TOPS
Insatiable Nadal
Eternal.
Opposed to the Norwegian Casper Ruud in the final of Roland-Garros,
Rafael Nadal
won his 22nd Grand Slam title, his 14th Porte d'Auteuil, where he still has not lost a single final.
On the verge of the package before the tournament, the fault of a new injury contracted at the Rome tournament three weeks earlier, the Majorcan again came out of nowhere to afford a 14th Parisian crown.
“
I had no feeling in my left foot thanks to anti-inflammatories
”, admitted after the match the king of clay, more than ever imperial in a final where his rookie opponent never existed.
Read alsoRafael Nadal, the magnificent conqueror of the impossible
Mladenovic and Garcia find doubles success
Who said that the French did not shine at Roland-Garros?
While the singles tables were free of any tricolor player on Saturday,
Caroline Garcia
and
Kristina Mladenovic
brought a nice bright spot in the dark blue table by winning the doubles tournament on Sunday.
"
It was really unexpected
", will agree the second quoted, delighted by a "
Fed Cup atmosphere
"
.
Accustomed to playing together, the two players, who had already triumphed at Porte d'Auteuil in 2016, overthrew the American pair of Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff (2-6, 6-3, 6-2) in the final.
Read alsoRoland-Garros: "really unexpected", savor Garcia and Mladenovic double queens for the 2nd time
Castres takes everything
The Castres had not experienced the final phase since their title of champion of France in 2018. The return is made with fanfare.
By winning at Pau (26-16), and taking advantage of the defeats of Montpellier and the UBB, the Tarnais finished first in the regular phase.
A first since the establishment of the Top 14. Another first, they will not go through the play-off box but directly in the semi-finals.
Where they will face in two weeks the winner of the XXL dam between the last two European champions, Stade Toulousain and Stade Rochelais.
If the element of surprise no longer plays, it will be necessary to be very strong to deprive Castres Olympique of a third shield from Brennus in ten years.
"
We do not go through the dams, we will not regret it.
But, in compensation, we will have to be very good over our two weeks of training to have a chance in Nice to be efficient
, ”already alerted the Castres manager, Pierre-Henry Broncan.
Read alsoTops / Flops of the Top 14 multiplex: Castres without noise, the feat in vain from Perpignan
Quartararo on the (very) good track
As a good leader of the championship,
Fabio Quartararo
increased his lead by winning the Grand Prix de Catalunya with authority this Sunday.
Third on the grid, the world champion made an excellent start to then manage his lead in the profession and thus celebrate his contract extension with Yamaha with dignity.
Incidentally, the Niçois took the opportunity to take a 22-point lead in the championship over Aleix Espargaro.
Promised to a new podium on his Aprillia (3rd), the Spaniard made an improbable dumpling by celebrating… a lap too early.
Which benefited Johann Zarco to grab a place on the box in Barcelona in extremis.
Read alsoMotoGP: The incredible blunder of Aleix Espargaro which benefits Fabio Quartararo
Aviron Bayonnais (already) back in the Top 14
Aviron Bayonnais will not have lasted forever at the lower level.
A year after being relegated to Pro D2, the Basque club secured its return ticket to the Top 14 by beating Mont-de-Marsan in the Pro D2 final (49-20).
An authoritative and welcome victory against the leader of the regular season, who had also beaten the Bayonnais out and back.
Until Sunday, then.
“
There is a division gap, we were not up to it
”, regretted Patrick Milhet, the manager of Stade Montois, who will have to beat the 13th in the Top 14 to hope to find the elite.
Read alsoRugby: Bayonne finds the light after a season in purgatory
Messi and Ronaldo shine in selection
A few minutes and a few hundred kilometers apart,
Lionel Messi
and Cristiano Ronaldo have alternately illuminated the evening on the side of the football selections.
The "Pulga" first, author of the five goals of Argentina against the modest Estonia (5-0), in a friendly in Pamplona (Spain).
In the League of Nations this time,
Cristiano Ronaldo
was the great architect of Portugal's clear victory against Switzerland in Lisbon (4-0).
After a first goal caused by his free kick, the top scorer in the history of a selection scored two new goals to bring his impressive total to 117 achievements with the Seleçao.
Read alsoNations League: Ronaldo and Portugal sweep away Switzerland
FLOPS
England and Belgium struggling
Like France during the last Euro, the English selection was trapped in the Ferenc-Puskas Arena in Budapest.
Except that the English lost in Hungary (1-0), their first defeat in 22 matches.
A short but revealing defeat for the selection of Gareth Southgate, whose obvious potential is still struggling to translate on the field.
A seemingly golden generation but in great difficulty, a situation which is reminiscent of that of Belgium.
Opposed to the Netherlands, the Red Devils suffered a real correction at home (1-4).
Enough to evoke the twilight of the generation of Hazard, Lukaku and company?
Ukraine deprived of Mondial
Ukraine has failed to afford a long-awaited breath of fresh air.
Four days after winning in Scotland, in the semi-final of the play-offs for the 2022 World Cup, the Ukrainian selection lost by the smallest of margins to Wales, what is more on an own goal ( 1-0).
Dominating in Cardiff, the Ukrainians, who dreamed of a second qualification 16 years after the first (2006), stumbled on an excellent Ravi to have Wayne Hennessey in the local goals (9 saves).
But the main thing was elsewhere: "
If we gave emotions to the Ukrainians, mission accomplished
," assured Oleksander Zinchenko, the Manchester City player.
Gauff cursed in the final
Dirty weekend for
Coco Gauff
.
For her first Grand Slam final, the American prodigy was won by the stunning Iga Swiatek in straight sets (6-1, 6-3).
On Sunday, the 18-year-old was again on the courts to play a final with her compatriot Jessica Pegula.
After a well-negotiated first set (6-2), the Americans were overthrown by the local pair Mladenovic-Garcia (see above).
But everything is not to throw away for the new 13th player in the world: “
It gives me a lot of confidence.
When I was 15, 16, 17, I felt the pressure to reach a final
(in a Grand Slam).
Now that I've done it, I feel relieved
."
Read alsoRoland-Garros: boss Iga Swiatek always wants more
