Keselowski starts big weekend with win for Penske
Schedule: the 15-day tournament begins Sunday. the women’s singles final is June 9; the men’s singles final is June 10.
On Court Sunday: No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Andrey Kuznetsov; No. 9 Juan Martin del Potro vs. Albert Montanes; No. 14 Fernando Verdasco vs. Steve Darcis; No. 26 Andy Roddick vs. Nicolas Mahut; No. 6 Sam Stosur vs. Elena Baltacha; No. 13 Ana Ivanovic vs. Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino; No. 26 Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Mirjana Lucic; Venus Williams vs. Paula Ormaechea.
Sunday’s Forecast: Sunny, high of 79 degrees.
2011 Men’s Singles Champion: Rafael Nadal of Spain.
2011 Women’s Singles Champion: Li Na of China.
Last Year: Nadal beat Roger Federer of Switzerland 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1 for his sixth French Open championship and 10th Grand Slam title overall. Federer had defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, ending the Serb’s unbeaten start to the season. It remains Djokovic’s only loss in the last five Grand Slam tournaments. Li became the first Chinese player to win a Grand Slam singles title by defeating defending champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-4, 7-6 (0).
Key Statistic I: 45-1 — Nadal’s career record at the French Open. he will be trying to become the first man to win the tournament seven times; he shares the record with Bjorn Borg.
Key Statistic II: 43 — the number of years since a man won four consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, a feat Djokovic will be attempting to complete at Roland Garros. In 1969, Rod Laver won a calendar-year Grand Slam, one of only three in history (Laver also did it in 1962, and Don Budge did it in 1938).
Prize Money: Total is $23.5 million, with $1.6 million each to the men’s and women’s singles champions.
Online: http://www.rolandgarros.com/index.htmlBUBGKHMK.0040527nc_Sharapova.jpg0005/26/1214:13:23atsatsBRDNC20120527SPORTSB2READY20120526191846NONONOIMAGES_NEWSCHIEF-0527nc_Sharapova.jpgRussia’s Maria Sharapova returns the ball to China’s Na Li at the Italian Open tennis finals, in Rome, Sunday, May 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)BUBKC8VS.0070527NC_Tennis$C11005/26/1219:38:19kempbBRDNC20120527B2CREATED20120526193821Associated Press photosRussia’s Maria Sharapova returns the ball to China’s Na Li at the Italian Open tennis finals, in Rome, Sunday,BUBINAHA.0040527nc_Tennis2.jpg0005/26/1219:28:28atsatsBRDNC20120527SPORTSB2READY20120526192906NONONOIMAGES_NEWSCHIEF-0527nc_Tennis2.jpgSerbia’s Novak Djokovic scatches his face during an exhibition match against USA’s Ryan Harrison and part of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday, May, 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Bertrand Combaldieu)BUBKC99B.0070527NC_Tennis$C21005/26/1219:38:22kempbBRDNC20120527B2CREATED20120526193824Novak Djokovic scatches his face during an exhibition match against Ryan Harrison, part of the French Open tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Saturday.BUBKC86M.0070527NC_Tennis$1H1005/26/1219:38:12kempbBRDNC20120527B2CREATED20120526193815TENNIS: FRENCH OPEN 2012BUBKC8J9.0070527NC_Tennis$2H1005/26/1219:38:16kempbBRDNC20120527B2CREATED20120526193818Tournament at a glanceBy PETE IACOBELLIThe Associated PressCONCORD, N.C. — Brad Keselowski won the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, leading the final 67 laps to give Penske Racing a winning start on auto racing’s biggest weekend.
Keselowski raced to his first Nationwide victory of the year. He’ll try to double up in Sprint Cup’s longest race of the season, the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night. In between comes the Indy 500, a race that owner Roger Penske’s cars have won 15 times. Penske driver Ryan Briscoe will start from the pole there Sunday.
Penske Racing has “three shots at winning races this weekend,” Keselowski said. “We’re one for one.”
Don’t bet against more Penske wins this weekend. the team’s other drivers in Indianapolis, Will Power and Helio Castroneves, start fifth and sixth. Power has won three times already this year, and Castroneves is a three-time Indy winner.
“I’m happy for” Penske, Keselowski said. “One way or another, the checkered flag at Penske Racing is going to fly this week.
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