the Suzanne Lenglen court by attempting to serve out for victory with an underarm serve.

The wildcard entry, 32, missed with the underarm 2nd serve to concede a double fault against Paraguayan qualifier Veronica Cepede Royg.

Razzano, who knocked out Serena Williams in 2012, recovered her poise to complete a 2-6 6-4 6-2 victory.

She said: “I wasn’t feeling that great today. I’m sorry, I spooned the ball over. That’s the baggage that I carry.”

The shot revived memories of Michael Chang’s underarm service in a 4th-round victory over Ivan Lendl in 1989 before Chang went on to take the title and become the youngest ever winner of the Roland Garros title at just 17.

Japanese teenager Nishioka was unable to make an impact on the court with his tennis but the 19-year-old made an impression with his dapper shorts, sporting the sort of patterns usually seen on a golf course. Hoping for a first victory on the Parisian clay, the qualifier was overwhelmed by his big-hitting opponent.

Berdych secured the first set in 27 minutes and Nishioka’s resistance only slightly improved thereafter, giving the fourth seed his 10th victory on clay this year. What is more, the 2010 semi-finalist won 82% of his first service points and will now prepare to face Stepanek, who beat Ivan Dodig 5-7 6-3 6-4 6-1.

by ScoresPro.com

French Open: Sharapova opens with a win

NBA Rumors: Alvin Gentry a candidate for the coach job in New Orleans

Basketball, NBA News:

The New Orleans Pelicans were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors, and that led to the firing of their coach. The latest reports are that former Phoenix Suns head-coach and current Golden State Warriors assistant-coach, Alvin Gentry is a strong candidate for the open managerial position with the Pelicans. Even though it is very likely that he will an NBA Championship this season, Gentry still has a desire to be a head-coach of his own team.

The latest rumors circulating around the media are the following:

“He’s more than interested. He really believes that this is a job that would certainly define him as a coach because of the opportunity that it creates. Certainly this is one of those jobs that you feel is probably as god as any job available right now, no question. Even if there were no other jobs, it would still be the best.”

Indeed, the coaching job at the New Orleans Pelicans is a very good one, as the team has all that it takes to improve. Anthony Davis is on the roster, and while he has been a beast this season, there is no doubt that he will be even better in the next campaign. Furthermore, under the right guidance, the rest of team can vastly improve.

The latest reports are that on 18th May, the New Orleans Pelicans received a permission to interview Gentry. It will be very interesting if the current assistant-coach of the Warriors decides to take the job in New Orleans. He is a very capable coach that has the skills to bring out the best from Anthony Davis.

By ScoresPro.com

NBA Rumors: Alvin Gentry a candidate for the coach job in New Orleans

Louis van Gaal confirmed that United will not offer Falcao permanent contract once his loan from AS Monaco ends

Soccer News:

Manchester United confirmed today that they will not go ahead with signing Falcao on permanent basis. Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal told MUTV that they will not offer Falcao permanent contract and once his loan from Monaco end he will go back to France.

“Falcao is a top professional and a good human being. On behalf of myself and everyone at the club I would like to wish him well for the future”

29 years old Colombia striker join Manchester United last year on loan from Monaco, media then speculated that this could be the biggest transfer in the soccer history. But after only 12 months Manchester United is returning Falcao back to Monaco. Falcao started his career in River Plata (Argentina), for River Plata he played 93 games and scored 36 goals. In 2009 for 5.5 million euros he moved to FC Porto and stay with them for 2 years. He starts to shine there and scored 72 goals from 87 appearances and in August 2011 Atletico Madrid bought him for 40 million euros. Falcao stayed in Madrid for two years and again have superb statistic, 70 goals from 90 games. With Atletico Madrid he won Europa League (2011/2012) and UEFA Super Cup (2013). In 2013 Monaco was building super team that would rule the Europe soccer scene and they need a superb striker, they got extra-class striker for 60 million euros. But Falcao didn’t impress anyone in his first season for Monaco; he scored 13 goals from 23 games. Louis van Gaal sign Falcao and hope that Colombian could give him goals and points, but at the end Falcao had disappointing season probably the worst in his career. He played 29 games for Manchester United and scores only 4 goals. With this statement from Louis van Gaal we can only guess that hunt for Falcao is official open.

by ScoresPro.com

Louis van Gaal confirmed that United will not offer Falcao permanent contract once his loan from AS Monaco ends

Transfer Rumors: Jose Mourinho urge Petr Czech to stay in Chelsea while Arsenal and Manchester United are waiting in line for buying him

Soccer News:

Petr Czech is without doubt legend of Chelsea, but this season Jose Mourinho didn’t give him much chance between the posts. With only 32 years on his back Czech is still able to do on world-class scale and not on the bench.

Arsenal and Manchester United first in line for Czech

Because of that there were a lot of rumors that linked Czech with various clubs Arsenal and Manchester United in first place. Arsenal is searching for a goalkeeper for a long time now and Manchester United would love to see Czech if De Gea leaves the club. Recently Jose Mourinho has urge Petr Czech to stay in the club, according to Jose Mourinho Chelsea would not won a title if it wasn’t for him. If we know something about Jose Mourinho that is when he starts praising some player that actually means players is going to leave the club soon. Czech was standard Chelsea goalkeeper for more than 10 years; he arrived in Chelsea in 2004 from Rennes for 13 million euros. For Chelsea Czech has made over 400 appearances in those 12 years and won four Premiership titles, UEFA Champions League and Europa League title. It’s less likely that Czech will stay in Chelsea in the next season, especial with such a good season for Courtois behind him. Young Belgium will probably be options number one for Jose Mourinho in the next season also. Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal are having goalkeeper problem for a long time and with Czech they would finally get good and trusted goalkeeper, the only questions is will Jose Mourinho allow that his goalkeeper go in ranks of direct Premiership opponent.

by ScoresPro.com

Transfer Rumors: Jose Mourinho urge Petr Czech to stay in Chelsea while Arsenal and Manchester United are waiting in line for buying him

Roger Federer to go for the title at the French Open

Tennis Updates:

Undeniably, there are 2 distinct sounds when Roger Federer appears on the courts of Roland Garros. One is the pop of backhands and forehands kicking up puffs of red clay. The other, getting ever louder, is the scratchy tick of life’s clock.

At age 33, with 34 bearing down in August, time is increasingly the enemy to Federer’s quest to add to his already record haul of Grand Slam titles.

The count climbed to 17 with his seventh win at Wimbledon in 2012, when he was still a young 30-year-old. Then, abruptly, it stopped. In Federer’s golden spell from 2004-2009, there were 24 Grand Slam finals. Federer played in 20 of them, winning 14. But since his 2012 Wimbledon win against Andy Murray, just one of the 10 subsequent Grand Slam finals featured the Swiss: an epic five-setter lost to Novak Djokovic last year.

Of all places for Federer to prove that he still has another major title in him, Roland Garros would seem the least favorable. The slow red dust blunts nuances of his game so effective on other, faster surfaces. Having one of the sharpest tactical minds and best right hands tennis has ever seen were never quite enough for Federer at the only major he’s not won multiple times. He needed a sprinkling of luck, too. Federer’s only victory at the French Open, in five finals, came in 2009 against Robin Soderling, who did him the favor of taking ”King of Clay” Rafael Nadal out of the picture in the fourth round.

Good fortune, in the shape of Maria Sharapova’s fingers, is smiling on Federer again this year. The defending women’s champion, called upon to pluck out the seeded men’s names in Friday’s draw, delivered a road map that could hardly be more favorable for Federer.

Sixth-seeded Nadal and third-seeded Murray were both drawn in the half of top-seeded Djokovic. That means second-seeded Federer would only have to play, at most, one of those infernal three who beat him at the semifinal or final stage of majors in 2013 and 2014. And such a blockbuster match could only happen in the June 7 final, if Federer gets that far.

”There is a chance to go very deep,” he acknowledged. ”How deep remains to be seen depending on the level of play.”

Federer opens his 62nd consecutive Grand Slam campaign, extending his record, on Sunday against a qualifier. In the women’s championship, last year’s losing finalist Simona Halep, seeded three, opens against Evgeniya Rodina, ranked 91. The 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic plays Yaroslava Shvedova, quarterfinalist in 2010 and 2012.

Federer has a relatively easy-looking path until the fourth round, where he could meet 13th-seeded Gael Monfils before a potential quarterfinal against his Davis Cup Swiss teammate Stan Wawrinka, seeded eight. In the semifinals, a possible meeting with either Japan’s Kei Nishikori, seeded five, or fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych looms.

”I feel like I have had a great last 12 months,” Federer said. ”I’ve just got to make sure I adjust my game according to the playing conditions here, and then we will see how far it takes me.”

by ScoresPro.com

Roger Federer to go for the title at the French Open