Reuters Sports News Summary
Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Tennis: Pliskova hopes hitting with Halep will pay off
Second seed Karolina Pliskova wants to ensure she is battle-ready when the French Open begins by choosing reigning champion Simona Halep as her pre-tournament practice partner. The powerful Czech is being tipped as a potential champion this year after winning in Rome last week -- her biggest claycourt title to date.
Motor racing: Renault say fundamental engine problem has been fixed
Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg can expect to be back on full power from Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix after Renault fixed a fundamental engine problem that has slowed them in recent races. Team principal Cyril Abiteboul told reporters the engine was now back at the level seen at the start of the season and Renault hoped to be able to match the top teams at least on power.
Motor racing: Leclerc ready to follow in the footsteps of Chiron
Charles Leclerc must have passed the harbourside bust of Louis Chiron countless times as a boy with barely a sideways glance, but Monaco's grand prix ace of yesteryear is a point of reference now. On Sunday the Ferrari driver could become the first Monegasque to stand on the podium at his home race since Chiron finished third in the inaugural 1950 world championship for Maserati.
Tennis: Federer admits he's stepping into the unknown in Paris
Having won 20 grand slam titles during a glittering career, one might think that Roger Federer has seen it all. Yet the 37-year-old Swiss admits he is stepping into the unknown as he returns to the French Open after a three-year hiatus.
Tennis: Kyrgios throwing chairs okay, as long he cares - Wilander
Some might say Nick Kyrgios's withdrawal from the French Open will free the tournament of unwanted distractions but former champion Mats Wilander is definitely not one of them. Australian Kyrgios's one-man circus act will be missing from Roland Garros for the second year running, sparing umpires, fans and even courtside chairs from the 24-year-old's outbursts.
Tennis: Nadal not bothered by change in surroundings at Roland Garros
Rafa Nadal will have to get used to new surroundings as his favorite hunting ground, the court Philippe Chatrier, has been revamped ahead of the May 26-June 9 French Open. The Spaniard, chasing a record-extending 12th French Open title, has already practiced on the new main court, which has been extended by 10 meters and features new seats before getting a retractable roof in 2020.
Tennis: Clay field wide open for new women's champion
Want to know who will win the women's French Open? Stick a pin in the draw. That cliche has seldom rang more true than at this year's Roland Garros, where no players stand out and few seem to be hitting form in the run up to the year's second major. The nine women's claycourt tournaments so far this season have had nine different champions, and with nobody able to dominate, who will win the French is pure guesswork.
Tennis: Nadal and Djokovic head French Open cast as Federer returns
For the first time in four years the big three in men's tennis will all be present at the French Open, all striving to etch another remarkable storyline in the red Parisian dirt. That Spain's undisputed king of clay Rafael Nadal is hunting a record-extending and almost unbelievable 12th Roland Garros title is remarkable in itself.
Hobbled Giannis: Bucks will be back in Milwaukee for Game 7
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks went from a 2-0 series lead to a 3-2 deficit and face elimination Saturday in Toronto. The MVP candidate had a message for Milwaukee fans on Thursday night after the Raptors took a third consecutive game in the best-of-seven series. "We're not gonna fold," Antetokounmpo said. "We're the best team in the league. We're gonna go in, give it everything we got. We can't fold. We're gonna come back to Milwaukee being pissed."
Tennis: Garcia sets up Yastremska final in Strasbourg International
France's Caroline Garcia defeated compatriot Chloe Paquet 6-3 6-4 in the Strasbourg International semi-finals on Friday to set up a title clash with fifth seed Dayana Yastremska. Garcia, the 2016 champion, dominated the contest, firing 11 aces and 24 winners, and did not face a break point in the match as she advanced to her first career meeting with Yastremska.
