Penguins storm off with Detroit's opening night 6-3

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The Pittsburgh Penguins put a sour note to the Red Wings opening night on Thursday night. Anthony Beauvillier scored two on the night, while Joel Blomqvist debuted his first NHL victory beating Detroit 6-3 at Little Caesars Arena. What looked like great coverage in the beginning disappeared by the Red Wings, who had to switch goaltenders in their loss.

The Red Wings opened their seventh season, with Larkin leading a stacked team in his fourth season with the “C”. Detroit faced Pittsburgh, who were already into the action despite their shutout loss to the Rangers on Wednesday. The Penguins wanted to avoid getting gooseegged but faced a team with many veterans in its lines. The Red Wings acquisition of Tarasenko and extensions of Raymond and Seider, left their performance to determine their place back in the postseason 82 games from now. 

Detroit's first four minutes were very productive. They spent a lot of time getting shots on goal in the Penguins' zone. At 3:46, DeBrincat shot it top shelf behind Pittsburgh's goaltender. They marked their first shot on goal against the Red Wings, but great defense from Olli Maatta cut them off. They dug in to get more chances against Husso in between the pipes for Detroit, but the home team continued to dictate. 

The Red Wings earned a power play from Lars Eller and attacked Blomqvist, gaining a second opportunities on the loose puck. The Penguins killed off Detroit’s power play but trailed the Red Wings on shots and scoring chances. With less than five to play in the period, Beauvillier leveled the score. Whiffing a shot near the net on a pass from Crosby, the left winger’s second attempt bounced off Ben Chiarot and across the goal line, ending their short goalless streak. 

While things looked even on the scoreboard, the Red Wings' transition game continued to dominate the Penguins. Detroit earned a second man advantage with three to go, doubling their shots at the net when it came to an end. Twenty minutes was in the books between the two, and the Red Wings looked strong. 

The second period went the way of the Penguins, who increased their shots at Husso in the first two minutes. Beauvillier got his second of the night after a win from the faceoff by Crosby, who shot the puck to the net where the left winger consolidated the rebound. It was 3-1 58 seconds later with Malkin breaking through the slot and the Red Wings defense. He found Drew O’Connor, who took the shot and credited his team to widen the gap. It got worse for Husso, who suffered an awful goal just flying above his glove from Marcus Pettersson making it 4-1 for Pittsburgh.

Cam Talbot came off the bench to replace him in the crease, hoping to stop the onslaught and get Detroit back in check. Their first test down a man came at 7:50 fighting the shots that Pittsburgh took. The Detroit PK did well in working with Talbot and clearing out the puck. They earned a third chance and got close, but despite not happening on the power play, Vladimir Tarasenko made it 4-2. He rifled one from the back part of the faceoff, making his presence known on the team. 

It was almost 5-2 for the Penguins, but a hand pass seen by the officials negated that opportunity for them to go up three. After 40, the Penguins outshot Detroit 14-11, destined to take their lead and charge forward. A bad penalty from Detroit in the third cost them a small gap to cover and turned into a larger one. Karlsson scored his first with the team, with assists from Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. Four minutes went by, with Detroit looking helpless and out of ideas on how to strike back three goals down. Letang, put the Red Wings on the power play until another Noel Acciari made it a 5 on 3. Detroit fought hard to make good of their push to score on the advantage, doing so on a second goal from DeBrincat. His efforts were felt through the squad, who took every opportunity to inch forward on the Penguins. 

Kevin Hayes returned the Penguins to a three-goal lead, ringing the puck around in the Detroit net, with 7:39 left in regulation. Both teams had eight shots on goal in the period, but the margin was not going to change for the home team. 

 

El Bakkali repeats as Olympic champion in men's steeplechase

Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali wins his second straight gold medal in the men's 3,000 meter steeplechase 

Soufianne El Bakkali made history in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Paris Olympics Tuesday night. The Moroccan became the first man since the 1936 Berlin games to repeat as gold medalist in the event at Stade de France. Team USA's Kenneth Rooks stayed within reach of El Bakkali to earn silver, and Kenyan Abraham Kibiwot got bronze. 

El Bakkali didn’t have the best time to qualify, but it was enough to get him into the final with 14 other competitors. In the last 1,000 meters, the Moroccan seemed uncomfortable as he sat in the middle of the pack. The final lap was drama-filled as El Bakkali interacted with the leaders. Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma fell hard after tripping the hurdle. He did not finish the race and was taken off on a stretcher. 

The three stayed with one another, clearing the remainder of the pack to medal at the end of the night. The time of 8:06.05 was put up by El Bakkali, followed by the American, who beat Kibiwot by six-hundredths of a second. 

Winfred Yavi wins gold in womens steeplechase

Winfred Yavi of Bahrain celebrates her Olympic Record-breaking performance in the women's 3000 meter steeplechase at the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

The reigning world champion of the women’s 3000-meter steeplechase snatched the title away from the defending Olympic champion Tuesday night. Winfred Yavi of Bahrain bided her time in the seven-lap race at Stade de France, passing Permuth Chemutai of Uganda in the last 40 meters to win the gold medal. 

Yavi set an Olympic record at 8:52.76, beating the Ugandan by half a second. Faith Cherotich of Kenya was denied her chance at the title, with her country missing out in the race’s fifth edition. 

Rebeca Andrade wins gold in floor, US wins silver, bronze

Rebeca Andrade celebrated her gold medal win in the women's floor exercise at the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

The women’s gymnastics competition ended stunningly at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Monday night. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade won her first gold medal on the floor exercise at Bercy Arena. Simone Biles won her 11th Olympic medal in silver, along with Jordan Chiles, whose score was changed to come through with a bronze. 

The final apparatus marked the last chance for Biles to tie Vera Cavslavska for second on the most medals won by gymnasts, with 11. Her fall during the balance beam final negated her chance to sit in second by herself, but having the best routine of any competitor kept her in the hunt to get the job done in Paris. 

Andrade earned 14.166 to set the bar for the last six gymnasts to perform. Halfway through the event, no one got anywhere close to the Brazilian. Before the second half got underway, Biles went up to warm up and had an issue with her left calf again, applying more tape to it before her turn. Ana Barbosu of Romania got 13.700 bringing her into the medal conversation.

D’Amato earned 13.600, followed by Biles, who stepped with both feet out of bounds twice. The American managed 14.133, moving into second, with two gymnasts left. After Romanian gymnast Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, it was Chiles last for the United States to seal her place in Paris Olympic history. 

In a stunning turn of events, the 23-year-old got 13.666, but an inquiry was made on her behalf to suddenly get into the bronze medal position. Chiles moved to 13.766 beating Romania’s Ana Barbosu by a tenth to join Biles on the podium

Alice D'Amato wins gold in women's balance beam, US fails to medal

Italy's Alice D'Amato celebrating her balance beam routine at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

The women’s balance beam final was brutal for everyone but Italy’s Alice D’Amato at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Italian had the best routine of the day, earning the gold medal at Bercy Arena on Monday night. China’s Yaquin Zhou held her place for the silver, and Manila Esposito joined her teammate on the podium with bronze. It marked the first time since 2000 that the United States failed to medal in a gymnastics event. 

Biles attempted to be the first gymnast in Olympic history to win a medal in an apparatus final three times. Her two bronze medals from Rio and Tokyo were tough to attain in an unforgivable event final. China only had one gymnast in play, hoping to get her in place to be at the top. 

Zhou was first to go up, miscalculating a skill that cost her a five-tenth deduction. The judges score her at 14.100, putting her in a decent position, despite the mistake. Lee had a much bigger one during her routine, falling off the beam during a flip combination. She got back up to finish the last elements, before sticking the landing to end it. 13.100 was what Lee earned, leaving her way out of medal contention. 

The first four competitors didn’t have clean routines including Manila Esposito, who didn’t fall, but had a minor balance check. Her teammate was the first gymnast to nail every part of her routine, giving D’Amato a medal victory with 14.366. Biles was second to last and was another victim to the beam. She moved fast during a run, taking a fall from the apparatus. The judges gave her 13.100, leaving Andrade to decide her fate. 

The Brazilian had a balance check, but nothing serious to guarantee herself a place on the podium. Despite having a clean routine, the judges scored her 13.933, shocking most of the crowd and D’Amato, becoming Italy’s first of two individual medalling in the sport.

Kaylia Nemour tops uneven bars final for gold, Lee repeats for bronze.

Kaylia Nemour of Algeria celebrates her gold medal victory in the women's gymnastics uneven bars final at the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

History was made for the African continent in women’s gymnastics at the Summer Olympics. Algerian Kaylia Nemour won the gold medal in the uneven bars event final, defeating all the best at Bercy Arena Sunday night. China’s Qiyuan Qiu got between Nemour and Sunisa Lee for silver, leaving the American to repeat the even final twice.  

Derwael and Lee returned to give the apparatus a run and repeat as medalists in the final. Lee wanted to upgrade her bronze from Tokyo and provide the Belgian a run for the top medal of the night. Alice D’Amato of Italy set the best numbers, scoring 14.733, but after her was the reigning Olympic champion.

Derwael managed to get the lead by a hair over D’Amato, with five competitors left to perform. Becky Downie of Great Britain had a shot at making it into medal contention, but her signature move was cut short, losing grip on the bar. She was given 13.633, which left over a point gap for the remaining gymnasts. Qiu had the highest level of difficulty left of the gymnasts remaining and excelled in her routine on the bars. The first-time Chinese star earned 15.500, taking the lead by seven-tenths. 

With a new number to beat, Nemour had the potential to top Qiu. Her uneven bars routine flowed well, nailing all the combinations. 15.700 was what the judges gave the Algerian, setting her up for Olympic history. After Helen Kervic went seventh, Lee took to the bars, trying to either repeat as a bronze medalist or get into a better spot. 14.800 was what they gave her, repeating for the second Olympics in a row, sending Derwael empty of anything. 

Belgium's Evenpoel wins second gold in men's road race.

Belgium's Remco Evenpoel celebates winning the men's road race at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Remco Evenepoel made history in men’s cycling at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Saturday. The 24-year-old from Belgium became the first man to win the time trial, winning the men’s road race, and finishing in front of the Eiffel Tower. French teammates Valentin Madouras and Christophe Laporte came in behind Evenepoel to take the silver and bronze medals respectively. 

90 riders took part in the 273-kilometer race (169 miles) race that went from Paris, to the outskirts of the French countryside and back into the city. There were three circuit climbs around the Sacre-Cœur before coming through The Louvre and finishing by the Trocadero. 

12 riders failed to finish the race, but many saw several dramatic events in the six-hour trek. Two crashes occurred, but neither cyclists were physically injured. Evenepoel was not immune to issues during his gold medal ride as he caught a flat tire inside The Louvre. Desperately yelling for a new bike, the Belgian freaked out over losing his one-minute lead on the chasers and Peloton. 

His team reacted quickly to get him a new bike and back on his way. He came to the finish line alone, scoring his second gold medal of the Olympics in 6:19.34, beating the French by 69 seconds. 

Simone Biles wins third Paris 2024 gold in women's vault

Simone Biles hitting the vault during the event final of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Simone Biles won another gold medal in the women’s vault apparatus final at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 27-year-old American notched her eight career gold, making her the second most decorated gymnast at Bercy Arena. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade nailed her vaults to secure the silver and her second in the Olympics. Jade Carey did enough to get bronze, surpassing the other five competitors. 

Andrade was the biggest threat to Biles, who carried the highest difficulty on the apparatus. The 27-year-old had Jade Carey running alongside her in the event final, seeing many gymnasts perform the double Yurchenko to compete heavily. 

Biles was fourth of the eight to go and put the biggest number on the scoreboard. Her first attempt was big, taking a hop on the landing, earning 15.700. Her second attempt had a smaller hop, averaging her score to 15.300. With more than a point lead over North Korea’s Ok Chang An and four still to go, Biles guaranteed herself a medal. 

Andrade took her shot at besting Biles's score by performing a Chung and stuck the landing right in the middle. The judges scored her 15.100, short of Biles's first vault. Her Yurchenko two-and-a-half twist saw Andrade take a small hop back, averaging 14.966. It made it hard for anyone left to get between her and Biles, as one American remained. 

Carey was last to go and needed 14.2 or better to medal, and her first attempt had a minor hop, but enough to get 14.733. Her Amanar move in her second attempt stuck much better, earning 14.466 for the bronze medal. With eight gold medals, Biles surpasses Vera Caslavska of Czechoslovakia for the most golds, sitting one away from Larisa Latynina of the Soviet Union. 

Team GB wins gold in men's eights, US wins bronze

Great Britain(middle), The Netherlands(Left), and the United States(Right) celebrate their medal performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

The British men’s eight returned as champions of the event at the Summer Olympics on Saturday. For the first time since 2000 in Sydney, Team Great Britain won the gold medal, defeating The Netherlands and the United States with enough room at the Stade Nautique de Vaires-sur-Marne. 

The British, Dutch, and American boats jumped out early in the race, staying within reach halfway through. It wasn’t until the halfway mark, that the British saw enough room to stay in the lead. The Netherlands had second until a surge from the Americans put them under pressure. The United States came very close to the silver medal, but their output wasn’t enough to change position. 

Team GB took the gold at 5:22.88, under the coxswain Harry Brightmore, who set his team off with a blistering pace that was not matched on the day. 

Romania take golds in eights final, US finishes 4th.

Romania's women's eight rowing team celebrate their gold medal race win at the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

Romania was back as best in the world in the women’s eights at the Summer Olympics on Saturday. The crew coxed by Stefania Victoria Petreanu won the gold medal for the first time since 2004 at the Stade Nautique de Vaires-sur-Marne. The Canadians beat Great Britain late in the race to take silver, leaving the British with the bronze. 

The six boats were close together at the five-hundred mark with Romania slightly out front. Halfway in, the Romanians put in a heavy pace, with Canada and Great Britain, who were the defending champions, in third. The United States was close to Team GB, sitting two seats back, approaching the 500-meter mark. Romana gave themselves enough room to row away with the gold, but the silver spot was close with Canada, and Great Britain. 

Romania put up a time of 5:54.39, winning by more than four seconds. At the finish line, Canada beat the British for the silver medal, with a six-seat lead. The US women didn’t have enough to stay in pace with Great Britain, coming into the line in fourth. 

Cheptegi wins gold, setting Olympic record in men's 10k

Joshua Cheptegi poses with his new Olympic record in the men's 10,000 meter final at the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

Joshua Cheptegi, the 2023 world champion and world record holder turned gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics Friday night. His time of 26:43.14 in the men’s 10,000-meter final was an Olympic record at Stade de France. The Ugandan blew away the best list of runners assembled, with himself a former event medalist. Berihu Aregawi of Ethiopia narrowly took the silver medal away from American Grant Fisher, who won the bronze. Defending Olympic champion Selemon Barega finished in seventh denied a repeat at gold. 

The defending medalists were back for another shot at becoming back-to-back champions for the first time since Mo Farah in 2012 and 2016. Only five men have accomplished back-to-back gold medals in Olympic history, with a good chance at it happening for the sixth time. 

The pace was above normal nearing the halfway point of the race, where two of three from Ethiopia were leading. Barega rejoined his teammates after dropping back to the middle of the pack. With ten laps to go and 6,000 meters in, Barega led the group, with American Grant Fisher still in the top four. Canada’s Mohammed Ahmed moved into second before the 7,000-meter mark, trying to put himself in a lock for a medal. 

The Kenyas and Ugandans sat behind the leaders, waiting for the right moment to move in and steal the spot when it counted. 13 runners in the front pack came to the mark with 2,000 meters to go and Aregawi back in front with Ahmed behind him. At the last lap, Cheptegi moved into the lead with Ahmed tailing him. Fisher moved into second and at the line it was Cheptegi winning gold. Ahmed missed the medal by 33 hundredths of a second, leaving him devastated to wait again. 

Biles lands gold in women's all-around; Lee wins bronze

Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee celebrate together after winning gold and bronze respectively in the women's all-around final. 

Simone Biles proved again that she is the greatest gymnast of all time at the Paris Summer Olympics on Thursday night. The Texas native finished the women’s all-around final, taking the gold medal by nearly two points. Rebeca Andrade of Brazil won the silver and Sunisa Lee won the bronze. It was the third time two Americans ended up on the podium in the Olympics. 

For the first time in Olympic gymnastics history, two former champions of the all-around competition competed against one another, potentially becoming the first two-time gold medalist in the event. Biles won the gold in the event eight years ago in Rio, while Lee stood out as the reigning Olympic gold medalist. Both gymnasts competed on the same apparatus rotation, making each move they made crucial. 

Lee was the first to go on the vault, scoring 13.933 but was soon eclipsed by Andrade, who earned 15.100. Biles delivered an explosive vault that got her 15.766, with a difficulty rating of 6.4. It was the highest difficulty rating on the apparatus, earning her the top spot at the end of the first rotation. 

Their next apparatus was the uneven bars, which Andrade excelled on, giving her a shot at being the scoring leader. She got her routine underway, putting on a clean run through the bars, and had a small hop on the landing. The judges scored her 14.666, right before Biles got 13.733 on a routine that saw her take an extra swing. The judges took the addition into account, including barely avoiding touching the floor. 

Nemour left no one surprised after her incredible bars routine, scoring 15.533, putting her behind Andrade for second and in front of Biles. Lee went last, earning 14.866 after delivering technical finesse in her routine, getting her within a point of the four ahead. The third rotation took the Americans to the balance beam, with Biles going first. 

The 27-year-old did not perform the Biles two, but received 14.566, getting her back to first place. Lee posted a score of 14.000, having had small errors in her routine, but reached closer to Italy’s Alice D’Amato. Algieria’s Kaylia Nemour inquired about her score and found herself tied for third with Lee. 

Andrade went last for the group, starting the beam with a lower difficulty rating but managed 14.133, moving her back into second place. All left for the girls was the floor exercise, and the Italians went first to close the competition. D’Amato got 13.5, leaving her to wait desperately for everyone else to finish and see where she ends up. She did not get enough to find her way to the podium, with Lee, Biles, and Andrade left to compete. 

The 21-year-old American improved her routine from the team finals, earning 13.666. It moved her into first, followed by Andrade’s performance, seeing her step out of bounds. It did not affect her chances of a medal, putting her ahead of Lee for the silver medal. Biles was the last gymnast to go and needed a clean routine to win the gold. 13.867 was all the American needed, earning 15.066 to clinch it for the second time in history. 

Biles became the oldest woman since the 1952 Helsinki Games to win gold in gymnastics. Lee and Biles marked the third time that both Americans medaled in the event since 2008. Biles had six gold medals in her career, leaving her the most decorated gymnast in Olympic history. 

Team USA wins gold in women's team final

Team USA women's gymnastics team celebrates thier gold medal performance at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. 

Team USA took home the gold medal in a thrilling performance unmatched at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics on Tuesday night in Paris. In front of many celebrities, family, and fans, the U.S. Women won the gymnastics team final at the Bercy Arena. For the third time since 1996, Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Jade Carey stood on top of all. Italy earned the silver medal, followed by Brazil, who won the bronze. 

After a wonderful performance in their subdivision qualification, the Americans were ready to best their silver medal from Tokyo and be on top for the first time since 2016. China and Japan were their closest competition in the Olympics but needed massive numbers to get close.

The United States women got underway on vault with  Chiles and Jade Carey nailing their attempts, sticking the landing each. Biles chose to perform a less difficult vault due to her tapped left calf. Her 14.900 bested her teammates, putting Team USA a point and a half ahead of China after the first rotation. 

The second rotation had the United States on uneven bars with Italy joining them. Chiles led the team off and brought their best early, scoring 14.366 before Biles went up. Italy’s Alice D’Amato, who won a spot in the apparatus final, scored 14.633. 

The 27-year-old American sped through her bars routine and slammed her feet to the mat. A 14.400 bested Chiles but not Sunisa Lee, who swept the floor with her feet and managed 14.566 based on her difficulty. At the halfway point, Team USA was three points ahead of Italy and four over China.

In the third rotation, the lineup for Team USA remained the same on the balance beam, but an unfortunate fall for Chiles occurred. At the start of her routine, the 23-year-old dropped off the beam for a one-point deduction, leaning too far to the left after jumping up. She finished the routine and earned 12.733, but had her teammates left to keep them on top. Lee had an excellent routine that earned the team 14.600, with Biles to close them out. She earned  14.366, giving them a 3.6-point lead over Italy and nearly five against Great Britain. 

Last up for the United States women was the floor exercise and Lee went first. The 21-year-old put together a masterful routine, earning the team 13.533. Chiles had several difficult tumbling passes in her routine and brought 13.966 with Biles left for the night. Italy guaranteed their team a medal halfway through the final rotation ending a 96-year drought. Biles stepped out of bounds twice during her floor routine, but it wasn’t enough for them to get anything less than gold. 

A total of 171.296 was what the US produced, followed by Italy, who beat Brazil by less than a point. Both countries made history by winning medals in the team competition for either the first time or ever. 

Krejcikova wins in three sets at the Summer Olympics

Barbora Krejcikova serves up a shot during the round of 16 match against Elina Svitolina at the Summer Olympics. 

Elina Svitolina gave it her best but the heat and competition were too much to overcome at the Summer Olympics Tuesday. Barbora Krejcikovabrought her best back to the grounds of Roland Garros to defeat the Ukrainian 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-4 on Court Simone Mathieu. The doubles gold medalist brought out all the skills to make the last eight of the women’s singles tournament.

The two met back on the grounds of Roland Garros for the second time in three years. Their last meeting went the way of the Czech, who went on to win the championship. This year’s French Open didn’t go well for Krejcikova, going 0-4 during the clay court season. Her battle against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo was challenging, then caught a break against Xinyu Wang in the second round. 

The Ukrainian eased through the opening round and faced a tough Jessica Pegula, who didn’t have great records on clay but it was a late night victory for Svitolina. As the only defending medalist in the tournament, the 29-year-old wanted a win to come against Krejcikova by any means. 

Her efforts to play strong came through as she conducted a string of early victories against the Czech. After holding serve, she caught a break point chance at deuce to take the lone AD point and sit two games up. Svitolina consolidated, holding serve on Krejcikova, having the largest lead of the tournament to date. 

The Czech didn’t have her serve in check during the fourth game, suffering a double fault and errors. With the break chances in hand, Krejcikova erased them from memory, getting to deuce on a drop shot near the net. Krejcikova handled the AD point, scoring a crosscourt winner to notch a win in the set. 

A break on Svitolina lessened the gap for Krejcikova after the fifth game, earning a chance to overcome the entire deficit. Svitolina broke back in the sixth, only to suffer another breakback at the hands of Krejcikova in the seventh. The Czech scored the shutout on serve, leveling the score at the business end of the set. 

Svitolina worked hard in the ninth, needing two breaks to hold serve and play for the set. Krejcikova killed off that scenario, holding the Ukrainian to a point in the tenth. Svitolina responded serving Krejcikova to love, but breaking her was not in the cards. The 28-year-old held Svitolina to a point to force the set to a tiebreak. The two traded errors to one another, keeping the score close through five points. 

The two traded errors and winners to remain locked through ten points until an ace gave Krejcikova set point. A long ball from Svitolina handed the Czech the much-awaited victory after an hour of play. Both combined for 36 errors, with Krejcikova having the most. It came down to Svitolina’s four double faults that beat up her second serve, and unable to keep up with the Czech’s offensive pace.

Krejcikova got into the second, holding serve on the Ukrainian, who needed more from her service to get the job done. The Czech took her through two breaks before she could secure the one-all score. The 29-year-old managed to counter in the third, forcing deuce and winning it on the first break. Krejcikova tried to break back in the fourth, forcing deuce to gain a break-point chance. It was the only one she reached, while the Ukrainian took three attempts to clinch her service. The Czech kept her serve short in the fifth, followed by Svitolina, who had a two-game margin in her favor. 

The 29-year-old widened the gap, scoring a break in the seventh game to serve for a second straight deciding set. She got it done, serving to love, forcing them to the distance after 48 minutes. Svitolina limited the number of errors to six while Krejcikova had 22 in the set. It explained her struggle to return balls across the net and into another full-length match. 

Svitolina took the third to a new level, breaking Krejcikova and consolidating the effort on serve in the second. The 29-year-old blew her chance to double-break the Czech, allowing her opponent to save her service game, avoiding a three-game slide. Krejcikova rallied in the fourth, nearly breaking Svitolina to love. The Ukrainian battled back to force deuce but after two breaks, the win went to the 28-year-old. 

Krejcikova backed up the break in the fifth, holding off another threat from the Ukrainian. Svitolina scored her third shutout, only to watch her opponent do the same for a 4-3 lead. Krejcikova called the trainer to deal with a blister on her toe before proceeding with the eighth game. It was there that she watched breakpoints slip away and somehow score the break on deuce. 

The 28-year-old served for the match, falling behind on back-to-back errors. It left Svitolina with the break chance, taking it on a crosscourt winner. Krejcikova still had room to close out the match and earned three match points on costly errors from Svitolina. A wide return from the 29-year-old brought her tournament to an end and a place for Krejcikova in the quarterfinals after 2 hours and 48 minutes. 

Svitolina beats Pegula in three sets at Paris Olympics

Elina Svitolina celebrates a game-winner during the second-round match against Jessica Pegula at the Summer Olympics. 

Elina Svitolina played into the late into the Parisian night to move forward in the Summer Olympics Monday night. Jessica Pegula proved a formidable opponent early but overcame her in three sets winning 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 on Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros. 

The defending bronze medalist won her opening match against Moyuka Uchijima in straight sets, allowing the Japanese player three games. The challenge increased exponentially as she faced the world number six for the sixth time in their career. The American carried a 4-1 series lead, but none of their matches came on clay. Pegula didn’t play any tournaments on the surface due to an injury. Her win over Vikorija Golubic in straight sets allowed her to concentrate on playing up to speed on clay, and defeat the Ukrainian once more. 

Svitolina opened the scoring and went after the American in the second, only to come up short on deuce. Pegula upped the ante in the third, jumping to a breakpoint opportunity that gave her the lead. Svitolina broke back due to a couple of errors from Pegula’s forehand and controlled her serve in the fifth to consolidate. Pegula leveled the score after the sixth, scoring her first serve to love on the Ukrainian. 

Svitolina clinched another service hold, avoiding a lengthy deuce with the American, firing a brilliant backhanded crosscourt winner. The 30-year-old answered with another serve to love, maintaining an even keel on the scoreboard. She battled late in the ninth game, getting into a tight rally near the net, which ended with Svitolina losing on a ball into the net. Pegula played for the set, earning key points on long balls from the 29-year-old to end the first in 41 minutes. 

Two double faults were a big problem for Svitolina, whose second serve struggled offensively. Despite nine winners, her 15 unforced and previous factors dropped her momentum in the late stages of the set. 

She moved on into the second, holding serve on Pegula to get the set rolling. Pegula allowed her opponent a point before capping the second game. Svitolina shot beautifully in the third, smashing shots away from the American to lead on. In the fourth, the two got into a pop fly rally on the final point, when Svitolina stopped play due to a ball falling long of the baseline. The umpire determined she was correct and went on to go a break up at 3-1. 

Errors forced a breakback chance for Pegula, who was denied on a second ace from the 29-year-old. She kept the winners coming, clinching the AD point to consolidate the break. The American tried to turn things around but struggled to counter Svitolina on deuce. After two breaks, the Ukrainian had the double break in hand to serve for a chance at a decider. 

A drop in her game forced Svitolina to get aggressive and bring the game near the net. She forced deuce on errors from Pegula and took the set on a ball into the net ending 34 minutes of play. Svitolina limited the double faults in half, improving the second serve to 90 percent won from it. Pegula’s reception of points dropped with only 12 of 38 and 14 errors from her end. 

Svitolina took her momentum into the third and rallied with great depth in the rallies with the American, scoring the early break. She tied a service hold, preventing the world number six from forcing deuce. Pegula got on the board, serving Svitolina to love, but the 29-year-old was laser-focused. She went up 3-1, but let up and erred just enough to get Pegula within a game. As the players approached the business end of the match, holds of serve were key to attain. Svitolina had a two-game buffer in the sixth until a hold from Pegula kept the American within reach. 

The Ukrainian fed off the support in the crowd to take her two-game lead back and play for the match against the 30-year-old. Long balls from Pegula put her behind on serve, inching Svitolina closer to the end. A big return forehand set up Svitolina for match point, which came on a wide return from Pegula closing out the night in 1 hour and 49 minutes. 

US Men finish first, women move to repechage

 

The United States men's eights rowing team in their opening heat at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. 

The United States men’s avoided the repechage, making the finals at the Paris Olympics on Monday. The men set the pace and stayed out front, while the women trailed in theirs and suffered dropped into the repechage at the Vaires-sur Marne Nautical Stadium. Team Great Britain on both sides of the class, made their way to the finals, winning each of their heats. 

The United States men took off in their heat, setting a hot pace that saw the Netherlands on their tail. By the halfway mark, the US opened up to a two-seat lead and continued their pace. At the finish line, they had a five-seat lead to the line coming in with a time of 5:29.94. Joining them in the final was Great Britain, who defeated Italy and Australia. Their time of 5:37.04 was well below the mark the Americans set, but enough to get them into the final on Saturday. 

“It was an exciting one,” said Pieter Quinton of the American boat. “We knew it was going to be a tight race. We were definitely expecting the Dutch to come at us hard, so we knew we had to be ready from the start.”

The women didn’t fare well in their heat against the defending Olympic champs from Romania, who they remained behind in their heat with Italy in tow. The Romanians had a phenomenal pace that the American women couldn’t match on the day. At the 500-meter mark, Romanian had six seats on the United States. 

At the halfway mark, they had more than a boat length on the Americans, flying away with the win. Romania’s time of 6:12.31 was the mark to get into the final. The British women posted a finish of 6:16.20, beating the defending Olympic champions from Canada by more than a boat length. 

The United States joined Italy, Canada, and Demark to fight for a spot in Saturday’s final 

 

Svitolina gives Ukraine a first round win in Olympic Tennis

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine clenches her fist during round one of the Olympic Tennis Singles tournament at Roland Garros. 

Elina Svitolina put on a display for not only herself but also her country at the Olympic Games on Sunday. The Ukrainian smashed Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in straight sets 6-2, 6-1 on Court 14 to advance on the grounds of Roland Garros. Svitolina got into a groove in her first-round match, producing a ten-game winning streak before tasting victory.

The Japanese star earned the honor of having a challenging opening round against the only defending medalist of the sport from Tokyo. The Ukrainian stood as heavily favored to repeat, especially after her fourth-round finish in the French Open last month. Svitolina has many years of experience on clay courts in Paris and would be able to take her place back on the world stage.

Uchijima jumped on Svitolina’s service, but the Ukrainian battled back to force deuce, pressing the Japanese player to err for the win. The 22-year-old held her service in the second and achieved the break off Svitolina’s forehand returns smacking into the net. Svitolina fought through the points in their fourth game, until a break chance on deuce handed her the break back.

She notched a superb service in the fifth before scoring the double break off Uchijima in the sixth game. Svitolina’s experience kicked in, taking momentum away from her opponent and producing a strong output in her game. The Ukrainian marched on with her fourth win in a row, leaving Uchijima to figure out how to strike back. Svitolina didn’t give her time, rushing to two set points, earning the set win on a backhand from Uchijima into the net.

It was a 32-minute run for the players, with Uchijima faring well on first-serve shots, but committing two double faults. Svitolina’s second serve was the difference maker, scoring 7 of 11 points. She won four of six from the net and only made seven errors, compared to Uchijima’s ten.

They went into the second, with Svitolina getting back to work on serve. She notched her sixth game win in a row, forcing errors from Uchijima. By the third game, her streak reached eight, leaving the 22-year-old very little chance of responding. For the second time in the match, Svitolina had the double break, leading 4-0 against Uchijima, who saw defeat on the horizon.

The Ukrainian had ten games won before playing for the match against the 22-year-old, who tried to avoid the bagel. She surprised many, with a serve to love in the sixth, ending Svitolina’s streak. She brushed off the loss and coasted through her service for the match, ending it on a smash near the net for the straight sets victory that took one hour and two minutes. 

Paris dazzles in unique opening ceremony to open Paris 2024

Paris impressed the world with an amazing and unique opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. During a boat parade of athletes, Lady Gaga, Aya Nakamura, and others welcomed the world to the Parisian capital, with musical performances in rainy conditions. 

The event began with a man carrying the torch into an empty Stade de France. Taking the torch away from him was Zinedine Zidane, former captain of the French Soccer team, who ran through the city and onto the metro to get to the Trocadero. As the torch made its way into the Seine, the athletes on ships began to sail west on the river starting with Greece and NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo carrying the flag.

In the middle of the river parade, the ceremony moved to the steppes near the Seine where Lady Gaga performed a French revue. The parade continued as they flipped to cover the path of the Olympic torch, with children carrying it. A mysterious man took charge of the torch and parkoured on the roofs of Paris as the parade went forward. The French revue took the form of the famous can-can dancers before the mystery person flew across the Seine by zip line.

They landed on the roof of Notre Dame, where they honored the builders who helped revive the Cathedral after the devastating fire five years ago. The Olympic flame was walked into the craft workhouse of Louis Vuitton as they carried out giant luggage trunks on bell carts. One was brought down to the spot where USA’s Michael Phelps and French biathlete Martin Fourcade standing by the river. Music took on a stronger position at the ceremony, with Les Misérables taking place in a theater and then heavy metal rock. 

Love and literature took their place in a short montage as operatic songs were sung. The music went to the Bridge de Concorde, with the French Republican Guard Band and Aya Nakamura singing one of her songs, blending the old and new. A short video depicted some of the Louvre’s famous paintings coming to life to see the boat parade of athletes. 

As it reached the Grand Palais, a woman holding the French Drapeau sang Le Marseillais on the roof. While the song continued, large statues of famous French women, who have contributed their skills to benefit the country were shown to the world and will be placed in different parts of Paris. 

The athletes approached the end of their trip to the Eiffel Tower, where a man, who could break dance, sang a beautiful aria in front of the world. Fashion made its mark on a bridge with a consistent runway show. The delegations of Australia, the United States, and France made their way down the Seine as the lights on the Eiffel Tower began to flash. 

Imagine, the John Lennon classic was sung by Juliette Armanet on a makeshift barge with a piano on fire. A metal horse rode down the river, images and video of previous Olympics were shown, while the 205 flags of the world were placed inside the Trocadero. An individual carried the Olympic flag and lifted it into the sky as the Olympic anthem played. 

President Emmanuel Macron opened the games of the 33rd Olympics of the modern era before the final relay of the Olympic Torch arrived at the Trocadero. Zidane had the torch back and handed it to the King of Clay of Roland Garros, Rafael Nadal. After a light show on the Eiffel Tower, Nadal was on a boat with Serena Williams, Carl Lewis, and Nadia Comaneci. Each held the torch as they journeyed down the Seine.  

Waiting at a quay for them was two-time grand slam champion Amelie Mauresmo, who ran the torch up and into the gates of The Louvre where NBA champ Tony Parker waited. He and Amelie met, with 22 other French Olympic athletes, who together met and exchanged the torch to one another. Teddy Riner and Marie-Jose Perec were chosen to light it together. They in turn walked to a hot air balloon-style cauldron, which once lit, rose above The Louvre. A final song at the Eiffel Tower performed by Celine Dion ended the four-hour opening ceremony and opened the action to 15 days of sporting competition.  

Krejcikova surpasses Ostapenko in straight sets at Wimbledon

Barbora Krejcikova celebrates her quarterfinal victory against Jelena Ostapenko to advance at the Championships Wimbledon. 

Jelena Ostapenko’s serve slipped up to give her opponent a maiden semifinal at the Championships Wimbledon on Wednesday. Barbora Krejcikova took advantage of many windows the Latvian opened to win in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(4) on No. 1 court at the All England Tennis Club. 

The Latvian came into her sixth grand slam quarterfinal in a dominant performance at the AETC. Her four wins came with less than five games lost in each and 15 in total overall. It was the fewest committed since Victoria Azarenka’s 14 in 2012. She smashed Yulia Putintseva in straight sets, scoring 29 winners to make her third appearance at this level. While she hadn’t won in nine of her last ten matches at this point, her 29-9 record on grass gave her a chance to remain firm. 

The Czech finally notched her way into Wimbledon’s last eight, falling short three years straight. She served 80 percent against an injured Danielle Collins to clinch her spot. The series leaned heavily in Ostapenko’s favor having five of their seven meetings. The eighth was an important one to make a change or maintain dominance for the Latvian on grass. 

The 27-year-old opened the match, blanking Krejcikova in a blink of an eye. The 31st seed battled the aggressive returns of the Latvian to hold serve in the second. Adding effort to her game, the 28-year-old clinched an early break in the third, holding comfortably to consolidate the fourth. The two played a string of service holds, but the break up for Krejcikova left her two games ahead after eight. 

She gave away a chance to threaten a break opportunity, hitting balls long of the baseline to bring the Latvian within reach. The Czech denied her in the tenth, playing tough for the double break and closing the set in 32 minutes. Krejcikova bested the Latvian on the first serve, producing 78 percent and winning 20 of 21 points from it. 

Ostapenko wanted to set a different pace to begin the second, fighting through two breaks of deuce before holding. The Czech upped the ante, shutting out Ostapenko, but the Latvian had other plans going forward. She took a 3-1 lead, scoring a break against Krejcikova to consolidate a service hold. Krejcikova cut the margin in half in the sixth, then converted a break in the seventh, sitting a game down. 

Krejcikova tied it up on serve to complete a three-game rally back, while Ostapenko struggled to get into the competition. She faced break points for Krejcikova in the ninth, leading the Czech to take the lead and go for the match on serve. It was a tense moment for the Latvian, who somehow got out front briefly before they went to deuce. 

Ostapenko didn’t waste time and took the lone AD point to send them deeper into the second set. Ostapenko notched another win over the Czech in the 11th and tried to put the pressure on the 31st seed. It didn’t work, as the Czech got into position, leveled the score in the twelfth, and put on a display in the tiebreak. Krejcikova got away from a two-all scoring and jumped 5-2 before the Latvian scored her next point. 

The 31st seed reached match point at 6-3, gave one away but held her next attempt to clinch her spot in the last four after 1 hour and 42 minutes. 

Rybakina ends Svitolina in straight sets at Wimbledon

Elena Rybakina gives a wave to the crowd after winning her quarterfinal match at the Championships Wimbledon. 

Elina Svitolina didn’t have the weapons to pull off an upset at the Championships Wimbledon on Wednesday. Elena Rybakina stayed cooled and composed to win in straight sets over the Ukrainian 6-3, 6-2 on Centre Court at the All England Tennis Club. 

The Ukrainian went from having early challenges at the start of the draw to pulling off a surprising win against Xinyu Wang on Monday. It was the second straight sets win for her after dispatching 2023 Wimbledon Finalist Ons Jabeur in the second round. The former world number three was again in place to make another semifinal, but her fight against Rybakina wouldn’t come easy as they split their last four meetings. 

The Kazak won their only meeting on grass and her success of winning Wimbledon gave her some weight of potentially winning. Gaining a break in the fourth round left her enough energy to put on defense against the Ukrainian and place herself closer to adding a second dish to her inventory. 

Svitolina broke the fourth seed in the opening game before the former Wimbledon champ managed to break back. She converted in the third, holding serve against the Ukrainian. Svitolina evened the score, returning to service, but Rybakina got back out front, keeping the fifth game. The Ukrainian stayed in touch with the fourth seed, but the Kazak remained ahead on the scoreboard. 

Rybakina inched closer to the set, breaking Svitolina to love in the eighth to serve it out. She needed to set points to finish the job, but her strength on the forehand handed her the set in 32 minutes. The fourth seed dominated Svitolina on winners with 16 but had more than double the errors than the Ukrainian. It didn’t affect Rybakina’s offense, rolling into the second set comfortably. 

The 25-year-old broke Svitolina before tying in a serve hold in the second. Svitolina reacted fast to get on the board in the third. Rybakina took back control, giving herself a two-game buffer after four. Svitolina held the fifth game but the fourth seed marched forward to sit up 4-2. 

Svitolina felt the pressure on serve in the seventh but found a way to dig in and force deuce. Rybakina held the only AD point played and sealed up the break to serve for the match. She coasted to victory in the eighth, shutting out Svitolina with an ace to get back into the semifinals after 61 minutes on the court. 

Elina Svitolina drops Sara Errani in straight sets

Elina Svitolina serves up a shot to Sara Errani during thier second round match at the BNL Internazionali D'Italia.

Elina Svitolina sped quickly in the first but slowed down in the second set to win at the BNL Internazionali D’Italia on Friday night. A fast first-set win was slowed down by Sara Errani, who gave it her best but lost in straight sets 6-0, 6-3 on Pietrangeli Court at the Foro Italico. 

The two-time champ drew the tough Italian to take on in her home country. Having never beaten her before left the mom with much to battle for in her tenth appearance. Errani got plenty of action in the opening round, taking down Amanda Anisimova in three sets. The tennis vet wanted to rally big in front of her fans and send Svitolina packing for the third time, but Svitolina was more than hungry for back-to-back wins, having not had a pair since Dubai. 

The Ukrainian scored a break to love to open the match against Errani, who didn’t impress early on her serve. Svitolina saw a challenge on serve in the second from the Italian but managed to avoid any breaks from being produced. She captured the double break and coasted through the next three games, achieving the triple break of Errani. She played three set points before taking it on the final one, completing 29 minutes of tennis in the set. Though she outscored the 37-year-old 27-13, there was still plenty of tennis left to play. 

Errani made that clear in the first three games, putting the brakes on Svitolina, who struggled to counter in the first. She slipped up in the second, handing the break to Errani, who suffered a break back to love in the third. The fourth was their most competitive of the match, going to deuce, where they spanned four breaks. The Ukrainian took the victory and converted a break in the fifth. She took the next two games, scoring the double break, and tried serving things out in the eighth. 

Errani turned the tables and gave herself a chance to break Svitolina to love. The 16th seed denied her that opportunity, but she still had two breakpoints to save. Svitolina forced deuce but went to four breaks until she got a second match point on a wide return. She got it on a line drive that brought her day to a successful end after 1 hour and 18 minutes.  

Victoria Azarenka overcomes numerous double faults to win at the Italian Open

Victoria Azarenka playing in her first round match at the BNL Internazionali D'Italia.

Victoria Azarenka came from a disastrous second set to be victorious at the BNL Internazionali D’Italia on Friday. The former world number one committed nine double faults and needed six match points to beat Magda Linette 6-7(5), 6-4. 6-3 on Court 12 at the Foro Italico. It marked the third straight match the two players went the distance. 

The two veterans met for the sixth time and the first to come on clay. The 34-year-old didn’t have things go well in Madrid, suffering a straight sets loss to Sorribes-Tormo in the second round. Despite her early success on the green courts of Charleston, Azarenka’s 14th entry into the open makes her ready as always to compete. The Pole managed great control in her straight sets win against Zhu, opening the door to potentially leveling the series with the former world number one. 

Linette opened the scoring, holding Azarenka to a point on serve. The 24th seed was forced to deuce in her service game but denied her opponent a break chance. She turned things around, breaking Linette on serve in the third, but three more breaks of serve occurred thereafter. By the seventh, the 32-year-old notched her second service hold, taking the lead near the business end of the set. 

Azarenka managed to follow suit in the eighth and break Linette for the lead, setting herself up for a chance at the set. Double faults continued to be a problem for the 34-year-old, opening the door for Linette to counter. The Pole took advantage of the breakpoint chances and scored the key to level at five-all. Linette gained an important hold of serve in the 11th, waiting for the other shoe to drop and take the set. Azarenka tightened up her forehand serves and aggressively took the shots to her opponent. 

It was the best output of the match that took her into a first-set tiebreak with the 32-year-old. The two traded off six points to start the competition until Linette dug deep to take control. Her shots got the best of Azarenka, who struggled to rally back from tough moments and the crowd working against her. The 32-year-old bested the 24th seed, taking the set in one hour and nine minutes. The biggest difference maker was the shocking seven double faults that Azarenka racked up in the opening set. Despite having a better output of first-serve points won, the service of the 24th seed proved devastating. 

It didn’t get better for the 34-year-old, who notched her eighth but held the opening game of the second set. Linette pulled off a shutout in the second and watched Azarenka mark her ninth double fault of the match in the third. The Pole took advantage of the mistake and broke Azarenka for the early lead. 

The 24th seed broke back and stayed in touch with Linette to the eighth game. The problems with the serve smoothed out enough for her to take the lead in the ninth and force Linette further into the match. A push against the Polish veteran in the tenth gave Azarenka the momentum to break the 32-year-old and take the second set after 49 minutes on the court. Linette took a medical timeout to deal with a blister she got on the right hand during the sit-down. 

Once the MTO was complete, the players got into the deciding set with Azarenka leading the way from her serve to love. Linette struggled to get her serve locked down in the second, going a break with Azarenka before clinching it. The 34-year-old notched a second service game and watched her opponent completely fall apart in the fourth. It was there that Linette committed three double faults on serve. An error handed Azarenka the break, who took care of business in the fifth on serve. 

The 24th seed captured the double break on the Pole, who was out of sorts from the amazing performance she had earlier. With the Polish veteran all but out of the competition, Azarenka took her comfort and played out the points until she achieved match point on a ball landing long from Linette. An error from the 34-year-old brought the score to deuce where Linette saved three match points. Azarenka blew a fourth match point and after five breaks to deuce, Linette went on to take the game away for the break. 

The Polish star held serve in the eighth but Azarenka was through letting opportunities slip away. She jumped to a fifth match point on a bad error from Linette but suffered another setback. Azarenka was relieved when a shot from Linette barely landed wide of the baseline, giving her the win that did not come easy after 2 hours and 51 minutes. 

Ostapenko defeats Potapova in straight sets at Italian Open

Jelena Ostapenko plants herself in place for the return during her first round match at the BNL Internazionali D'Italia. 

Jelena Ostapenko dug in late to move forward at the BNL Internazionali D’Italia on Friday. The 26-year-old broke ahead in the sixth game of the second set, defeating Anastasia Potapova 6-4, 6-2 on Pietrangeli court at the Foro Italico. 

The two met last year on grass in an epic semifinal that went the distance and saw Ostapenko step closer to winning the title. The Latvian’s run on clay hasn’t been up to par with what she is capable of. Her losses at Stuttgart and Madrid were tough exits, but with Roland Garros looming, the 26-year-old needed Rome to be her best foot forward. Potapova was out in two rounds at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and in Madrid. She also wanted something good to come out of her second appearance in the Italian capital. 

The Latvian opened service and built a serve to love against Potapova until a line drive return changed the scoring. The 23-year-old rallied to force deuce only to give Ostapenko the point needed to hold serve. Potapova achieved the service to love in the second, showing her skill to fend off break points. Ostapenko improved her game in the third until Potapova committed the first double fault. The Latvian jumped on the breakpoint opportunity in the fourth to lead 3-1. 

The 26-year-old battled on serve to fight off Potapova’s push to break the ninth seed, widening the gap in scoring. By the eighth game, Ostapenko’s grip loosened, as the 23-year-old tied two games together, frustrating the Latvian. The ninth seed rallied back to hold in the ninth and pushed Potapova deep into her service game in the tenth until a set point clinched the match lead for the Latvian. 

It was a 49-minute bout between the two with Ostapenko committing one double fault, while her opponent notched three. They both played evenly on offense but the leverage went alongside the ninth seed, who produced strong results in the second set. 

Ostapenko rallied on serve and took advantage of Potapova’s double fault in the second game. The third didn’t go to the path for the ninth seed, who missed game point three times, missing by inches. It led the two to play five breaks, with Potapova taking her third break point chance to get on the board. The games stretched out longer in the second set, causing Ostapenko problems on serve, but the ninth seed broke back in the fourth. 

Potapova denied another service hold for Ostapenko, maintaining her reach on the ninth seed. A fifth break gave the ninth seed leverage to battle on and try to outduel her opponent. In the seventh, Ostapenko got the job done on serve, leading 5-2 after two breaks at deuce. In the eighth, Ostapenko needed three match points to close out Potapova in 1 hour and 37 minutes. 

Angelique Kerber upsets Jelena Ostapenko in three sets at BNP Paribas Open

Former World No. 1 Angelique Kerber clenches her fist during the second round of the BNP Paribas Open. 

Angelique Kerber held in through a tough battle to win again at the BNP Paribas Open Friday. Jelena Ostapenko gave it her all against the tennis veteran, who made her return something special in a three-set fight that went the way of the German 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 on Stadium 2 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

The two met for the first time in three years when they played twice and split wins in Rome and Cincinnati. The German holds the lead after three matches but faced an active Latvian, who has 16 wins under her belt this season. Ostapenko’s consistency slowed down last month, losing in Dubai in the third round. Her time at Indian Wells has been successful, looking forward to getting in position to surpass the second round. Kerber did well against Petra Martic, taking the victory by a comfortable stance on the court. If her timing works out, she could down the tenth seed and climb on in the California desert.

She battled in her attempt to take advantage of Ostapenko’s early double fault. They got to deuce where Kerber had a break point but saw it countered and clinched by the tenth seed. They went through three games of serve with Kerber in control of her serve, while Ostapenko battled the second serve. Aces came through for the tenth seed, but double faults were still an issue. The Latvian scored the break, but the German broke back to sit a game down after five.

The 36-year-old battled the aces and winners from Ostapenko, but her second serve remained a problem. Though it opened the door for Kerber, the 26-year-old fought through five breaks but couldn’t hold off the loss of serve. The German got things leveled after six and made it 4-3 on a break to love of the tenth seed. She made it 5-3 and served for the set, only to suffer a break in the tenth. The Latvian was back in charge, blasting the right balls to hold the 11th and regain a 6-5 lead.

In a perfect response, Ostapenko fired winning returns to smash Kerber on serve in the 12th, completing the comeback of trailing midway through the set that took 49 minutes. The tenth seed won 15 of the last 18 played in the set. The first serve was her major success, serving 65 percent of shots despite four double faults. The aces and winners were able to downplay her problems and reel herself in.

In the second set, it was Ostapenko early on taking a grip of the competition against Kerber. The 36-year-old tried to destabilize her opponent in the third, achieving the break late, bringing an end to the winning streak. After two games, Kerber got into the lead, scoring the double break on Ostapenko. The Latvian tried to deny her opponent a hold of serve but didn’t produce enough break points to counter.

Ostapenko held the seventh, but the double faults continued to rattle her. Kerber took it upon herself to make a change in scoring, serving the Latvian to love. In the ninth, after the tenth seed scored, the German took the next four straight points to bring into action a decider, taking 42 minutes to level the match. Ostapenko’s second serve remained a mess, serving 26 percent from it and a lower output of aces.

Kerber had her chance to dictate but struggled to hold back her opponent. The Latvian rallied the breakpoints to score the early lead, but her efforts didn’t roll forward. Ostapenko suffered a bad service in the second, gifting the win to the 36-year-old. The Latvian thought she was facing a second loss to Kerber, but her efforts paid off to lead 2-1. Kerber locked down the fourth straight break of service, then backed it up with a shutout of the tenth seed.

The Latvian leveled back and suffered a setback in the seventh, losing her chance to run off. The fight was still on in the eighth, as the two traded off points and remained so close. It was just one break of deuce until Kerber clinched the penultimate break and serve for the match. The points traded off to one another until the 36-year-old reached match point. It went sour on a winning return from Ostapenko, bringing them to deuce.

After three deuces, the German watched a return go into the net from Ostapenko, bringing up a fourth attempt. She forced an error from the tenth seed to take a massive upset in hand that took 2 hours and 13 minutes.