Nadal crashes out of French Open to Soderling

Four-time defending champion Rafael Nadal slid to an astonishing 6-2 6-7 6-4 7-6 defeat to Sweden’s Robin Soderling at the French Open on Sunday. Soderling, the 23rd seed, was a rank outsider against the world number one who had never lost a match on the clay at Roland Garros and was a short-priced favorite to win a record fifth straight title

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French Open disaster for Djokovic

Novak Djokovic’s hopes of matching Rafael Nadal on clay were dashed by unheralded German Philipp Kohlschreiber at the French Open on Saturday. The fourth-ranked Serbian became the highest-profile casualty of the men’s draw so far as he crashed out in straight sets in the third-round match on Court One at Roland Garros

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Venus crashes out in Paris to Szavay

Seven-time grand slam champion Venus Williams crashed out of the French Open on Friday as she was thrashed 6-0 6-4 by Agnes Szavay of Hungary. It was the third straight year that Williams has gone out at the same stage on the clay of Roland Garros, but defeat to 29th seed was still unexpected. Third seed Williams had charted a perilous course to the last 32, saving a match point on Thursday against Lucie Safarova, but her luck ran out against Szavay

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Queen Elizabeth Snubbed: Britain Declares War on France

France and England have fought each other in the 100 Years’ War, the Seven Years’ War, the Napoleonic Wars and scads of less memorably named conflicts. And more recently, the French and English have treated the blood-and-tears clashes between their national rugby and soccer teams as fetishes for those battles of yore.

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Nadal stays on course for fifth French title

Rafael Nadal breezed into the last 32 of the French Open with a straight sets 6-1 6-4 6-2 win over Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia on Wednesday. It was a routine victory for the top-seeded Spaniard who was securing his 30th straight win at Roland Garros and is bidding for a record fifth straight French Open crown.

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Sharapova storms into third round in Paris

Maria Sharapova stepped up her comeback after injury to claim the scalp of 11th seed Nadia Pedrova to reach the third round of the French Open in Paris on Wednesday. The former world number one had come into the second grand slam of the season with only two matches in a minor tournament in Poland under her belt, but surprised fellow Russian with a 6-2 1-6 8-6 victory.

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Scientology on trial for fraud in France

The Church of Scientology went on trial this week in France, accused of fraud in a case that sheds light on the group. If found guilty, the church could be forced to shut down in France, though appeals could see the case continue for years. “This is a process in heresy,” Daniele Gounord, the spokeswoman for Scientology in France, told reporters.

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