From tennis to basketball, through cycling and Formula 1, sports news has been very rich this weekend of 10 and 11 September. The French basketball team’s Blues snatched qualification to the Eurobasket quarter-finals after a tense extension against Turkey, while Remco Evenepoel became the first Belgian to win on a grand tour for forty-four years. In New York, the US Open crowned Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz, the new world number 1. Franceinfo: sport takes stock of what not to miss this weekend.
The Miracle Blues at Eurobasket
France has come a long way. Pushed by Turkey during the round of 16, Saturday afternoon, the Blues managed to snatch the draw and then overturn the match (86-87). Carried away by the ubiquitous late-game Rudy Gobert and the decisive Terry Tarpey, they managed to secure the ticket to the quarter-finals, five years after the frustrating elimination against Germany in the eighth at the last European tournament.
Memories of a memorable evening #TeamFranceBasket | #PassionatelyBlue | #Euro Basket pic.twitter.com/wcWPy6fYTa
– French basketball teams (@FRABasketball) September 11, 2022
“Probably the craziest scenario I’ve ever known”confessed Vincent Collet after the meeting. In heart and mind, his men continue to make their way through the competition. On Wednesday night they will challenge Italy for a place in the semifinals.
Remco Evenepoel joins the Vuelta
It is a success that Belgium has been waiting for for forty-four years on the big tour. Three weeks after leaving Holland, Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) brought the red jersey back to Madrid to win the 77th edition of the Vuelta. Having become leader of the general classification at the end of the 6th stage at the head of Pico Jano, the 22-year-old Belgian did not give up his precious jersey.
Under pressure from Primoz Roglic at the dawn of the third week, before the Slovenian rider’s crash and abandonment, Evenepoel did not give up and offered himself the biggest victory of his career. He becomes the first Belgian to win a great lap since Johan De Muynck, on the roads of the Giro, in 1978.
US Open: the crazy year of Swiatek, the coronation of Alcaraz
A victory for history. Sacra in the US Open final after a four-set fight against Casper Ruud (6-4, 2-6, 7-6 [1]6-3), Carlos Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title in New York. A success that pushes him on Monday morning in place of the number 1 in the world for the first time in his career. At 19 years, 4 months and 8 days, he overthrew Lleyton Hewitt and became the youngest player to take the lead in the ATP rankings.
I am speechless right now! I just want to keep dreaming!
Getty Images pic.twitter.com/IyQXjvgamY
– Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) September 12, 2022
In the women’s draw, Iga Swiatek proved irresistible to dominate Ons Jabeur, in the night between Saturday and Sunday (6-2, 7-6[5]). First in power, then in mind to contain the Tunisian’s assaults, Swiatek pocketed his first US Open, his third Grand Slam title. The Pole takes care of her impressive stats: ten wins in ten finals played by Roland-Garros in 2020, seven titles this year and a streak of 37 straight wins in the spring.
La Rochelle continues, the last finalists rebel in the Top 14
The second day of the Top 14 smiled at the big names. The Rochelais confirmed their good start to the season by taking their first away win, on the lawn of LOU (23-21). With two wins and eight points on the clock, they take the lead in the championship.
Beaten on opening day, reigning champion Montpellier and runner-up Castres opened the home counter-attack. Carried away from the game at the feet of Louis Carbonel, MHR dominated with feverish Bordeaux (29-19), while Castres didn’t tremble against Stade Français (30-20).
In the other matches of the day, Aviron Bayonnais took a prestigious victory against Racing 92 (31-25) for his first match at Jean-Dauger. Clermont took the best of the Pau Section (33-24), Brive won in Perpignan (17-6) and Toulouse, solid leader, walked against Toulon (28-8).
Formula 1: Verstappen wins at Monza on Ferrari ground
In pole position, Charles Leclerc hoped to be able to remove the Indian sign and put an end to the hegemony of Max Verstappen since his return from the summer break. Failed again. Verstappen won for the fifth consecutive race, the first time in Italy, on Ferrari ground, when he started in seventh position. The Red Bull driver preceded his rival Leclerc, who was very annoyed to see the end of the race behind the safety car when he hoped to have the last laps to chase his vis-à-vis. George Russell (Mercedes) completes the podium.
Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri) took eighth place, just ahead of rookie Nyck de Vries, called up at the wheel of his modest Williams at the last minute and ninth for his first Grand Prix.
It should also be noted that the Monza racetrack crowned the young French driver Victor Martins, crowned F3 world champion.
Ligue 1: PSG and OM kick off
Are we heading towards a PSG-OM duel for the title? After seven days of the championship, this scenario is taking shape. On Saturday PSG tamed Brest for the first time without shining at the Parc des Princes (1-0). In the evening, OM responded by overthrowing Lille at the Vélodrome (2-1). With nineteen points on the clock (the best start to the season in Marseille history), the two rivals are neck and neck in the L1.
In their rearview mirror, however, they see a Racing Club de Lens continuing to progress. Winners of the Trojans on Friday (1-0), the Artésien put themselves at ease on the podium, right in front of the surprising Lorient, who fell from Nantes (3-2). Les Merlus thus leads OL, beaten in Monaco at the end of this 7th day (2-1). Also noteworthy is the celebration of Rennes against Auxerre (5-0), and yet another defeat of Ajaccio against Nice (0-1).
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