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Nationals sign Bichette Jr. to minor league deal

Published in Baseball

Friday, 07 June 2019 12:36

The Washington Nationals have agreed to a minor league deal with Dante Bichette Jr. after purchasing his contract from the High Point Rockers of the Independent League.

Bichette, 26, was hitting .397/.424/.529 for the Rockers after being cut from the Yankees' minor league system. A former first-round draft pick of the Yankees, he never got past Double-A and was cut in 2017.

Bichette's brother, Bo, is a hot prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays system who is currently recovering from a fractured hand. His father, Dante Bichette, played in the majors for 14 seasons. He was a four-time All-Star with the Colorado Rockies in the '90s and led the National League in homers in 1995.

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Kimbrel: Process tough, but glad I'm with Cubs

Published in Baseball

Friday, 07 June 2019 12:41

CHICAGO -- After months of waiting to join a team -- he says the wait was harder on his friends and family -- elite closer Craig Kimbrel arrived at Wrigley Field on Friday declaring himself ready for action.

Kimbrel, 31, signed a three-year deal with the Chicago Cubs after becoming a free agent way back in October.

"Am I surprised?" Kimbrel asked rhetorically about the process taking so long. "No. Am I disappointed where I am right now? No, not at all. I'm glad I've made it through this process, which was tough, and hopefully we can get this worked out between players and owners moving forward. That's a different conversation."

Kimbrel didn't dig deep into what kept him out of uniform, but it doesn't take a collective bargaining agreement expert to figure it out. Per league rules, a team that would sign him on or after June 3 wouldn't have to give up a draft pick to do so. The Cubs pounced.

"We think this team has a chance to accomplish our goals, which is to win the World Series, and we were going to be in an aggressive mindset when it came to the bullpen," Cubs president Theo Epstein said. "We were able to go out and get the individual I think can help us more than anyone else in baseball, given the makeup of this team and the aspirations that we have."

Kimbrel says he stayed in shape throwing at a local high school outside of Orlando, and although the team has an internal timeline for his debut in a Cubs uniform, it'll take things slow with him. After throwing a bullpen session at Wrigley Field on Saturday, Kimbrel will head to the Cubs' spring facility in Arizona for about a week and then to a minor league rehab stint.

"It's based off how I recover, how I get ready," Kimbrel said. "This isn't about getting back on the field as fast as I can. This is about being the best that I can in October."

Epstein echoed those sentiments.

"We're not going to rush it," he said. "It's going to be tempting to get him here as soon as possible. We're trying to play this thing the right way so he can be in a position to succeed, not just immediately but all the way through October. That's going to be our guiding principle as we go."

The Cubs sent one of their scouts as well as special assistant David Ross, who is also an ESPN analyst, to watch Kimbrel throw last week. Both gave positive reviews, and the deal was quickly reached.

"At this point I've probably long-tossed and thrown as many bullpens as I ever have," Kimbrel said with a smile.

The seven-time All-Star admitted he wasn't as sharp in the postseason for the Red Sox last year, when he had a 5.91 ERA, but he didn't offer any reasons for his ineffectiveness.

"At times I struggled in the playoffs," Kimbrel said. "I struggled with location. I didn't hurt my team. I may have made things interesting out there, but I didn't lose a single game."

Kimbrel and the Cubs prefer to look forward, as their connection turned into a no-brainer for the Cubs.

"If there was any chance to get this done, we wanted to get it done," Epstein said. "We saw it as a unique opportunity. How often can you add a closer like Craig, someone who's on a Hall of Fame trajectory, with the need that we have midseason, without giving up any prospects? It's such a great opportunity for the Cubs. We all sat down and said, 'If there is a way to make this happen, we want him to wear a Cubs uniform.'"

One final touch came from a former teammate, as Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward sent Kimbrel a long text. The two played together in Atlanta, and Heyward wanted to let Kimbrel know he would be welcome in Chicago.

"All I needed to know is: 'Where should I live, and what number am I going to wear?'" Kimbrel responded.

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Gregorius activated 8 months after TJ surgery

Published in Baseball

Friday, 07 June 2019 11:18

CLEVELAND -- Eight months after undergoing offseason Tommy John surgery, Didi Gregorius is back in a big league uniform, and he's using social media to indicate just how excited he is about that opportunity.

The New York Yankees shortstop returned Friday from his rehab assignment at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, reinstated off the Yankees' 60-day injured list. He is expected to make his 2019 debut when the Yankees open a three-game series Friday at the Cleveland Indians. Manager Aaron Boone said Thursday that Gregorius "should be in the lineup."

To add Gregorius back onto their 40-man roster, the Yankees transferred shortstop Troy Tulowitzki from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL. Thairo Estrada, who had been helping fill in for both injured middle infielders, was optioned back to Triple-A following the Yankees' win in Toronto on Thursday.

Minutes before the Yankees made the roster moves official, Gregorius posted to Twitter a digital cartoon that he designed himself. An artist and photographer on the side, Gregorius has long had talents that extend off the baseball field.

After 3️⃣.5️⃣ months of almost a 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ digital ✍️ layers to put this clip together for this day pic.twitter.com/zx2id8114o
— Sir Didi Gregorius (@DidiG18) June 7, 2019

According to his tweet, it took three and a half months and nearly 1,000 digital layers for the shortstop to put together the video that helped him announce his return. The video features a cartoon version of Gregorius going through his first-inning, 2017 American League wild-card game at-bat against Minnesota's Ervin Santana.

With the Yankees entering the bottom of the first already down 3-0, Gregorius stepped up with two on and one out. He promptly lined a full-count pitch out to right field for a game-tying three-run homer. The Yankees went on to win the game 8-4, and advanced all the way to the ALCS, before losing to eventual World Series champion Houston in seven games.

Also part of the minute-long cartoon is broadcaster Dan Schulman's call of the actual home run. Near the end of the video, Yankees manager Aaron Boone, then in the booth with Schulman, can be heard remarking on the "big hit" from the shortstop. ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball crew, of which Boone was a part, called that game.

The lyrics "they counted me out" from the first verse of rapper J. Cole's "Middle Child" also are featured prominently in the video.

Gregorius scuffled at the plate a bit during his rehab assignments with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the High-A Tampa Tarpons. He hit a combined .156 with one home run, two RBIs and two runs scored in eight games.

It was during Game 2 of last year's ALDS that Gregorius felt discomfort in his right elbow when he tried throwing back a ricocheted ball from near Fenway Park's Green Monster. He played through the final two games of the series before undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Last year, Gregorius, who finished with a career-high 27 homers and a career-high .829 OPS, led all of baseball in slugging percentage, RBIs and homers across the first month of the season.

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MLB Weekend Watch: Picks, analysis and what we're excited to see

Published in Baseball

Friday, 07 June 2019 06:23

Among this weekend's most intriguing matchups are Cubs-Cardinals and Red Sox-Rays, series with some strong feelings attached to them, even in early June. Plus, will the Astros rake the Orioles' homer-happy pitching? Who will come out on top in a showdown between phenoms past and present?

Here's what we're most excited to see:

Over the past few weeks, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals (Friday, 2:20 p.m., ESPN+; Sunday, 7 p.m., ESPN) both have been floating around .500. Look into your crystal ball: Who makes the playoffs? Cubs, Cardinals, both or neither?

Eddie Matz: The Chicago Craig Kimbrels are in. Not that their bullpen was horrible before (fourth-best ERA in the National League), but now? Fuhgedaboutit. For the Cardinals to get a wild card, they'll need to be better than the Philantawaukee Braveries. I don't think that happens this year.

Sam Miller: It's a lot better to float around .500 when you're already well above .500, as the Cubs were after the season's first six weeks. It's also better when you're running through the difficult stretch of your schedule, as the Cubs have been. After the Dodgers, the Cubs are probably the safest pick for an NL playoff spot, and by signing Craig Kimbrel they're wisely acting like it. I think I like the Cardinals a little more than the betting line does, but that's a mess of a wild-card picture, and the surging Nationals are just making it messier.

David Schoenfield: I'll tag along behind Eddie and Sam and go with the Cubs, as well. The lineup is deep, with five guys potentially hitting 30 home runs (that's never been done before). The rotation is solid, and now the bullpen should be much better. The Cardinals don't have any glaring weaknesses, but -- so far, anyway -- they don't have any obvious strengths. They just need Paul Goldschmidt, Matt Carpenter, Yadier Molina and Miles Mikolas to play like they did in 2018. I had the Cards as a wild card before the season, but right now, I think I'd predict them to fall short -- in part because they're counting on a bunch of 30-somethings to perform better.

The Rays visit Fenway Park for four games with the Red Sox. What are the chances, from 1 to 100, that this is a preview of the American League wild-card game?

Matz: Without Austin Meadows, the Rays went 9-6. Without Tyler Glasnow, they've won 13 of 22. Without Joey Wendle ... well ... they've been without Joey Wendle for pretty much the entire season. I don't know how they keep doing it, but they keep doing it. The only way this isn't a wild-card preview is if Tampa Bay manages to outlast the Yankees for the AL East title. Which could totally happen. In fact, Baseball Prospectus currently has the Rays at 42.1% to win the division; FanGraphs has them at 22.7%. I'll take the average (32.4) and say there's a 68% chance that TB v. BOS is a wild-card preview.

Miller: 51/49, though I'd bet the wild-card game will be held not in Boston but in St. Petersburg. I'm personally happy that this weekend's series is in Fenway, though, so that we can drop "playoff-type atmosphere" into our descriptions of it. There also is an almost 100 percent chance that, if it is Red Sox and Rays on Oct. 1, Boston's starter will be Chris Sale -- the one pitcher Tampa Bay gets to avoid this weekend.

Schoenfield: I want to say 100, if only because I'm already dreaming of a Chris Sale vs. Blake Snell wild-card showdown of showdowns before 12,000 fans at the Trop. I kid! Well, sort of. What's up with Tampa Bay's attendance? The Rays currently are averaging 13,802 per game, which is low even for them. They recently drew the smallest crowd in franchise history. They're averaging almost 10,000 fans less per game than they did in 2009 and 2010, when they averaged more than 23,000 per game. This team deserves to play in front of more fans. Anyway, I half-expect the A's to make one of their patented second-half runs, but the Red Sox should hold them off.

Sunday's schedule includes a cool matchup of pitching phenoms past and present, as the Nationals' Stephen Strasburg faces the Padres' Chris Paddack. What "first impression" by a rookie pitcher stands out in your memory?

Matz: Gregg Olson, 1989. A year after Baltimore lost 21 straight to start the season, he was a huge part of the "Why Not" Orioles that shocked everyone and came this close to beating out Toronto for the AL East pennant. Olson had a cup of coffee in September 1988, but his real first impression came that following season, when he used that monster curveball of his to save 27 games and win rookie of the year. Of course, it was the same herculean hammer (if memory serves) that led to a game-tying wild pitch against the Blue Jays in the final series of the season, which led to a blown save, which led to an O's loss, which led to a second-place finish, which led to a certain high school senior running away from home not long after that. (OK, so technically, I went to college, but that doesn't sound nearly as dramatic as running away from home.)

Miller: On May 10, 2013, Shelby Miller threw a complete-game one-hitter, striking out 13 and walking nobody. It was just his eighth major league start, and it lowered his career ERA to 1.52. My memory of that start is a little prom-night fuzzy, but my recollection is that he threw almost nothing but fastballs, that he threw almost nothing but strikes, that the Rockies hitters all looked like they were drunk on peach schnapps, and that in the ninth inning that start and I slow-danced to K-Ci & JoJo's "All My Life."

Schoenfield: I'm going to cheat and mention two pitchers, but it's not cheating because both mentions come from 1984. That was Dwight Gooden's rookie year, and imagine if we had Twitter and social media back then. He struck out 10 in his fourth start and followed up with another 10-strikeout game. He fanned 11 and then 14 and then would really kick into gear in September when he had back-to-back 16-strikeout games -- still the only pitcher to do that. Remember, this also was when strikeouts were harder to come by. Gooden had 15 double-digit strikeout games that year -- and there were only 91 all season. He had 16.5% of all double-digit strikeout games. And he was 19!

The other rookie pitcher that year was Mark Langston (like Gooden, he led his league in strikeouts). Since I'm from Seattle, I saw him a lot more. As with Gooden, I can't remember the specific first game I saw him pitch, but I do remember sitting out in the left-field bleachers for an August game against the Tigers (who would go on to win the World Series). Langston, with that high leg kick that was pure awesomeness, pitched a two-hit complete game with 12 strikeouts. Tigers manager Sparky Anderson called him the best young lefty he'd ever seen (if my memory is correct).

Your turn: What are you most looking forward to seeing this weekend?

Miller: In Max Scherzer's career, he has thrown a 17-strikeout, no-walk no-hitter; thrown a 10-strikeout, no-walk no-hitter; thrown the closest thing we've seen to a "Statcast no-hitter" and struck out 20 batters in a start, one of only five 20-K games in history. He is probably the best pitcher in the game, but he is definitely the best jaw-dropping-pitching-line pitcher in the game. This year, he has the best strikeout rate of his career, and on Saturday, he faces the Padres -- who have a good lineup, but they strike out more often than any team in baseball. If I could pick one game for 21 K's this year, it would be this one, so I'll be watching.

Schoenfield: I just picked my Way Too Early All-Star Roster and didn't fit Austin Meadows on it. Rays fans let me have it. I had Mike Trout, Mookie Betts and Joey Gallo as the starters, and George Springer, Michael Brantley, Byron Buxton and Trey Mancini (as the Orioles' rep) in reserve. Meadows has been amazing, but his track record isn't the same as Springer and Brantley, and he doesn't play center field like Buxton. To make up for that omission, I'm going to watch Meadows take on the Red Sox.

PICK 'EM TIME

We have what appears to be an epic mismatch in Houston with Astros-O's. Houston's run differential for the weekend: Over or under 8.5?

Matz: Without Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer, the Astros' offense isn't its usual overpowering self. Plus, Dylan Bundy has been much more effective lately, and the Orioles luck out by missing Justin Verlander. Under.

Miller: If the Astros' winning percentage and the Orioles' winning percentage are accurate reflections of each team's true talent, then the Astros are slightly more likely to sweep than not (without even considering Houston's home field advantage). If that happens, then one blowout is all it'll take, and a quick tally finds that, against the AL's best teams, the Orioles have been blown out only slightly less often than once every three games. The Astros are better than the AL's best teams. So: Over.

Schoenfield: The Mariners just beat the Astros 14-1. Anything can happen in baseball! The Astros are rolling out their B lineup these days, and the Orioles' pitching has actually not been as miserable as it was in April. Under.

Talk of star power in the National League this season has been dominated by Belly and Yelly -- Cody Bellinger and Christian Yelich -- but for those who haven't noticed, Anthony Rendon and Nolan Arenado, two old standbys, are having great seasons again. Who will have more total bases this weekend: Rendon or Arenado?

Matz: Arenado hasn't been great at Citi Field, and Jacob deGrom has his number (2-for-17 lifetime). But when it comes to total bases, it's all about the dingers, and Colorado's third baseman has hit four in 14 at-bats against Steven Matz (Friday's starter). So even though Rendon is completely locked in at the plate right now, I'm taking Arenado here.

Miller: Since the Nationals hit their lowest point, they've gone 9-2 and Rendon has hit .359/.500/.667 (through Wednesday). Rendon's worldwide recognition as a superstar is long overdue, so I'm personally pulling for him to keep slugging, for the Nationals to keep making up ground in the pennant race and for a bunch of MVP voters to write late-summer columns making Rendon's case. He gets two lefty starters in San Diego this weekend, so I'll go with him.

Schoenfield: Here's a fun/sad fact: Rendon has never made the All-Star team. Is he the best active player never to make one? Probably -- him or Andrelton Simmons.

Most career WAR, no All-Star appearances among active players:

Simmons: 36.0
Carlos Santana: 27.9
Anibal Sanchez: 26.2
Kevin Kiermaier: 25.7
Josh Reddick: 24.8
Rendon: 23.2

Rendon should make it this year, although if Arenado starts and Kris Bryant or even Manny Machado win the player vote, Rendon could get squeezed out.

Oh, the question: I'll go with Rendon.

What's your pick for the Sunday night game at Wrigley?

Matz: The three most important things my parents taught me are: (1) Always look both ways before crossing the street, (2) don't lie and (3) never bet against Kyle Hendricks. I'll take the Cubs.

Miller: Adam Wainwright's strike rate has now fallen in each of the past four seasons, and this year's rate -- just under 60 percent -- is the lowest of his career, the second lowest among all NL starters and the cause of the career-high seven walks he issued in his (otherwise excellent) last start. There are good pitchers with low strike rates, to be sure, but the Cubs lead the majors in walk rate this year. They are the team most likely to make Wainwright pay.

Schoenfield: Hendricks threw that 81-pitch shutout in his previous start against the Cardinals. He won't do that again, but he'll pitch the Cubs to victory.

TWO TRUE OUTCOMES

Home run hitters

Matz: Christian Yelich

Miller: Alex Bregman.

Schoenfield: Mike Trout (hello, Mariners pitching).

Strikeout pitchers

Matz: Lucas Giolito.

Miller: Max Scherzer. Twenty-one K's comin'.

Schoenfield: I like Sam's logic here, but since he beat me to Scherzer (who I might have used already anyway), I'll go with Stephen Strasburg versus the whiff-prone Padres. Maybe I used Strasburg. Who is keeping track of this? You won't believe the side bets Eddie, Sam and I have going here.

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Britain's Reid in French Open wheelchair final

Published in Tennis

Friday, 07 June 2019 08:31

Britain's Gordon Reid came from a set down to reach his second French Open wheelchair singles final with victory against top seed Shingo Kunieda.

The former Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, 27, beat his Japanese opponent 2-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-2.

Reid will play second seed Gustavo Fernandez, who beat Briton Alfie Hewett, in Saturday's final.

Hewett, 21, lifted the title in 2017 but lost 6-1 6-2 to Argentine Fernandez in this year's semi-final.

All four players were on the same court for the doubles semi-final later on Friday, with Fernandez and Kunieda defeating the British second seeds 6-2 7-5.

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Barty fights back against Anisimova to reach final

Published in Tennis

Friday, 07 June 2019 04:58

Eighth seed Ashleigh Barty defeated unseeded American teenager Amanda Anisimova in the French Open to reach her first Grand Slam singles final.

The Australian beat her 17-year-old opponent, ranked 51st in the world, 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-3 in a rollercoaster match.

Anisimova battled from 5-0 down to take the opening set on tie-break and led 3-0 in the second before Barty rallied.

The 23-year-old will now play Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova, who beat Britain's Johanna Konta, on Saturday.

"That was amazing, both good and bad," said Barty, who took more than a year away from the game to play professional cricket before returning in 2017.

"It was the hardest thing that I ever had to do.

"I am really proud of the way I fought, especially in the conditions which were cold and windy.

"Now I can't wait for the final, it's incredible."

Big swings in momentum

In a bizarre first set, the world number eight raced to a 5-0 lead with just 13 minutes on the clock before Anisimova won the next six games in a row.

The Australian stemmed the flow as she broke back at 6-5 down to take it to a tie-break, but the American - who stunned defending champion Simona Halep in the previous round - won five consecutive points to take the opening set.

The momentum changed hands several times in the second set too, with Anisimova going 3-0 up before being pegged back.

The teenager dropped her first set of the tournament as Barty won the next six games to level the match.

After two double faults from Barty, Anisimova claimed an early break in the final set but her more experienced opponent immediately broke back.

Barty then held her nerve as Anisimova, bidding to become the youngest finalist in Paris since Martina Hingis in 1997, failed to find a way back despite saving five match points.

Like the other semi-final between Konta and Vondrousova, a barely half-full stadium watched as Barty became the first Australian to reach a French Open singles final since Samantha Stosur finished runner-up in 2010.

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Nadal reaches final after masterclass against Federer

Published in Tennis

Friday, 07 June 2019 07:08

Rafael Nadal is one step away from his 12th French Open title after a 6-3 6-4 6-2 semi-final win over Roger Federer.

Strong winds prevented the contest from hitting the heights anticipated, but there were plenty of majestic moments to please the Philippe-Chatrier crowd.

The Spaniard broke the Swiss icon six times, crucially in the third and ninth games of the second set, en route to doubling his advantage.

He then broke twice more in the third set as he completed his masterclass.

Nadal will now play either Novak Djokovic, looking to hold all four Grand Slam titles, or Austrian Dominic Thiem in Sunday's final.

The 33-year-old winner said: "It's incredible to play Roger here - congratulations to him. He's probably the best player in history for me.

"It's always a tough match against Roger. It was tough conditions with the wind. I'm happy to have the chance to play another final here. It's the most important tournament in my career."

Nadal underlines why he is the 'King of Clay'

Federer, playing his first clay season in two years, produced exceptional tennis that would have defeated anyone else - sadly for him he was up against the greatest on this surface.

There were a handful of occasions when the 37-year-old, seeking his 21st major, threatened to improve upon his 2-13 record against Nadal on clay.

After going a break down early in the match, Federer's wand-like backhand and pressure on the Nadal serve saw him break back. However, the Spaniard responded once more in a thrilling sixth game in which he finally wore down his resilient opponent, who had saved five break points.

Nadal was again on the back foot at the start of the second set as his error, following a brilliant forehand from Federer, saw him down 2-0.

But key to the King of Clay's win on Friday was his ability to respond immediately. He broke back with a stunning forehand winner and set himself up for another break in the ninth game after coming out on top following a lengthy rally.

By this stage Federer appeared a beaten man. Both players not only had to contend with each other's brilliance but also the mini dust-storms created by the intense gusts, however Nadal dealt with the situation better.

After he broke the Swiss again in the third game of the third set, the match was all but over. It was finally settled in the eighth game when Federer went long following another impressive first serve from Nadal.

Federer left Philippe-Chatrier to chants of "Roger! Roger!" after what could have been the tennis great's final appearance at this Slam.

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Britain's Konta misses out on French Open final

Published in Tennis

Friday, 07 June 2019 07:26

Johanna Konta missed out on becoming the first British woman to reach a Grand Slam final since 1977 by losing to Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova in the French Open semi-finals.

The 26th seed's extraordinary run here ended with a 7-5 7-6 (7-2) defeat by the unseeded 19-year-old in windy conditions in front of a sparse crowd.

Konta, 28, was unable to convert three first-set points - and paid the price.

Vondrousova plays Australian Ashleigh Barty in Saturday's final.

The Czech, who has not dropped a set, is the first teenage finalist at Roland Garros since Serbia's Ana Ivanovic in 2007.

Konta was bidding to become the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Virginia Wade triumphed at Wimbledon 42 years ago and the first singles player from the nation - man or woman - to win at Roland Garros since Sue Barker in 1976.

"It is always tough to lose a match, any match, and always tough to lose matches where you have opportunities and chances," said Konta, who had never won a main-draw match at the Paris venue before this tournament.

But I feel very comfortable and assured that I did the best I could out there.

"It's hard to lose any match like this but my opponent played well and I'm proud of how I played."

However, Konta said she was "surprised" at the match being moved out to Court Simonne-Mathieu - Roland Garros' third show court - with organisers reshuffling the schedule because of bad weather.

The new 5,000-seater stadium was barely a third full for the semi-final.

Tension gets better of Konta

Konta was playing in her third Grand Slam semi-final on a third different surface - having reached the last four at the 2016 Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2017.

The women's draw has been blown wide open over the past fortnight, and the Briton was the only semi-finalist in Paris to have reached this stage of a Slam previously.

Vondrousova is competing in the main draw of a Grand Slam for the ninth time, while her furthest previous run at a major was reaching the fourth round at last year's US Open.

However, Konta's greater experience did not tell as tension got the better of the former world number four at crucial moments.

She led 5-3 in both sets before allowing Vondrousova to break back and seize the initiative.

Konta's shot selection on her first two chances to seal the opening set proved significant, spooning a wild drive-volley long and planting a sliced backhand into the net.

"The way the point was going I'd take that as a drive volley nine out of 10 times and nine out of 10 times I'd make that," she said.

"And the point after I clipped the net so there wasn't too much wrong there."

Although she did manage to put those shots behind her and earn a third chance, that opportunity disappeared as well when Vondrousova put away a forehand winner on her way to a crucial hold.

Konta's confidence sapped as she failed to serve out the opener from 5-4 - and then there was a sense of deja vu when she also failed to serve out from the same position in the second.

A double fault handed over the break - and the momentum - as Vondrousova ran away with the tie-break to seal victory in one hour and 45 minutes.

"I didn't regret anything I did there," Konta said. "I feel comfortable with how I played and what I tried to do. I don't have any regrets.

"Overall I played a very tough opponent, who was better than me on the day."

Empty seats and a smaller court

Rows of empty seats are not what you would expect to see at a Grand Slam semi-final, yet that was the scene as Konta and Vondrousova battled for a place in Saturday's final.

Both women's semi-finals were due to be played on the 15,000-seater Philippe Chatrier on Thursday, but rain leading to play being cancelled on Wednesday had a knock-on effect and organisers moved them to smaller show courts.

While Barty and Anisimova played on Suzanne Lenglen, which can house 10,000 fans, Konta and Vondrousova were moved to Roland Garros' picturesque third show court, which opened this year.

Despite being open to those with outside court tickets, the stadium was barely half full.

The entire top tier was virtually empty, with large patches of light-coloured wooden seats visible on the bottom deck.

It was not a good look for Roland Garros' organisers, who had faced plenty of criticism for moving the women's semi-finals out to the smaller show courts.

WTA boss Steve Simon called the decision "inappropriate and unfair", while former world number one Amelie Mauresmo said it was a "disgrace".

Konta appeared to agree with their criticism without explicitly supporting it, adding the decision to move the women's semi-finals "speaks for itself".

"What is tiring and what is really unfortunate in this, more than anything, is that female athletes have to sit in different positions and have to justify their scheduling or their involvement in an event or their salary or their opportunities," she said.

"I think to give time to that is even more of a sad situation than what we found ourselves in today in terms of the scheduling."

Analysis

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller

This was, without doubt, a missed opportunity for Johanna Konta.

Leading both sets 5-3, and playing with purpose, Konta lost her way. Her thought process became clouded, and her shot selection went awry.

Konta has not yet been been able to reproduce her best form in a Grand Slam semi-final. Defeats by Angelique Kerber in Melbourne, and Venus Williams at Wimbledon, were less of a surprise. But this time Konta had the experience, and the lead.

Let's hope there will be further opportunities to come, and let's not forget how far Konta has come in six weeks.

At the start of the clay-court season she was in danger of slipping out of the world's top 50. She is now a top-20 player once again, and has put together a remarkable clay-court season of 15 wins - a statistic which back in April seemed utterly implausible.

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It’s hotting up in Hong Kong!

Published in Table Tennis

Thursday, 06 June 2019 22:57

Last week the spotlight was on Shenzhen, as MA Long made history at the 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum, China Open. Now all eyes are honed in on Hong Kong, where a host of international stars are locking horns in search of more silverware as the event advances towards its climax on Sunday 9 June.

The narrative so far from the Queen Elizabeth Stadium is one of epic comebacks and stunning scorelines!

MEN’S SINGLES: BIG NAMES BATTLE HARD

The top two seeds, LIN Gaoyuan (CHN) and Tomokazu HARIMOTO (JPN), both made it through to the final three days, but each had to recover from a two-game deficit: LIN beat Ricardo WALTHER (GER) (8-11, 10-12, 11-2, 11-5, 11-6, 12-10) as Tomokazu HARIMOTO overcame Jon PERSSON (SWE) (7-11, 4-11, 11-8, 12-10, 14-12, 11-8).

Home favourite, WONG Chun Ting (HKG) kept alive the hopes of Hong Kong as the no.13 seed emerged victorious from his marathon seven-game match against Tomislav PUCAR (CRO) (11-9, 11-2, 6-11, 4-11, 8-11, 14-12, 16-14) to set up an intriguing round of 16 clash with Mattias FALCK (SWE) who knocked out last year’s champion, Kazuhiro YOSHIMURA (JPN) in straight games (11-9, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7).

Simon GAUZY (FRA) caused arguably the biggest upset of the day as the world no.22, who has passed through the qualification rounds, accounted for no.6 seed, LEE Sangsu (KOR) in an epic encounter (11-5,6-11, 8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8).

There would be yet another seven-game classic for Quadri ARUNA (NGR) who is flying the flag for Africa. The no.15 seed eventually saw off ZHENG Peifeng (CHN) (12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 5-11, 10-12, 11-5) to set up a round of 16 meeting with HARIMOTO (Friday at 20:00 GMT+8, live on itTV).

WOMEN’S SINGLES: JOY FOR JAPAN

Boasting the top two seeds in Hong Kong, Kasumi ISHIKAWA and Mima ITO, Japan’s hopes of winning Women’s Singles gold have been boosted by their dominant displays to date. ISHIKAWA brushed aside ZHANG Mo (CAN) (11-5, 11-5, 11-8, 12-10) as ITO impressed in her victory over YU Mengyu (SGP) (11-5, 11-4, 11-7, 11-7).

There will be as many as five Japanese women competing in the round of 16, after Miu HIRANO, Hitomi SATO and Saki SHIBATA also passed their tests on Thursday. SATO and SHIBATA will meet for a place in the quarter-final less than two weeks after their epic seven-game showdown at the 2019 ITTF Challenge, Thailand Open.

DOO Hoi Kem (HKG) remains the host nation’s only hope of glory in the Women’s Singles. The no.6 seed saw off Sarah DE NUTTE (LUX) in just four games (12-10, 11-6, 11-3, 11-6).

Europe’s trio of seeded women’s players are also aiming to continue their journey, as Bernadette SZOCS (ROU), Sofia POLCANOVA (AUT) and SHAN Xiaona (GER) get set to take on SUH Hyowon (KOR), DOO Hoi Kem and FENG Tianwei (SGP) respectively.

DOUBLES DELIGHT: THE SHOCKS

Sathiyan GNANASEKARAN and Sharath Kamal ACHANTA (IND) caused the biggest upset in the Men’s Doubles, beating Ovidiu IONESCU (ROU) and Alvaro ROBLES (ESP), the no.4 seeds and runners-up at the recent Liebherr 2019 World Table Tennis Championships (12-10, 4-11, 11-9, 11-7).

Suthasini SAWETTABUT and Orawan PARANANG (THA) made their mark in Women’s Doubles, overcoming the no.3 seeds, Barbora BALAZOVA (SVK) and Hana MATELOVA (CZE) (11-6, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8).

In the Mixed Doubles, Tomokazu HARIMOTO and Hina HAYATA (JPN) were sent crashing out by top seeds WONG Chun Ting and DOO Hoi Kem (HKG) (12-10, 11-5, 7-11, 11-2), who have since progressed to tonight’s semi-finals where they will face last week’s China Open champions, LIN Yun-Ju and CHENG I-Ching (TPE).

READY FOR THE WEEKEND!

Make sure you don’t miss any of the action between now and Sunday’s final showdowns! Just follow the links below:

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T2 Diamond to sparkle at Tampines in November

Published in Table Tennis

Friday, 07 June 2019 00:42

A tier two regional sports centre (RSC) under SportSG’s Sports Facilities Masterplan, offers not just top-class sporting facilities but also a plethora of community, lifestyle, and entertainment options that people can enjoy alongside the sporting action.

Mr Lim Teck Yin, CEO of SportSG, said, “The regional sports centres are capable of hosting world class sporting action in the heartlands. , which is the first of these, is suited for the T2 Diamond particularly when we want to activate in the community and bring a distinctive local flavour to the event. I hope the Tampines residents and Singaporeans-at-large will be excited to give the world’s best paddlers a rapturous welcome as they enjoy top notch table tennis action at their doorstep.”

Welcoming the idea of playing in the heartlands, Jeff Chue, CEO of T2, believes in redefining the consumption of sports. “We are defying the rules of traditional sporting events and defining the new way we believe sporting bodies should adapt and evolve when developing an international sporting event. T2 Diamond is flexible and can be moulded to fit into each host city’s long-term goals. We have set out to prove that there are always different avenues in delivering a world-class professional sporting event that increase the opportunities in sports and community engagement globally”.

T2 Diamond 2019, organised in collaboration with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), features 32 of the world’s best men and women players, a total prize purse of USD 1.5 million, and a progressive competition format that aims to amplify the appeal of table tennis across regions.

The Singapore event is likely to feature two or more Singaporean paddlers, considering the current ITTF world ranking of Feng Tian Wei as well as the Host City’s right to nominate players under their Host exemptions. The event will also feature local officials as well as ball kids selected as part of a series of activation programmes being run in conjunction with the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA).

About T2 Diamond Table Tennis League (T2 Diamond):

T2 Diamond is the most prestigious series of annual professional tournaments organised in collaboration with the International Table Tennis Federation. T2 Diamond 2019 will feature 32 of the world’s best men’s and women’s players competing across three tournaments for a combined prize purse of USD 1.5 million and bonus ITTF World Ranking points as they battle their way to 2020 Tokyo Olympic qualification. The revolutionary tournaments employ a unique competition format and various other innovations that catapult table tennis into a truly entertaining spectator sport.

Headquartered in Singapore and with offices in Shanghai, Tokyo and Chicago, T2 is committed to unlocking the true commercial potential of table tennis by expanding its appeal to a much broader audience base.

Find out more: t2apac.com

About Sport Singapore

As the national sports agency, Sport Singapore’s core purpose is to inspire the Singapore spirit and transform Singapore through sport. Through innovative, fun and meaningful sporting experiences, their mission is to reach out and serve communities across Singapore with passion and pride. With Vision 2030 – Singapore’s sports master plan, their mandate goes beyond winning medals. Sport Singapore uses sport to create greater sporting opportunities and access, more inclusivity and integration as well as broader development of capabilities.

Find out more: www.sportsingapore.gov.sg

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