Dijon still advance as final tickets through are takenReviewLudwigsburg claimed top spot in Group H as both teams advancedThe Regular Season is now complete after six weeks of action MUNICH (Germany) – It was a thrilling ending to the Regular Season as the final spots were taken through to the Second Round MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg and Bilbao Basket secured the results they needed to win their groups while the six best runners-up were confirmed on a dramatic final day FC Porto needed to win to guarantee their spot in the next phase and they produced a strong fourth quarter to take that opportunity ESSM Le Portel secured their spot as one of the six best runners-up Simon comes up huge as MHP RIESEN advance as winners of Group H; Fribourg splurges on a three-point spree as they advance; Zoriks goes for 20 as Le Portel qualify alongside Porto MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg advanced as winners of Group H after they beat JDA Bourgogne Dijon 93-81 amassing 33 points and 10 rebounds to lead the German side PAOK advanced to the Second Round emphatically from Group I, sweeping aside NHSZ-Szolnoki Olajbanyasz 92-69 on the road The Greek side shot an impressive 51 percent from the field as Shavar Reynolds exploded for 32 points In Group C, Fribourg Olympic qualified for the next phase as one of the best runners-up. They drained 12 three-pointers en route to a 102-84 home win over Windrose Giants Antwerp Anthony Williams and Eric Nottage both hit 20 points to lead the Swiss side Anwil Wloclawek qualified from Group D, by outlasting Sporting CP 97-83 thanks to 16 points from Justin Turner and Maroussi BC did enough to seal their place with an 87-70 win over Spirou Basket FC Porto needed a big fourth quarter to secure a narrow 83-76 win over Hubo Limburg United and qualify for the Second Round as winners of Group I Toney Douglas posted 17 points and 8 rebounds to lead the Portuguese side who claimed a 28-15 final period to overcome the stubborn Belgian side Meanwhile, ESSM Le Portel put themselves in a strong position to advance to the Second Round - which was confirmed on Wednesday - as one of the best runners-up, as 20 points from Kristers Zoriks handed them a comfortable 74-60 win over Rilski Sportist. Stay up to date with all of the FIBA Europe Cup action! Tuesday’s sinking underlines how security around Calais has led to dinghies launching further along the coast – and taking bigger risks at sea The local fishing crews had been finishing their long night’s work catching lobster and crab off the northern French port of Boulogne-sur-Mer when the mayday alert came in Axel Baheu and Gaëtan Baillet immediately rushed to their two boats to assist in the rescue A small inflatable dinghy had ripped apart in the Channel with at least 60 people What the fishers saw would haunt them for ever One girl, who Baheu estimated had been between 15 and 20, had carefully placed her phone in a plastic pocket, firmly secured around her neck. The phone was ringing as her body was brought to shore. Of the approximately 65 people on board, only eight had lifejackets. One had been carrying a swimming float. who has never before had to pull a body from the water said the dinghy had been going down rapidly: “Only a little bit at the back was left was the deadliest such incident since 27 people died in November 2021 It exemplifies a dangerous new development in small boat crossings: the use of departure points increasingly further afield from Calais The location of the sinking underlines how smugglers are responding to high security in Calais by encouraging people to board boats further along the north coast – increasing the risks because the boats then have farther to travel to reach England Le Portel is a classic northern seaside town of 10,000 people adjoining Boulogne-sur-Mer it set up a medical rescue station as the survivors and the dead were brought ashore A French patrol boat escorts another dinghy in the waters off Boulogne on Wednesday Photograph: Nicolas Garriga/APOnly a few years ago the popular tourist spot had never seen people fleeing countries in Africa Asia and the Middle East attempting to get to England But now there are such regular attempts to set sail here that dog walkers often find piles of clothes by the shore after a boat has left or even see groups of people walking along the beach to board dinghies It was mid afternoon on Tuesday when Cédric Toupet The 12 bodies lay under white sheets at the impromptu medical centre on the quay Toupet was asked to take the dead to hospital for medical and legal examination Twelve people dying is extremely difficult There are a growing number of these tragedies it was happening around Calais or Dunkirk; now it is increasing in the Boulogne area which unfortunately no one is offering them.” looked out to sea near where the survivors had been brought to shore He said: “There is great sadness and heartbreak and the crying of children who have been saved but who may have lost a big sister or brother.” small boat crossings did not happen in Le Portel 72 hours don’t go by on my beach without a departure or attempted departure – often there are too many people to board the boat He said that whereas once 30 to 40 people would be crammed into an inflatable boat Boats often departed in the early hours of the morning but increasingly they were also leaving during the day he added – even in summer while other children on the beach built sandcastles and tourists sunbathed in bikinis He described the incongruous sight of women and children crying as they tried to squeeze on to a boat while other children playing in the sand watched “open-mouthed” Le Portel town hall is often used to distribute food and clothes to people who have been rescued who tell me they absolutely want to reach England,” Barbarin said or they are persuaded they can get work in England without papers.” He is worried that calm weather in September and October will lead to more attempted crossings with 21,615 having made the journey this year The French home affairs minister, Gérald Darmanin, said France was stopping 60% of crossings and that 1,700 police and gendarmes were stationed on the coast but called for the EU and Britain to negotiate a new treaty on migration Gérald Darmanin meets rescuers who went to the aid of the sinking dinghy on Tuesday Photograph: Benoît Tessier/ReutersLocal people said they felt shame and sadness at the increasing number of deaths was walking her dog along the shore at Le Portel She said of the deaths: “It’s happening so regularly now I sometimes see piles of clothes by the shore I often see people who have been saved or stopped from crossing even children sitting here by the beach barefoot I saw dozens of people heading down to the beach An inflatable boat was prepared and set off but there were people trying to swim behind it They gave up because the water was so cold Then they were dripping wet and desperate on the beach.” said: “Everyone here thinks this is a complete catastrophe who works in the fishing industry at the port said: “People think England is El Dorado and want to get there You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed A PREGNANT woman and six children are among 12 people who died after a boat carrying dozens of migrants capsized in the English Channel French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has said those killed included "about 10 women Guirec Le Bras confirmed at a press conference those individuals were "primarily of Eritrean origin" but officials "do not have consolidated details that would allow us to specify the exact nationalities" A rescue operation was launched after the boat sank off the coast at Wimereux French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin later revealed 51 people were rescued from the overcrowded boat - less than eight had lifejackets He added that 70 people were on the small boat which measured less than seven metres. It comes after Olivier Barbarin, the mayor of French coastal town Le Portel, told France 3: "Around 10 people in cardio-respiratory arrest". The boat capsized around 28 miles south-west of Calais at around 11.30am. "A Navy helicopter is bringing in victims who are in a critical condition Around 10 people have been reported dead." A medical centre has been set up at Boulogne-sur-Mer French coastguard vessels Minck and Abeille Normandie have been seen on search and rescue duty near Le Portel Border Force boats Hurricane and Ranger are also said to have been involved in the rescue operation involved, with the Dover and Dungeness lifeboats also assisting The lifeboats are understood to have both now returned to the Port of Dover - with the Dungeness vessel filled with migrants upon its arrival many others were "in a critical condition" said a French emergency services spokesman Around 50 people were rescued from the stricken boat but this figure may include dead bodies Many of those rescued were "in a state of cardiac arrest" suggesting they were crushed inside the overcrowded craft an industrialised area with a decommissioned hoverport on the beach It is surrounded by sand dunes, making it easier for people smugglers to get boats into the sea without alerting local police The boat had around 70 people including men women and children on board when it set off The alarm is said to have been raised by migrants on board the board who put out Mayday calls using their mobile phones An advanced medical emergency post was set up on the beach at Le Portel while some 20 emergency vehicles could be seen nearby saying he would be attending the scene on Tuesday afternoon The deaths of at least 12 migrants in the English Channel is “horrifying” and “deeply tragic,” Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said said: "I'm saddened to hear of more reported deaths in the Channel "These evil smuggling gangs are killing people in our seas and will not be left to commit these crimes." The worst tragedy of this kind came in November 2021 when 27 migrants died after a dinghy sank while heading to the UK –  the highest recorded number of deaths from a single incident there were 67,337 asylum applications to the UK and 29,437 of them came from people who arrived in small boats More than 20,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel so far this year The milestone figure was passed last week when 614 people crammed on to ten boats were intercepted the average number of people packed on to each vessel by smugglers has risen to above 60 this year as enforcement limits supplies of boats The summer surge has come as Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to deepen cooperation with France during a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris A Home Office spokesman said: “We all want to see an end to dangerous small boat crossings which are undermining border security and putting lives at risk “The new Government is taking steps to boost our border security, setting up a new Border Security Command." Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ Basketball team BC Kalev/Cramo got their Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) Europe Cup group stage campaign off to a winning start with a 66:63 home victory over French team Le Portel domestic league champions had edged ahead 14:13 by the end of the first period The hosts then extended their lead to over 10 points during the second quarter and remained ahead until the final period when point guard Gaetan Meyniel's three-pointer put Le Portel up 61:60 with 2:33 left on the clock Kalev's Finnish point guard Severi Kaukianen responded with a three-pointer of his own going on to seal the game with free throws 19 seconds before full time Small forward Hugo Toom led Kalev/Cramo's scoreboard with 13 points Kalev/Cramo's next European game is on October 16 against Rilski Sportist (Bulgaria) who lost their opener 100:88 to Hungary's Fehervari Alba Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update! 0)" class="article-poll-disclaimer" ng-bind="totalVotes + ' hääletajat'"> {{option.votes}} {{selectedLanguage.poll.votes}}/ Iga kasutaja võib hääletada {{poll.optionLimit}} vastusevariandi poolt €25.00Add to cart Roca Team overwhelmed Le Portel. Already in Euroleague play-off mode, the Roca Team left no crumbs for Le Portel (101-67). Following in the footsteps of Jaron Blossomgame (18 points with 4/5 from 3-point range) and Matthew Strazel (16 points with 4/5 from 3-point range), Monaco put itself in the best position and perfectly prepared for the upcoming week. For the Monégasques, already assured of finishing in first place in the regular season of the championship, the goal was above all to ideally prepare for the Euroleague quarter-finals. Sasa Obradovic’s sole aim was to preserve the bodies of his players as best as possible, to avoid any injuries. Therefore, the Monégasque coach decided to rest John Brown III, along with Kemba Walker and Terry Tarpey. His starting five, however, was of top Euroleague quality, with Mike James, Jordan Loyd, Yakouba Ouattara, Jaron Blossomgame, and Donatas Motiejunas. On the bench, it’s Manuchar Markoishvili who was in charge. Right from the start, it was evident that the Portelois players came with intentions, with a strong desire to seize their chance. However,  Motiejunas opened the scoring for ASM with his signature rolling shot. The Roca Team brought out the firepower, with Mike James as the master marksman. Monaco rode on its talent and seriousness to a first quarter lead (33-13). The game continued with Monaco in fine form stretching their lead to the final whistle. The last minutes were insignificant, as the Roca Boys managed the game and the Portelois unsuccessfully tried to play their game despite the score. A dunk by Mam Jaiteh, a jump shot by Yakuba Ouattara, and a 3-pointer by Petr Cornelie: that was the Roca Team surpassing the hundred points mark to a final score of 101 winning points. Sasa Obradovic (coach of the Roca Team): “It was a very good victory to keep the rhythm for the play-offs. In training too, the team responds well….. It’s going to be a big fight. It’s important to arrive in the Play-Offs with confidence.” Jaron Blossomgame (Roca Team power forward): “All week, we’ve been very focused, to best prepare for the Euroleague play-offs..We wanted to use this match to build motivation and confidence. We found our rhythm, we shared the ball well in this match. It’s a very good way to approach the upcoming series against Fenerbahçe, which is going to be a tough battle.” It was a tough battle in the first game indeed! Unfortunately, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul rallied from 14 points down to steal home-court advantage from AS Monaco with a 91-95 overtime victory in this Game 1 of the best-of-five playoff series. Fenerbahce buried 3 three-pointers in overtime to grab control of the game. Monaco got 51 points from the trio of Elie Okobo (19 points), Jordan Loyd (16) and Mike James (16) but they were not enough. Monaco, which has won 12 of its last 13 games, also lost Game 1 of its playoffs series last season at home against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv before advancing to the Final Four. MUNICH (Germany) - It was all to play for on the final week of the Regular Season with as many as 16 teams still in contention to advance. Six of the 10 runners-up advanced, and were ranked in accordance to Section D of the Official Basketball Rules. The ranking of all confirmed second-placed teams: Below is a list of all the possible outcomes of potential runners-up in each group: DISCLAIMER: The above analysis has been prepared solely for the purpose of improving the experience of fans. It is not to be understood as advice or as binding information on the FIBA Europe Cup for competition purposes. MUNICH (Germany) - There are still three weeks remaining of the Second Round action in FIBA Europe Cup but some teams can already book their spots in the Quarter-Finals Bilbao Basket - still undefeated in the competition this season - along with MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg and PAOK mateco all sit at the top of their respective groups with 3-0 records The top two sides in each of the four groups will advance to form the last eight and remain in the hunt to be crowned 2024-25 champions Here's a closer look at the state of play: Casademont Zaragoza Tofas Bursa Maroussi Basketball Club FC Porto Casademont Zaragoza cannot qualify for the Quarter-Finals on Gameday 10; Tofas Bursa cannot qualify for the Quarter-Finals on Gameday 10; Maroussi BC cannot qualify for the Quarter-Finals on Gameday 10; FC Porto cannot qualify for the Quarter-Finals on Gameday 10; They would be eliminated from contention to advance with a loss Bilbao Basket Cholet Basket ESSM Le Portel Banco di Sardegna Sassari Bilbao Basket would qualify for the Quarter-Finals with a win IF Cholet beat Le Portel; Cholet Basket would qualify for the Quarter-Finals with a win IF Bilbao beat Sassari; ESSM Le Portel cannot qualify for the Quarter-Finals on Gameday 10; They would be eliminated from contention to advance with a loss IF Bilbao beat Sassari; Banco di Sardegna Sassari cannot qualify for the Quarter-Finals on Gameday 10; They would be eliminated from contention to advance with a loss IF Cholet beat Le Portel PAOK mateco CSM CSU Oradea BC Kalev/Cramo JDA Bourgogne Dijon PAOK mateco would qualify for the Quarter-Finals with a win; CSM CSU Oradea cannot qualify for the Quarter-Finals on Gameday 10 BC Kalev/Cramo cannot qualify for the Quarter-Finals on Gameday 10; JDA Bourgogne Dijon cannot qualify for the Quarter-Finals on Gameday 10 MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg Fribourg Olympic Anwil Wloclawek Spirou Basket MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg would qualify for the Quarter-Finals with a win; Fribourg Olympic cannot qualify for the Quarter-Finals on Gameday 10 Anwil Wloclawek cannot qualify for the Quarter-Finals on Gameday 10; Spirou Basket cannot qualify for the Quarter-Finals on Gameday 10 DISCLAIMER: The above analysis has been prepared solely for the purpose of improving the experience of fans It is not to be understood as advice or as binding information on FIBA Europe Cup for competition purposes whose career to date has been devoid of order the road back from multiple surgeries has provided many challenges Under the elevated pressure of representing both her country and herself, though, Raducanu took an enormous step forward as she produced the best performance of her comeback to defeat Caroline Garcia, the world No 23, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the Billie Jean King Cup. The victory marks Raducanu’s first top-30 win on clay and leaves the BJK Qualifying tie between Great Britain and France at 1-1 after the opening day of play. Great Britain were in an ominous position when Raducanu trailed Garcia by a set and a break after Katie Boulter’s 6-2, 6-0 defeat to Diane Parry, France’s No 2, but Raducanu has given her team a fighting chance going into the final day. Read more“Of course we go into tomorrow equal and we’re not 2-0 down which is very difficult to fight back from,” said Raducanu being a point down and playing against Caroline at home we’re already losing so might as well go all out Go big or go home.’ We’re not going home just yet and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.” The small French commune of Le Portel is situated on the northern coast of France by the English channel It is so close to British shores that the surrounding city was the strategic point for multiple Roman invasions of Britain But while the players may not be far from home the opening match underlined how alien the terrain is to many British players Boulter led 2-0 before losing 12 games in a row to Parry While Raducanu has more clay court experience than Boulter The opening set was played at a high level with Garcia executing her typically uncompromising brand of attacking tennis She fired down massive serves while looking to dominate with her forehand and move forward at all costs She just had more weapons than Raducanu early on and as she established a 6-3 “I actually wasn’t doing too much wrong even though I was a set and break down, it just came down to a few break points on either side,” said Raducanu. “I think I took a more aggressive position from the second set onwards and I got rewarded for taking more risks.” Free weekly newsletterThe best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend’s action By the final set, Raducanu was playing with a level of freedom she has rarely been able to access since her triumph at the 2021 US Open. She treated the Garcia serve with total disdain, lasering return winners off both wings and rolling through her own service games. In the end, Raducanu was so “locked in” that she completely lost track of the score. After holding serve for 5-1, she thought she had won the match and she prematurely celebrated the win. No matter, five minutes later she stepped up again to close out a brilliant victory. This article was amended on 13 April 2024. Emma Raducanu’s victory over Caroline Garcia was her first top-30 win on clay, not her first ever win on clay as an earlier version stated, owing to an editing error. ils ont imposé leur rythme et ont pris l'avantage tout de suite pour ne plus le lâcher du match Les Monégasques signent leur 6e victoire de suite en Jeep Élite et consolident leur 2e place Nanterre l'emporte en patron sur le parquet de Roanne (79-102) les hommes de Pascal Donnadieu ont mené au score durant l'intégralité de la rencontre Bourg-en-Bresse s'impose à domicile face à Gravelines et garde sa 5e place au classement Strasbourg chute pour la 4e fois toutes compétitions confondues devant son public face à Chalons-Reims (69-83) l'Elan Béarnais s'impose face à la lanterne rouge Châlon/Saône (92-86) Le Mans empoche un succès précieux dans la lutte pour les play-offs sur le parquet d'Orléans .91-99 Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved The Lexus Great Britain Billie Jean King Cup team will take on France in their Finals Qualifier at Le Chaudron in Le Portel from Friday 12 to Saturday 13 April The French Tennis Federation (FFT) has announced that the tie is set for an indoor clay court in the Hauts-de-France region on the North West coast of France which usually plays host to the ESSM Le Portel basketball team More details on how to buy tickets to watch the Brits take on France will be available soon France last played at the venue as recently as November where they defeated Netherlands 3-1 in their Play-Off tie Great Britain and France faced each other at this stage last year with the British side narrowly losing 3-1 in a match that saw the most tie-breaks ever in a Billie Jean King Cup tie (seven) The two teams have played each other four times in the tournament’s history both with two wins each Great Britain: 1981 & 1976) (France: 2023 & 1975) © Copyright 2025 LTA Operations Limited We use cookies to store information about how you use our website – such as the pages you visit – so we can ace your experience when you're browsing All information about the cookies we use and why we use them are in our Cookie Policy You can control which additional cookies we use in the settings below: which always need to be turned on to help our website function and enable you to use all of our features such as information about your browser type and version without collecting any personal data which relates to you These cookies allow our website to remember the choices you make (such as your username your preferred language or where you live) to give you a faster and more personalised experience when browsing This means we can show you more of the content we think you’d like to see Performance cookies are used to collect data about how you use our website so we can continue to improve it in the future these cookies track the pages you go to most often All data is gathered anonymously and is only used to benefit the functionality of the site We have several partners who may also set cookies on our behalf when you visit our website This allows them to deliver tailored LTA advertising within their domains We use cookies on our site to ACE your experience improve the quality of our site and show you content we think you’ll be interested in Let us know if you agree to cookies or if you’d prefer to manage your own settings The requested URL was not found on this server by | Apr 13, 2024 | BJK Cup underdogs Great Britain are tied 1-1 with France after the first day of their Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifier in Le Portel With France hosting Team GB on the clay at Le Portel the three-time champions started the tie with a significant home advantage which was borne out across the first rubber and a half recovered from an early break to win 12 games on the trot against Katie Boulter and put France 1-0 up in the tie being played on the indoor clay court at Le Chaudron Emma Raducanu looked on course to suffer a similar fate when Caroline Garcia led by a set and a break but the 21-year old Brit produced a stunning come-back to win 3-6 6-3 6-2 and level the contest who’s been having such a good season,” Raducanu said afterwards “I was completely the underdog going out here “I’m very pleased with my performance to bring this point home for the team.” France and Great Britain went 43 years without meeting each other in women’s team competition but they have now faced off in consecutive seasons Katie Boulter was outclassed by Diane Parry on the indoor clay court in Friday's opening rubber against France The surface chosen by France certainly is playing its part the newly-minted World No 26 having never played a tour-level match on the surface prior to this tie breaking Parry’s serve in the opening game the Frenchwoman took charge of the contest from there on in and her greater experience and guile on clay was evident as she displayed the full range of her shot-making the Frenchwoman reeled off 12 games in a row to seal the win with an exceptional forehand winner “I have to get better on the clay,” 27-year-old Boulter told reporters later and it’s a really good learning experience for me and that I can play some really good stuff but I felt it was a lot closer than it seemed.” Emma Raducanu produced one of her best performances against Caroline Garcia since winning the US Open in 2021 The day’s second singles also saw a big gap in experience between the two players on clay Garcia having played more than 150 matches on the red dirt and winning most of them while Raducanu came into the rubber with a 50% winning record from just 12 matches on it in her whole career and impressively came through a hard fought opening set in 46 minutes but it was Raducanu who deployed the tactic in the second it just came down to a few break points on either side,” said Raducanu “I think I took a more aggressive position from the second set onwards and I got rewarded for taking more risks.” continuing to dominate on return and keeping her ace count high too the current World No 302 who has been ranked as high as No 10 fired an ace and lifted her arms up in celebration as she started to walk to the net with a huge grin on her face only to quickly realise she was still a game away from actually winning the rubber I’m just super locked in that I don’t get the score,” she explained later ‘if I lose this right now I’m going to look like a right muppet’ So I’m very happy that I managed to pull it through in the next game.” winning with a powerful forehand drive volley her first win over a Top 25 player since Indian Wells last year and just her 4th since she became a US Open champion in 2021 Raducanu won just 3 points against the Garcia first serve in the first set the Frenchwoman’s first serve percentage plummeted to 38% and the Brit took full advantage by repeatedly teeing off on her second serve for clean winners Diane Parry dispatched Katie Boulter and now faces Emma Raducanu in the reverse singles on Saturday when the reverse singles are played ahead of a potential doubles decider with the winners competing in November’s BJK Cup Finals in Seville France still have the crowd and the clay on their side and Raducanu sent a clear message that she does not feel disadvantaged “I don’t mind playing against the crowd,” she said “It was great to see so many Union Jacks out here and great to hear the support of the bench and to give the crowd something to cheer for tomorrow.” Returning to the top level play after a lengthy injury layoff last year Raducanu has taken an enormous step forward in rediscovering her form under the pressure of representing her country on an alien surface Saturday will see Boulter look to get back to her winning ways when she faces Garcia in a battle of the national No 1’s Harriet Dart & Heather Watson will join forces to take on Garcia & Kristina Mladenovic in the potentially decisive doubles rubber Play starts at 12.30 on BBC iPlayer and the Red Button Major disappointment for Jack Draper but sheer elation for Casper Ruud as he wins the Mutua Marid Masters title – his first at ATP 1000 level to add to the 12 he already had in his locker accepting a wild-card in France worked out perfectly for Naomi Osaka while Dalma Galfi and Bianca Andreescu picked up titles in Spain In the last match of the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open Romania’s Sorana Cirstea & Anna Kalinskaya from Russia won the doubles title on their debut as a team World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka landed her 3rd Mutua Madrid Open title on Saturday beating 4th-seeded Coco Gauff in straight sets after an hour and 39 minutes of play ahead of lifting the WTA 1000 trophy Jack Draper’s run at the Mutua Madrid Masters continues as he scored another straight sets win to secure a place in the final where he will face Casper Ruud who progressed earlier in the day This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu is ready to return to competitive action in this weekend’s Billie Jean King Cup tie against France as she looks to shake off her injury concerns after a challenging start to the year It was always likely to be tough for Raducanu to find consistency quickly after she missed most of 2023 due to injury after undergoing surgery on her wrists and ankle She made an encouraging return to action in January but has had injury concerns on her comeback path including a lower back injury that forced her to pull out of her most recent tournament at the Miami Open A video clip released last week showed Raducanu training with a bandage on her leg but she has arrived in France to play for her country appearing to be in good shape with a video released of her hitting on the indoor clay courts https://twitter.com/RaducanuNews/status/1777652905845067794 Raducanu will be hoping to lead Great Britain to victory against France a year after they were beaten by the same opposition in the Billie Jean King Cup The prize up for grabs is a place in the Finals in Seville in November with British hopes lifted considerably since their defeat a year ago Katie Boulter’s impressive surge in form over the last year has fired her into the top 30 of the WTA rankings for the first time with Raducanu’s second appearance for her national team giving the Brits a strong team in Le Chaudron in Le Portel The France team will be led by Caroline Garcia Kristina Mladenovic also in the team led by captain Julien Benneteau The France vs Great Britain tie is part of a bust week of Billie Jean King Cup action hat sees some of the biggest names in the game playing for their nations World No 1 Iga Swiatek will play for Poland in their tie against Switzerland while Naomi Osaka is set to make her comeback for Japan Coco Gauff has opted against playing in USA’s tie against Belgium but Jessica Pegula will line-up for a team that will be captained by Lindsay Davenport for the first time Simona Halep has withdrawn from the Romania team due to injury concerns after she was initially named to play in their tie against Ukraine that will be played on neutral territory in America These are the ties set to take place on Friday and Saturday this week: The eight winners from the Qualifiers will book their place in the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals alongside Canada (2023 champions) The teams that lose in this year’s Qualifiers will compete in the Play-offs later this year from where they will be looking to earn a place in the 2025 BJK Cup Qualifiers © Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved The Lexus Great Britain Billie Jean King Cup team have secured their spot in the 2024 Finals after pulling off an emphatic victory over France at Le Chaudron in Le Portel the largest wind turbine in France has been installed at the entrance to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais) The company InnoVent installed the new giant wind turbine in the commune of Le Portel and it will replace the four smaller turbines that have been in operation here for 20 years Two cranes were required to assemble the turbine with its 100 tonne generator and three 63 metre long blades InnoVent said that the turbine was “installed on a tripod mast a first in Europe” adding that “ the structure makes it possible to greatly reduce the quantities of steel and concrete necessary for its foundation while increasing production.” has positioned the turbine on the Quai de l’Europe 700 metres away from the other existing wind turbines The electricity produced will be integrated into the Enedis network to supply the activities of the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer The French government will launch a huge call for tenders in 2025 for the installation of offshore wind farms President Emmanuel Macron announced on Tuesday (November 28) during the Assises de l'économie de la mer in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) "A dozen wind farms will come into force in 2030-2035," President Macron said The initial aim is to generate 10 GW of power equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 10 million households France has 8 GW of offshore wind farms installed or planned making offshore wind the second largest source of electricity generation after nuclear power The President's announcements on Tuesday are part of the French Energy and Climate Strategy which was put out for public consultation last week - for a period of one month - by the Minister of Energy Transition How France plans to avoid electricity price spikes French solar panel system that doubles as crop shade bought by Total Nuclear reactor approved to continue beyond 40 years, first in France Recent power cut in Spain and Portugal is warning to holidaymakers to ensure they are prepared for worst-case scenario The resort is set to remain open to the public and not only to professionals judging by their most recent Jeep Elite exploits two days after their victory against Bourg-en-Bresse Sasa Obradovic’s team registered yet another home victory against Le Portel (90-85) the Roca Boys chain together their ninth win in a row and remain undefeated in their return matches which cost former coach Sasa Filipovski his job With their collective game working well and newfound offensive efficiency the team’s drive to the top of the Jeep Elite the Roca Team pushed the pace and left Portel in the dust the Principality’s team stifled their opponent by pressing high and defending well who continued their streak of nine away losses The visitors clung to the strategy and responded to Monaco’s early attacking bursts with a competent three-point shooting But despite slacking late in the game – a bad Monegasque habit – the Roca Boys imposed themselves without too much effort thanks to the activity of their interior players the Bosnian Elmedin Kikanovic (16 points) and the American Eric Buckner (13 points) as well as a fine night from Paul Lacombe (13 points this ninth successive victory puts Monaco back on the Jeep Elite podium Having regained the collective form of previous seasons the team now looks towards the top of the standings with an upcoming away match at Dijon next Sunday The Local Europe ABVästmannagatan 43113 25 StockholmSweden "The relationship between France and the United Kingdom can no longer be reduced to sub-contracting out to France" security on the Channel border said right-wing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau He added that "there is a showdown to be had" on border security between the two countries in the wake of Brexit - and threatened to cancel the 2004 Le Touquet agreement that establishes passport controls on French soil for people travelling to the UK READ ALSO What is the Le Touquet agreement and why do some French politicians want to scrap it? Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau is set to meet with his British counterpart on December 9 as tensions rise between the two countries over migration and border security At least 72 people have died trying to reach Britain from northern France across the Channel this year making 2024 the deadliest year since migrant crossings began in earnest in 2018 Retailleau called for a more comprehensive deal between Britain and the European Union saying France was calling for a "global agreement" outlining all parties' responsibilities "The border between France and the United Kingdom is Europe's common external border," he said adding it was "no longer possible" for France to "bear the entire burden" of defending it The minister expressed similar sentiments in an interview with French weekly La Voix du Nord on Friday "France cannot tackle this issue alone," he said "There is no buying our silence with British pounds," he added The interior minister said he blamed Brexit for "destroying immigration cooperation" between France and the United Kingdom If "there is a showdown to be had" on border security Please log in here to leave a comment Given how his senior season unfolded at Gonzaga it may be surprising to some that Zach Gourde has constructed a lengthy successful professional basketball career in France As Gourde prepares to leave Spokane for his sixth pro season he packs the satisfaction of rekindling his love for the game along with his faithful miniature Australian shepherd Riley and two suitcases of belongings that will sustain him for the next nine months overseas “I’m enjoying it quite a bit,” Gourde said “It took a while for me to be able to say that.” Gourde’s passion for basketball was severely tested during his senior season (2002-03) He slid from first-team All-WCC as a junior to a diminished role as Ronny Turiaf emerged on a deep frontcourt that included Cory Violette and Richard Fox averaged 13.2 points and 6.4 rebounds as a junior but dropped to less than five points and three boards in a senior season that ended with a double-overtime loss to Arizona in the second round of the NCAA tournament Gourde’s confidence sagged and he acknowledged that he soured on basketball “when I’d invested so much and it ceased to be fun because I wasn’t being successful.” He gave serious thought to quitting basketball and finding a job but decided to give the game one more shot in Feurs in south-central France Gourde consulted with the Frenchman Turiaf but Gourde said the residents were welcoming have some fun and I’ll give it one year,’ ” he said has discussed a long-range plan that involves him becoming an assistant and transitioning to head coach He has started the paperwork process toward receiving French citizenship Gourde produced big numbers in his first three seasons with Feurs division of France’s three national leagues a Pro B team that ranks above the national leagues and below Pro A Gourde led Le Portel in minutes played and was second in scoring and rebounding He left this morning to return to Le Portel for the upcoming season he’ll settle into his team-provided apartment and renew acquaintances with the 50-60 non-basketball playing residents he knows by name Gourde said the basketball is a step higher than the college game The game is fast-paced with a 24-second shot clock who appears stronger and leaner than during his GU days shoot my odd touch shots with bizarre footwork that a lot of people probably look at as ‘That’s a travel,’ or ‘How did that go in?’ ” Gourde said Rules limit the number of Americans on French teams Gourde’s confidence returned quickly in France because he was counted on to fill the stat sheet and was given the freedom to do so “I had a green light like you can’t imagine,” he said Learning how to say “green light” in French was a different matter He essentially had no exposure to the language prior to stepping on French soil the cerebral Gourde took a studied approach and picked it up the fairly quickly comfortable in three and fluent in four,” said Gourde adding that it helps he speaks the language daily with his girlfriend Gourde has occasionally helped review contract documents for Le Portel teammates who hail from the U.S Gourde purchased a house in Spokane three years ago that he rents out while he’s in France Returning to Spokane each summer allows him to stay in shape with quality pick-up games at GU see numerous former Bulldogs and stay in touch with other friends although a few people have confused him for current Zag Josh Heytvelt probably because both are tall and sport a buzz cut Gourde hears two common reactions from Spokanites “It’s probably split about 50-50,” Gourde said “People are very surprised (he’s still playing) And the other is that they’ve never seen a player who would fit in over there better than me.” but he’s always enjoyed tackling a variety of challenges I’ll probably go to law school,” said Gourde who doesn’t rule out the possibility he could still be playing in five years “There’s a constant broadening of perspective The situation I’m in allows me a lot of time for informal education but it’s broken up so I can spend hours just browsing and trying to educate myself in depth to my fancy of the moment Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible Subscribe to our Gonzaga Basketball newsletter to stay up with the latest news TDS Telecommunications continues expanding its high-speed all-fiber internet network into more Spokane-area neighborhoods © Copyright 2025, The Spokesman-Review | Community Guidelines | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy