The Sportsletter - Still King 🎾

BY JEFF YODER

JUN. 6, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Welcome Back,

It’s time to crown the French Open champs. Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek are the first big winners of June, but there’s more hardware to be won in the NBA and NHL in the coming weeks. Today’s biggest “crowning” achievement once again belongs to the undisputed King of Clay…

Letter Rip!

TENNIS

Still the King of Clay 👑

Photo: Eurasia Sport Images / Getty Images

Rafael Nadal Wins Record 14th French Open Title

After two weeks of action at Roland-Garros, new champions have been crowned. The men’s draw concluded on Sunday when #5 Rafael Nadal captured his 14th French Open title. Nadal won with straight-set victories in the semifinal over #3 Alexander Zverev (7-6, 6-6, W/O) and the final against #8 Casper Ruud (6-3, 6-3, 6-0). The King of Clay added to his record with No. 14 at Roland Garros, giving him 22 grand slams overall — more than any other player in men’s tennis history.

Men’s Grand Slam Titles

Rafael Nadal (22)

Novak Djokovic (20)

Roger Federer (20)

Watch: Rafael Nadal Wins 14th French Open

Iga Swiatek Defeats Coco Gauff for Women’s French Open Title

In the women’s draw, teenage phenom #18 Coco Gauff blazed through the field en route to the finale with #1 Iga Swiatek, but that’s where the magic ran out. Swiatek won her 35th consecutive match of the spring calendar by finishing Gauff in straight sets (6-1, 6-3). She won five straight games at one point in the match and looked untouchable throughout the tournament. Gauff’s breakthrough moment will have to wait while Swiatek is head-and-shoulders atop women’s tennis.

Watch: Iga Swiatek Wins 2nd French Open

That’s a wrap on The Sportsletter’s French Open coverage. Tennis fans can look forward to Wimbledon in July and the U.S. Open in August/September for our summer focus on tennis majors.

Additional Storylines

FTW: Rafael Nadal’s Emotional Moment of Joy After Winning 14th French Open

ESPN: Iga Swiatek Downs Coco Gauff for 2nd French Open Title

TENNIS.com: The Eternal Now of Rafael Nadal: A Journey of Endurance, Patience & Suffering

NBA FINALS

All Square: Dubs Take 2

Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

Warriors Take Game 2 of NBA Finals With 3rd-Quarter Takeover (107-88)

We’re all even in the Finals! After Boston used a fourth-quarter run to steal Game 1, it was the Warriors with a third-quarter spree that spelled the difference in Game 2. Golden State took a two-point advantage into the break before outscoring Boston 35-14 in the third quarter as Steph Curry had a game-high 29 points with five trifectas.

3rd-Quarter Takeover

The Warriors exploded in the third period with a pair of runs to bookend the stanza. They opened the quarter with a 12-2 sprint out of the gate before ending the third on a 19-2 melee, concluding with Jordan Poole’s half-court buzzer-beater.

Game 2 Stat Leaders

S. Curry (GSW): 29 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals

J. Tatum (BOS): 28 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

J. Brown (BOS): 17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists

J. Poole (GSW): 17 points

Watch: Warriors Win Game 2 With 3rd-Quarter Explosion

NBA Finals Schedule (Upcoming)

Gm 3: Warriors at Celtics (Wed. 9:00 pm ET)

Gm 4: Warriors at Celtics (Fri. 9:00 pm ET)

Additional Storylines

B/R: Should Draymond Green Have Gotten a 2nd Technical Foul?

Yahoo! Sports: Steph Curry, Jordan Poole Ignite Warriors for Game 2 Response

NHL PLAYOFFS

Lightning Strike Back

Photo: Mark LoMoglio / Getty Images

Ondrej Palat Scores Game-Winner in Final Minute to Lift Bolts Over Rangers (3-2)

Don’t kill the three-peat just yet! Facing a 2-1 deficit on the scoreboard — and a potential 3-0 series hole — the Lightning scored two goals in the third period to rally and beat the Rangers on Sunday (3-2). Ondrej Palat fired the game-winner with 42 seconds left to give Tampa Bay their first win in the East Finals. The Rangers won Game 2 on Friday by the same scoreline (3-2), but the Bolts are still alive with Game 4 coming on Tuesday.

West Finals: Out West, the Avalanche won Game 3 on the road (4-2) to put the Oilers in a 3-0 series hole. Colorado is now 11-2 in the postseason, and they’re on the brink of their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance since 2001. Heading into Game 4, the Oilers will be without Evander Kane for a boarding call, and the Avs won’t have Nazem Kadri due to injury from the hit by Kane.

Stanley Cup Playoff Highlights

Gm 3: Lightning def. Rangers (3-2) | NYR Leads (2-1)

Gm 3: Avalanche def. Oilers (4-2) | COL Leads (3-0)

Tonight’s Schedule

Gm 4: Avalanche at Oilers (8:00 pm ET)

Additional Storylines

NBC Sports: Avs’ Kadri Out for Series After Boarding Penalty by Evander Kane

NHL: Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron Wins Selke Trophy for Best Defensive Forward

LPGA

Lee Wins U.S. Women's Open

Photo: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images

Minjee Lee (-13) Wins U.S. Women’s Open & Largest Purse in Women’s Golf History

That’s $1.8 million to be exact… Minjee Lee (-13) was untouchable over the weekend at Pine Needles for the LPGA’s U.S. Women’s Open. The 26-year-old Australian shot her way to 13-under after Round 3 before an even-par cruise-control on Sunday to win by four strokes. American Mina Harigae (-9) — who led after Round 1 — finished second. The challenging course at Southern Pines proved tricky for most golfers, except Lee. She dominated after Harigae’s opening-round 64 en route to the largest purse in women’s golf history — $1.8 million. It was Lee’s second major title.

LPGA U.S. Women’s Open Leaderboard

M. Lee (-13)

M. Harigae (-9)

H. Choi (-7)

J.Y. Ko (-6)

L. Ko (-5)

Watch: Minjee Lee Wins U.S. Women’s Open

Additional Storylines

Golfweek: Minjee Lee Cruises to Second Major Title & $1.8 Million Prize

Golf Channel: Minjee Lee Runs Away With U.S. Women’s Open, 2nd Major Title

🎥 OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

⚾️ MLB: Yankees Win 6th Straight on Walk-Off

The Yankees (39-15) are back atop the majors with their sixth straight win on Sunday night to complete the sweep against the Dodgers. New York won it when Josh Donaldson hit a sac-fly walk-off to plate Aaron Judge for the win (5-4, 10 innings).

⛳️ PGA: Horschel’s Eagle Secures Memorial

Billy Horschel (-13) won the Memorial Tournament on Sunday for his first PGA Tour of the season, outlasting Aaron Wise (-9), Joaquin Niemann (-7) and Patrick Cantlay (-7). Horschel saw his five-stroke lead dwindle to two strokes before a lengthy eagle putt on the 15th.

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Phillies Fire Manager Joe Girardi After 22-29 Start (CNN)

• Quinn Snyder Steps Down as Head Coach of Utah Jazz After 8 Seasons (FOX Sports)

• USWNT’s Star Catarina Macario Suffers Torn ACL (SI)
• Kobe Bryant Rookie Jersey Sells for $2.73 Million at Auction (ESPN)
• Buccaneers ‘Optimistic’ TE Rob Gronkowski Will Re-Sign Before Camp (B/R)
• Wales Beats Ukraine to Reach 1st World Cup Berth Since 1958 (CBS Sports)
• 83-Year-Old Japanese Man Becomes Oldest Person to Sail Solo Across Pacific Ocean (USA Today)
• Mets Pitcher Max Scherzer Suffers Dog Bite Injury on Pitching Hand (Yahoo! Sports)

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