The Telegraph Two of the surprise packages of this clay-court season have been British – initially Dan Evans, who made a deep run in Monte Carlo, and more lately Cameron Norrie, who played his second final in three weeks on Sunday. Unfortunately, Norrie wasn’t able to land a maiden ATP title in Lyon. But then he was up against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has been the dominant force of 2021 outside the slams, and now stands at No 1 in the table of most rankings points gained since January 1. Nevertheless, it had been a hugely creditable effort for Norrie to go this far, especially when you consider that he took out top seed Dominic Thiem on Thursday, and then trounced big-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov in Saturday’s semi-final, losing only two games in the process. Norrie has come to clay late in his career, but it feels like this is developing into his favourite surface. He has one of the heaviest left-handed forehands in the game, loaded with top-spin, and uses it like a miniature version of Rafael Nadal. The result has been a tally of 14 wins and only four losses since he began his European clay-court swing in Barcelona. So while the French Open, which starts next Sunday, has traditionally been a graveyard of British hopes, there are reasons to hope that this year’s event could deliver some more positive results. Norrie’s previous final in Estoril had been a nervewracking affair which he eventually lost on a deciding-set tie-break to the more experienced Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Sunday was more straightforward for Tsitsipas, who needed only 69 minutes to hammer home a 6-3, 6-3 victory. It was Tsitsipas’ second title of the clay-court sequence, after he won Monte Carlo in mid-April, taking out Evans in the semi-final along the way. He has become a serious contender to upset the establishment – specifically Nadal and Novak Djokovic – at Roland Garros over the next few weeks. “I felt in good shape from the beginning of the tournament,” said Tsitsipas afterwards. “I am proud of today’s match, I knew it would be a difficult one against Cameron, who has been showing great tennis this week. He has been winning against good players and showing what the left hand can do on clay. “It was not an easy match today. I had to handle the nerves and I am proud of my performance and the way I stayed focused towards my goal.” On this year’s results, meanwhile, both Evans and Norrie stand among the world’s 20 most successful men. Evans is at No 16 and Norrie No 14. The next challenge for them both is to convert that ATP Tour form into a deep run at a major.<doc-sep>Auburn gymnast Samantha Cerio gruesomely injured both of her legs after a devastating fall during a competition on Friday. Samantha had surgery yesterday with Dr. James Andrews, which reportedly lasted two and a half hours. Auburn gymnastics head coach Jeff Graba said on Twitter that Samantha is expected to make "a complete recovery." Samantha Cerio, the Auburn University gymnast who gruesomely injured both of her legs during a gymnastics competition on Friday, is expected to make a full recovery after a successful surgery. This morning on Twitter, Auburn gymnastics head coach Jeff Graba wrote, “Sam’s surgery lasted two and a half hours and was an extreme success. We know the road for full healing is going to be a long and difficult one, but we are confident that she’ll be able to make a complete recovery.” Orthopedic surgeon James Andrews, MD, reportedly operated on Samantha's knees, which she broke trying to land a handspring double front, per ESPN. Dr. Andrews is a founding member of Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center in nearby Birmingham, Alabama, and cofounder of the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), "a nonprofit institute dedicated to injury prevention, education, and research in orthopedic and sports medicine," according to his clinic's bio. His description says he specializes in the elbow, knee, and shoulder...but after repairing both of Samantha's knees in just a few hours, "specialize" sounds like an understatement. This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Samantha knows that her days of a gymnast are behind her, as she posted on her Instagram Sunday: "Friday night was my final night as a gymnast. After 18 years I am hanging up my grips and leaving the chalk behind." But the fact that she'll make a full recovery—meaning she should be able to walk again—is worth a standing ovation in itself. As a senior, Samantha will graduate from Auburn in May with a degree in aerospace engineering, which she'll bring with her to her already-lined-up job at Boeing in Seattle. It sounds like things are looking up for her bright soul. This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>View this post on Instagram Friday night was my final night as a gymnast. After 18 years I am hanging up my grips and leaving the chalk behind. I couldn’t be prouder of the person that gymnastics has made me to become. It’s taught me hard work, humility, integrity, and dedication, just to name a few. It’s given me challenges and road blocks that I would have never imagined that has tested who I am as a person. It may not have ended the way I had planned, but nothing ever goes as planned. Thank you Auburn family for giving me a home and a chance to continue doing the sport that will always be my first love. I am honored to have had the privilege to represent the navy and orange AU for the past 4 years with my team by my side. Thank you for letting me share my passion with you. Thank you for letting me be a part of something bigger than myself. War Eagle Always 💙🧡<doc-sep>
A college gymnast suffered devastating injuries to both legs when she fell during a floor routine Friday night at the NCAA Regional Semifinal competition in Louisiana. Auburn University senior Samantha Cerio said in an emotional Instagram post Sunday that the competition was her last one as a gymnast. "Friday night was my final night as a gymnast. After 18 years I am hanging up my grips and leaving the chalk behind," she wrote. "I couldn’t be prouder of the person that gymnastics has made me to become. It’s taught me hard work, humility, integrity, and dedication, just to name a few. It’s given me challenges and road blocks that I would have never imagined that has tested who I am as a person." Cerio, from Huntersville, North Carolina, was trying to execute a handspring double front on her first floor routine when she landed at an awkward angle on the mat causing her to fall backward on the ground, according to NOLA.com. She was taken off the floor in a stretcher. All, I wanted to reach out and thank everyone who has sent me encouraging messages. I truly appreciate all of the support and prayers that I have have received! I am doing well right now and getting lots of rest! From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much! — sam_cerio (@sam_cerio) April 8, 2019 Cerio dislocated both knees and tore multiple ligaments in her legs, Auburn head gymnastics coach Jeff Graba said. She is expected to undergo surgery Monday. “The Auburn Athletics Department is thankful for the outstanding care that the Auburn and the LSU medical staffs have provided to Sam. We also are thankful for the support from the LSU Athletics Department for going above and beyond in this situation. Sam is a fighter and is in great spirits. We couldn’t have a better leader for this team," Graba said in a statement. "It may not have ended the way I had planned, but nothing ever goes as planned. Thank you Auburn family for giving me a home and a chance to continue doing the sport that will always be my first love," Cerio posted on Instagram. In a tweet Sunday night, she thanked fans for their support and good wishes, and said she is "doing well." It's not clear if Cerio, who is studying aerospace engineering, planned on leaving gymnastics prior to her fall or if she wanted to pursue it after college. According to an article on Auburn University's athletic website, she was a top performer on the bars for the school's gymnastics team, The Tigers, and was recently named the SEC co-scholar athlete of the year. Cerio, who graduates in May, also has a job lined up in Seattle with Boeing where she plans to work on rockets as a structural design analysis engineer.