Published May 03, 2016
The latest from the final day of the French Open:
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4:30 p.m.
Midway through a tense second set in the French Open final, the players have been keeping their energy levels up.
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who won the first set 6-4, has been eating dates during changeovers, while Wawrinka prefers to nibble at bananas.
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3:56 p.m.
Novak Djokovic has won the first set of the French Open final 6-4 against Stanislas Wawrinka.
It looked set to be a long match on center court in warm conditions. The marathon ninth point lasted 40 strokes, ending when Djokovic pushed a backhand long.
But the top-ranked Serb stepped things up, breaking Wawrinka in the seventh game and holding for 5-3.
After saving break point with an ace, Djokovic clinched the first set when Wawrinka hit a forehand long.
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3:31 p.m.
The odds are stacked against Stan Wawrinka in his French Open final against top-ranked Novak Djokovic, but former Switzerland Davis Cup captain Marc Rosset is betting on him to create an upset.
"Let's be crazy," Rosset told The Associated Press in the corridors of Roland Garros. "Stan in straight sets."
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3:18 p.m.
The French Open final between Novak Djokovic and Stanislas Wawrinka is under way in sunny conditions at Roland Garros.
Both players are looking to win the tournament for the first time, with Djokovic chasing a ninth Grand Slam title and Wawrinka going for a second title after his victory at the Australian Open last year.
The top-ranked Djokovic has not lost on clay this season.
The French crowd seemed to have picked their winner: breaking out into chants of "Novak, Novak" as he stepped onto center court.
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2:45 p.m.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands was quick to praise the efforts of her doubles partner Lucie Safarova after their French Open win.
Safarova missed out on a Grand Slam double after losing the singles final to Serena Williams late on Saturday afternoon, but was straight back on court at noon for the doubles final.
"You've played almost every single day," Mattek-Sands told Safarova. "You've done an amazing job."
Mattek-Sands then marvelled at the trophy. Reading the list of winners out loud, she said "Gigi Fernandez won this like, 75 times in a row. Navratilova, too."
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2:20 p.m.
The day after losing the women's final to Serena Williams in a thrilling three-set match, Lucie Safarova finally has a Grand Slam title at the French Open after winning the women's doubles.
Teaming up with American player Bethanie Mattek-Sands, the Czech player served out the match on center court in a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win against against Casey Dellacqua and Yaroslava Shvedova
Safarova and Mattek-Sands fell into each other's arms and jumped up and down to celebrate their second Grand Slam winning after winning the Australian Open.
A delighted Mattek-Sands kissed Safarova several times on the cheek before they congratulated their opponents warmly at the net.
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1:39 p.m.
Lucie Safarova is still on course to win a Grand Slam title at the French Open.
Teaming up with American player Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the women's doubles final, the Czech has just served out the second set to level at 1-set all on Court Philippe Chatrier against Casey Dellacqua and Yaroslava Shvedova.
Safarova was beaten by Serena Williams in the women's final on Saturday.
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12:55 p.m.
French Open director Gilbert Ysern has criticized the whistles and jeers directed at Stanislas Wawrinka after he ended local favorite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's run in the semifinals.
The Swiss, who plays top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the championship match later Sunday, was also booed in the fourth round against Gilles Simon, another Frenchman.
Ysern said the fans' behavior was disrespectful.
"Unfortunately this is not something we can control because we are not sitting next to the spectators," he said. "But we don't want this type of behavior, this is really embarrassing."
Speaking at his tournament-ending news conference, Ysern confirmed that the renovation work of Roland Garros would start in the coming weeks and should be achieved by 2019.
"We don't want the biggest tournament in the world, but the most beautiful," he said.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/the-latest-djokovic-eats-dates-wawrinka-prefers-bananas-as-they-keep-energy-up-in-final