Francesca Schiavone said that she has improved with age after the defending champion ended French hopes of Roland Garros glory with a semi-final win over Marion Bartoli yesterday.
The 30-year-old Milanese gave a typically battling display to reach the French Open final with a 6-3 6-3 victory over the local hope with her usual array of drop shots and slices combined with a steely determination to block out the noisy crowd.
Schiavone meets Li Na of China, at 29 another late bloomer, in tomorrow's final.
"It means that years can help a lot - the experience. Some years ago the champions were always young players. Now it is changing," Schiavone told reporters as she looked forward to only her second grand slam final.
"It's like wine. The more it stays in the bottle, it's much better."
Schiavone was a shock winner on the Paris clay last year but the fifth seed has had the look of a contender from the start this time as bigger names were knocked out early.
A break for 5-3 in the first set came at the right time for the Italian after cagey exchanges that were peppered with a neat drop shot or volley in the wind.
The second set was topsy-turvy, with Bartoli, the French 11th seed and 2007 Wimbledon runner-up, going 2-0 up, but Schiavone fought back and eventually won when Bartoli netted.
"I think I handled the pressure well, but I think Francesca played extremely well today in the conditions, [as] it was really windy. In the end she was a bit too tough," said Bartoli after her first French Open semi-final.
A small contingent of Schiavone fans kept up their support despite being vastly outnumbered by French supporters on Court Philippe Chatrier, and often the only chants that could be heard were Italian.
"The crowd today was fantastic with Marion - they supported her from the first point to the end. It's great to have 15,000 persons with you, but I have to say thanks to my 50 or 100 fans who came today," Schiavone said.
In a separate issue, Bartoli said she is prepared to snub a second successive Olympic Games in her long-running feud with her country's tennis federation.
Bartoli has been coached by her father, Walter, since she was a child and their independent status has ruled her out of Fed Cup contention, where coaches are all appointed by the federation.
To be eligible for the 2012 Olympics, a player must be available for Fed Cup selection.
"There is no animosity, no open conflict or war. I always have the same attitude. I said I had nothing against the Fed Cup," Bartoli said.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29 – Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30 - UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1 - UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2 – Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4 - Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6 – Final
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
