russell fuller, thank you very much for. fuller, thank you very much for bringing us up to date. now. we'll be hearing from england camp shortly, but the other home nations are in action tomorrow, too, with northern ireland women travelling to portugal for their qualifier, while wales play ukraine. scotland host israel, but that will be played from behind closed doors. the sfa took the decision after being "alerted to the potential for planned disruptions to the match". scotland head coach pedro martinez losa said it couldn't be avoided. it was a decision between the ssa and the _ it was a decision between the ssa and the stakeholders. apart from that, _ and the stakeholders. apart from that, we — and the stakeholders. apart from that, we have nothing else to say. i consider_ that, we have nothing else to say. i consider that is in the best interest_ consider that is in the best interest of everyone. in the circumstances, there is always discuseion— circumstances, there is always discussion with the leadership grouu — discussion with the leadership group. that has been the proces

well, for more on a busy day's play, we can speak live now to our tennis correspondent russell fuller with the 14—time champion rafa nadal. going out in the first round performing valiantly.- going out in the first round performing valiantly. going out in the first round erformin: valiantl . , , performing valiantly. yes, he played a re performing valiantly. yes, he played a pretty decent _ performing valiantly. yes, he played a pretty decent match _ performing valiantly. yes, he played a pretty decent match but _ performing valiantly. yes, he played a pretty decent match but was - performing valiantly. yes, he played a pretty decent match but was up i a pretty decent match but was up against _ a pretty decent match but was up against the world number four alex zverev, _ against the world number four alex zverev, who won the title in rome 'ust zverev, who won the title in rome just a _ zverev, who won the title in rome just a week— zverev, who won the title in rome just a week or so ago. and nadal had his chances — just a week or so ago. and nadal had his chances. he was serving for t

but our tennis correspondent, russell fuller, feels it's come a bit too soon for 0saka, who's only recently there is genuine hope that these two will be able to develop quite a rivalry over the years ahead. i sack is back from having a babel but i don't think that the rivalry is going to stretch to the claim because. that i sack, has dominated on the hard court and dominated on the clay and grass. swiatek has become a favourite every time she has arrived in paris. the fact —— if you can win here again, she would have won it three times in a row. no one has done that in the grand slam since serena williams ten years ago. we have got great names like alcaraz and jannik sinner. yes we have got great names like alcaraz and jannik sinner.— and jannik sinner. yes alcaraz is very much _ and jannik sinner. yes alcaraz is very much heping _ and jannik sinner. yes alcaraz is very much hoping that _ and jannik sinner. yes alcaraz is very much hoping that his - and jannik sinner. yes alcaraz is very much hoping that his right. and jannik sinner. yes alcaraz is l very much hoping that his right for is c

victory in his opening match, he hasn't made a final yet this year and our tennis correspondent, russell fullering momentum through a tournament, that might not be the case this time around. normally, that is exactly what you would _ normally, that is exactly what you would expect because he has done it time and _ would expect because he has done it time and time again. he is a 24 time grand_ time and time again. he is a 24 time grand slam— time and time again. he is a 24 time grand slam singles champion now. as diokovic_ grand slam singles champion now. as djokovic said, after a decent start against _ djokovic said, after a decent start against pierre, yes, i would like to think_ against pierre, yes, i would like to think that — against pierre, yes, i would like to think that but i started very well in monte — think that but i started very well in monte carlo, rome and geneva, the three day— in monte carlo, rome and geneva, the three clay tournaments he played before _ three clay tournaments he played before roman garrison this year. look_ before roman garrison this year. look what — before ro

our tennis correspondent russell fuller is there.l fuller is there. evening and thank you for nipping good evening and thank you for nipping out from the action because dan evans is on court against holder bruna up against him and up against it. he bruna up against him and up against it. ., , , ., bruna up against him and up against it. he has the luxury of playing on the second _ it. he has the luxury of playing on the second show— it. he has the luxury of playing on the second show court _ it. he has the luxury of playing on the second show court here, - it. he has the luxury of playing on| the second show court here, there it. he has the luxury of playing on i the second show court here, there is a roof on that court which is in very much need today because as you can probably see and hear it is very windy and we have had a lot of rain but the to show court has continued under the roof evans has not a win on the atp tour this year in and in fact, only one win in french open singles in his seven previous visit so to draw a 13 seat

that's the question we posed to our tennis correspodent russell fuller., windy, grey, wet, miserable day in paris and the ford cars for the first week is not at all good you could win it? while the obvious unions are organic sinner —— jannik sinner, both have had injuries come into the wimbledon open. particularlyjannik sinner open. particularly jannik sinner preparation open. particularlyjannik sinner preparation is not as thorough as they could bid. no one is writing off novak djokovic either. he has had a weather delay mac very unsteady season. maybe somebody else, somebody has not won a grand stand before like stefanos tsitsipas, kasparov rees, alex zverev, they've all planned... was about the women side? who are you expecting to win their swiatek remains the overwhelming favourite. she is a three—time champion and she started very convincingly. places rivals likely to be the rena flanker and back enough. eleanor rybakina. one of the best players in the world. it rybakina. one of the best players in the world. ., , ., ., ., ., the world. it does not m

earlier, i caught up with the bbc�*s tennis correspondent russell fuller, who says nadal is feeling confidenthis understated way, on paper is not the easiest, but i think the way that nadal was talking will give his fans a lot of confidence, because here's a man who in his last competitive match was thrashed in rome. that was only around about ten days ago. he said he was a disaster. he said he'd been practising well in rome, but he feels he has made progress since then, he's moving a lot better, he's running freely along the baseline, he's playing better. and this is roland garros, where he's a iii—time champion. it's a horrible, horrible start for him, but of course because nadal is such a great champion at roland garros, that does cause some issues for alex zverev, because he's expected to win if you look at the seedings, but it's not easy to beat a man with such an aura in these hallowed surroundings. the order of play is for sunday and the night session sees andy murray take on stan wawrinka. both of those now, unfortunately, past their prime, but that is another blockbuster tie in the o

let's get the latest now from the french open, with our tennis correspondent russell fuller.ee you. let's start with something that evan said after his defeat. it's not actually doom and gloom and their stuff to be positive about given the exits even though everyone is out at the moment. is there some truth to that? you need to look at the _ there some truth to that? you need to look at the rankings _ there some truth to that? you need to look at the rankings for a - there some truth to that? you need to look at the rankings for a better. to look at the rankings for a better idea of where tennis is at any given time. dan evans has struggled recently but he is 3a years of age for them it gets hard to improve your ranking at that age for the camera nori has drawback of a jack draper 35 and katie bolter is a hundred places higher in the rankings then she was 12 months ago. there is definitely theme with early exits at the french open, on the clay because it's happened three times in the last 11 years of french open where all the birds of lost their matches in the first round of

earlier, i caught up with the bbc�*s tennis correspondent russell fuller, who says nadal is feeling confidentr is not the easiest, but i think the way that nadal was talking to give his fans a lot of confidence, because here's a man who in his last competitive match was thrashed in rome most of that was only around about ten days ago. he said he was a disaster, he said he had been practising well in rome, but he feels he has made progress since then, he is moving a lot better, he is running freely along the baseline to me is playing better, and this is roland garros, where he is a lit time champion. it is a horrible, horrible start for him, but of course because nadal such a great champion of roland garros, that does cause some issues for alex of arab, because he expected to win if you look at the seedings, but it's not easy to be a manual such and are in these hallows surroundings. the manual such and are in these hallows surroundinqs-— surroundings. the order of plate is for sunday and _ surroundings. the order of plate is for sunday and the _ surroundings. the order of plate is for sunday

our tennis correspondent russell fuller is in paris. rros. yes, remarkably and the murray and stan wawrinka being drawn together means murray will have the same man three times in a row at roland—garros will so they met in the 2017 finals which stan wawrinka one before it murray's hip acted up. they played in 2020 and i'm not letting them and now has from the same man again. we know andy murray has had problems with his ankle but they have since recovered well but has not been able to make any impact in the first couple of tournaments back on clay. let's not forget that stan wawrinka, brilliant man that he is, is now 39 and is actuallyjust to 2—level match winners all season. katie boulter is the highest—ranked british player, but she's got a tough—looking path in the first week. seated for the first time in the grand slam, but her reward is probably the wrong word. she is up against an unseeded player but is a former world number two and katie bolter has never played in the main draw at the french before. harriet darr also in the draw f