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A triumph for France

June 8, 2009 12:21 IST
Kristina Mladenovic

Kristina Mladenovic of France holds her trophy after winning the girls junior's final against Daria Gavrilova of Russia at the French Open in Roland Garros.

Mladenovic, 16, beat Gavrilova 6-3, 6-2 to win the title.

It was the first major junior title for the ninth seed whose parents were both athletes in the erstwhile Yugoslavia before shifting to France.  

Swede smell of success

June 8, 2009 12:21 IST
Daniel Berta

Daniel Berta of Sweden holds his trophy after winning the boys junior's final against Gianni Mina of France at the French Open.

Berta won 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

Robin Soderling might have failed to beat Roger Federer but the unseeded Berta ensured the Swedish contingent doesn't return home empty-handed by beating the 11th seeded home favourite.

The question now is, will he be able to translate his junior success to the next level.

The Spanish armada succeeds again

June 8, 2009 12:21 IST
Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual

Spanish duo Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual thrashed the Belarussian/Russian combine of Victoria Azarenka and Elena Vesnina 6 1, 6 1 in the final to win the women's doubles title at the French Open.

The number three seeds were also the defending champions in the category.It

It was the sixth title at Roland Garros for the 35-year-old Ruano Pascual and her 10th major win. It was Medina Garrigues' second major after her win here last year.  

The Spanish pair had got the better of the Australian/Italian combine of Casey Dellaqua and Francesca Schiavone 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the 2008 final.

Perseverance Paes

June 8, 2009 12:21 IST
Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy

Leander Paes won his ninth Grand Slam title when he and his Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy overcame a first set lapse to tame Wesley Moodie and Dick Norman in the final of the French Open men's doubles.

The third seeded Indo-Czech pair defeated the giant-killing South African-Belgian pair 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to win their first Grand Slam title together.

It is almost after a gap of three years that Paes won a men's doubles title at a major, since winning the 2006 US Open with Martin Damm.

It was the Indian's third men's double title at the French Open. Paes had earlier won at Roland Garros in 1999 and 2001 with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi.

After losing the first set, Paes and Dlouhy staged a brilliant comeback and completely overwhlemed Moodie-Norman, who had upset second seeded Americans Mike and Bob Bryan in the semifinals.

From Russia with love

June 8, 2009 12:21 IST
Svetlana Kuznetsova

Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova froze out world number one Dinara Safina to claim a first French Open title on Saturday after overwhelming her compatriot.

Kuznetsova hardly allowed Safina to warm up on court before she condemned her to a 6-4, 6-2 defeat in 74 minutes on an unusually chilly and damp day in Paris.

So one-sided was the affair that it barely came as a surprise when the dejected Safina bowed out with a double fault that bounced off the tape and fell wide.

Instead of rejoicing in her moment of triumph, a sympathetic Kuznetsova consoled her teary-eyed childhood friend by giving her a hug and a kiss across the net.

It was only then that the seventh seed raised her arms and thumped her heart to celebrate the fact that after five years she had won a second grand slam title to add to her 2004 success at the U.S. Open. 

Federer reigns in Paris -- at long last

June 8, 2009 12:21 IST
Roger Federer

As Roger Federer watched the yellow ball spin into the other side of the net, he sank to his knees, covered his face and knew that the French Open trophy was his at last.

It was meant to be Federer's day and not even a court intruder, gusting winds or rain showers could stop the Swiss from sweeping past Sweden's Robin Soderling 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 on Sunday to achieve sporting greatness.

After burying the 23rd seed in one hour 55 minutes, Federer held his arms aloft and looked up to the sky as he became only the sixth man to complete a career grand slam. The triumph also gave him a record-equalling 14th major crown.

With so much at stake, it was little wonder that Federer started weeping the moment Soderling paddled that final forehand into the net, ending one of the most nerve-jangling weeks in the 27-year-old's career.

The contest was not a classic but the tension was still palpable as 15,000 soggy fans cheered Federer's winners, groaned at his mistakes and applauded his spectacular shots. When it was finally all over, they exploded into a roar of deafening cheers to salute their new claycourt king.

Fittingly, Andre Agassi, the last man to achieve the career grand slam, was on hand to welcome the newest member of the select club and gave Federer a hug before handing over the trophy.

"It is a magical moment," a drenched Federer told the crowd after holding up the Musketeers' Cup high above his head before planting a kiss on to its gleaming surface.

"It might be the greatest victory of my career. Andre said it was my destiny to win this.