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Minister defends Mandelson file redactions and says documents to be released in June – UK politics live | Politics
Minister says security vetting system would break down if Mandelson’s answers to private questions were disclosed
Jeremy Wright, the Conservative deputy chair of the intelligence and security committee who tabled the Mandelson UQ, said the committee had “considerable sympathy” with the arguments used by the government to justify the redactions that went beyond the redactions allowed by the humble address.
He went on:
But we cannot accept that the government is entitled to ignore or to unilaterally alter the terms of the humble address. So does the Minister accept that if the government wants to argue that the humble address is too broad as drafted and needs to be refined, it must come to this house and make that argument and get the House’s consent for any alteration.
In response, Jones referred to his early comments justifying the redacting of information relating to personal data.
And referring to the government’s refusal to give the ISC informationn relating to Mandelson’s own security vetting, Jones said:
The raw data that is collected as part of those investigations, which, for example, might relate to how much money you have in a particular account or who you may have had a personal relationship with in the past, that raw data would never be published because if we did so, people would feel unable to answer those questions honestly and frankly in any UK security vetting investigation in the future, which would undermine the very basis of our national security system.
Key events
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Labour confirms Burnham to be its Makerfield byelection candidate, after NEC declines to shortlist anyone else
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Jones dismisses Mandelson cover-up claim as ‘conspiracy theory’
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Darren Jones, chief secretary to PM, rejects Tory claim of ‘cover-up’ over Mandelson files
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Minister says security vetting system would break down if Mandelson’s answers to private questions were disclosed
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Minister rejects claim from ISC that too much personal data redacted from Mandelson files being released
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Mandelson files won’t be published until June, and will be biggest release of documents since Chilcot inquiry, MPs told
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World ‘sleepwalking into global food crisis’ because of closure of strait of Hormuz, Yvette Cooper warns
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Minister to answer urgent question about Mandelson documents being withheld from intelligence and security committee
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Reform-leaning post-industrial towns ‘more amenable to progressive politics’ than people assume, thinktank says
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Tories claim government borrowing costs would rise with Burnham as PM
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Almost three quarters of children in poverty in UK living in working households, report says
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Thames Water rescue deal threatened by uncertainty over next prime minister
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Burnham says Makerfield byelection ‘most consequential of our lives’ in campaign video
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UK unemployment unexpectedly rises to 5% as firms squeezed by Iran war
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Labour members think party likely to win next election with Burnham as leader, but not Starmer, poll suggests
Labour confirms Burnham to be its Makerfield byelection candidate, after NEC declines to shortlist anyone else
Andy Burnham is Labour’s candidate for the Makerfield byelection, my colleague Jessica Elgot reports.
NEW – Andy Burnaham is the candidate for Makerfield.
After all that, the NEC didn’t shortlist anyone else. It’s done.
Jones dismisses Mandelson cover-up claim as ‘conspiracy theory’
Labour’s Kim Johnson told Jones she thought the government was “still continuing to cover up Mandelson’s dodgy dealings by redacting and withholding certain information”.
In response, Jones said the claim of a cover-up was “merely conspiracy theory”.
Richard Burgon (Lab) asked for an assurance that, when Morgan McSweeney was the PM’s chief of staff, he had the appropriate security clearance for all the documents he say.
Jones refused to give a direct answer, just saying that he had addressed this question in the past.
Emily Thornberry, the Labour chair of the foreign affairs committee, said she was “disappointed” with Jones’ response to the concerns expressed by the ISC. She said that she thought the ISC should ge to see Mandelson’s vetting file, subject to “proper redactions”, so it could understand the mitigations that were put in place by the Foreign Office to deal with the concerns they had about Mandelson becoming US ambassador.
Jones said the ISC had been given documents about the advice given to the Foreign Office, and about the Foreign Office’s decision to approve Mandelson’s vetting.
But “the raw data collected as part of interviews undertaken with Peter Mandelson” had not been handed over, he said. He said that would not be disclosed for any appointment.
Darren Jones, chief secretary to PM, rejects Tory claim of ‘cover-up’ over Mandelson files
Speaking for the Conservaties, Neil O’Brien, the shadow minister for policy renewal, said it was unacceptable for the government to hold back information that should have been disclosed under the terms of the humble address. He said:
For [Jeremy Wright] to say that the government has applied redactions to the documents sent to the ISC beyond the scope agreed by the house, and has also withheld documents entirely from the ISC, is an extremely serious matter that completely undermines what this house agreed.
There may be legitimate reasons the government doesn’t want to place certain things in the public domain, but if the humble address motion doesn’t allow for redaction on those grounds, the government can’t just unilaterally decide to ignore the will of this house.
He suggested, as a way of resolving this dispute, that the government should discuss its concerns with the opposition on privy council terms.
He went on:
[Labour MPs] voted for a cover-up when they voted against referring the prime minister to the privileges committee over [comments Keir Starmer made to MPs about Mandleson.]
This house and the people of this country deserve better than yet another cover-up.
Jones rejected the cover-up claim. If the government was engaged in a cover-up, he would resign, he said.
Matt Western, the Labour chair of the joint committee on the national security strategy, asked Jones about the ISC criticism of the government’s reliance on WhatsApp and its failure to record decisions properly. (See 11.42am.)
Jones said the government had already announced a review “on the use of non-corporate communications channels” in government.
Minister says security vetting system would break down if Mandelson’s answers to private questions were disclosed
Jeremy Wright, the Conservative deputy chair of the intelligence and security committee who tabled the Mandelson UQ, said the committee had “considerable sympathy” with the arguments used by the government to justify the redactions that went beyond the redactions allowed by the humble address.
He went on:
But we cannot accept that the government is entitled to ignore or to unilaterally alter the terms of the humble address. So does the Minister accept that if the government wants to argue that the humble address is too broad as drafted and needs to be refined, it must come to this house and make that argument and get the House’s consent for any alteration.
In response, Jones referred to his early comments justifying the redacting of information relating to personal data.
And referring to the government’s refusal to give the ISC informationn relating to Mandelson’s own security vetting, Jones said:
The raw data that is collected as part of those investigations, which, for example, might relate to how much money you have in a particular account or who you may have had a personal relationship with in the past, that raw data would never be published because if we did so, people would feel unable to answer those questions honestly and frankly in any UK security vetting investigation in the future, which would undermine the very basis of our national security system.
Minister rejects claim from ISC that too much personal data redacted from Mandelson files being released
In its statement on Friday, the ISC accused the government of redacting too much information from the files. (See 11.42am.)
In his opening statement, Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the PM, rejected this claim.
He said that the government was redacting personal information (relating to things like the names of junior officials) in line with the rules that apply to responses to Freedom of Information requests, and in line with the rules in the ministerial code, and resolutions on ministerial accountability passed by the Commons.
These rules say material can be held back if publication is not in the public interest, he said. He went on:
I am sure members across the house will recognise there is no public interest in the government publishing the names and contact details of junior officials or their telephone numbers.
Mandelson files won’t be published until June, and will be biggest release of documents since Chilcot inquiry, MPs told
Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the PM, is responding to the UQ about the Mandelson files. (See 11.42am.)
He says the government is complying with the humble address requiring the publication of documents relating to Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to the US, and also his communications as ambassador with ministers and officials.
He says that the government has referred more than 300 documents to the intelligence and security committee for vetting. (The committee, not the government, gets to decide what material will be withheld on th grounds that it could prejudice national security or international relations.)
He says, when the government checked, it realised that “a small number of further documents” had not been handed over. But those have now been given to the ISC, as it said in its statement on Friday.
He says the material is now being prepared for publication. He says this will be “one of the largest government publications ever laid in this house”.
He says, given the volume of material, it will be published after the Whitsun recess (ie, after the Commons returns from the half-term recess on Monday 1 June).
He says:
It could have been published this Thursday, but I felt that the house would deem that to be inappropriate, given it will be such a significant publication.
This will be the largest publication, other than, I think, the Chilcot Inquiry report ever published to the house.
World ‘sleepwalking into global food crisis’ because of closure of strait of Hormuz, Yvette Cooper warns
Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, has said that the world is “sleepwalking into a global food crisis” because of the ongoing disruption to shipping going through the strait of Hormuz. Gulf states are major global providers of fertilisers and, in a speech to the Global Partnerships conference, Cooper highlighted World Food Programme figures saying that “almost 45 million more people could fall into acute food insecurity if the [Iran] conflict does not end by the middle of this year”.
She said:
The world is sleepwalking into a global food crisis. We cannot risk tens of millions of people going hungry because one country has hijacked an international shipping lane. Iran’s continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz while the agriculture clock is ticking shows why we need urgent global pressure to get the Strait reopened, fertiliser and fuel moving and ease the costs of living pressures. That is why we will continue to lead calls for the immediate and unrestricted opening of the Strait and advance plans for the Strait of Hormuz Multinational Mission to support any agreement.
This crisis is affecting developed and developing countries, the private and public sectors alike. It shows why we need a new approach to global partnerships, to drive international development to prevent crises in the first place.
Michelle Welsh, the Labour MP for Sherwood Forest, says she has been appointed national maternity adviser to the government.
Andy Burnham will give Josh Simons, who resigned as Makerfield’s MP to free up his seat for the Greater Manchester mayor, a top job in No 10 if he becomes PM, the i’s Kitty Donaldson reports. In her story, she says:
Party sources said if Burnham were successful in his bid for parliament, and then also unseated Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister, Simons would be given the position of head of policy, and a role as a floating political secretary in No 10. The latter post acts as a link between the prime minister, their MPs and grassroots.
Simons told Donaldson the story was “gossip and tittle-tattle” – but he did not deny it.
Donaldson also says in a separate report that Labour expect Reform UK to pick Robert Kenyon as its candidate in Makerfield. Kenyon was the candidate in 2024, when he came second. Donaldson says: “Ten days ago, the Army reservist and plumber won his council seat with more than twice as many votes as his Labour rival. With Reform’s considerable spending power behind him, the Muay Thai kickboxing enthusiast would be a formidable opponent.”
UK News
Middle East crisis live: Iran says Trump’s threats to ‘blow up’ Oman ‘dangerous and bullying’ | US-Israel war on Iran
Iran says Trump’s threats against Oman ‘dangerous’ and ‘bullying’
We have a statement from the Iranian foreign ministry in which the spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, described Donald Trump’s threats against Oman as “dangerous” and “bullying”.
He was quoted as saying:
Threats to “destroy” a United Nations member state that has always played a constructive, effective, and responsible role in regional peace and security and has used its noble efforts in the service of regional peace and stability as a mediator in diplomatic processes for many years are not only a violation of the fundamental principle of prohibiting the threat of the use of force, but also another dangerous sign of the normalisation of lawlessness and bullying in international relations.
As a reminder, the US president said yesterday that he would “blow up” Oman if it entered an agreement with Iran to manage shipping in the strait of Hormuz.
Read more here:
Key events
US to shut down Iranian airlines’ access to landing spots, refuelling and ticket sales, says Bessent
The US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said Washington will be shutting down Iranian airlines’ access to landing spots, refuelling and ticket sales.
In a post on X, he said the US has sanctioned Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), a government agency Tehran established on 5 May handling transit fees for vessels in the strait of Hormuz.
Bessent wrote:
The US treasury continues our Economic Fury campaign against the Iranian regime.
Their troops are not getting paid, the police are not reporting for work, and Kharg Island is shut down. The Iranian economy and currency are in free fall.
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) is a joke, and today Treasury has sanctioned it. We have warned any corporate or state entities against paying tolls or hiding them as aid payments.
Forming a Wall of Steel, the US Naval Blockade has ensured a record low amount of Iranian crude on the water. We will also be shutting down both Iranian airlines’ access to landing spots, refueling, and ticket sales.
Only a satisfactory outcome in negotiations will end the downward spiral.
Here are some of the latest images from Beirut, where the Israeli military launched an attack in its first strike on the Lebanese capital since 6 May:
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards threatened a “firm response” on Thursday in the event of renewed attacks, after the United States carried out a strike the country’s south.
“If this action is repeated, the US military will face a firm response,” the Guards said in a statement on their Sepah News website.
Overnight, the Israeli military pounded the coastal city of Tyre, Lebanon’s fourth-largest city, killing at least 14 people across the south of the country in its ongoing military escalation against the Hezbollah group ahead of the Washington talks.
Among those killed in the flurry of strikes were five women and children and a Lebanese soldier. Dozens of others were wounded, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry and the state-run National News Agency.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that an Israeli strike on Beirut targeted an apartment building in the southern Choueifat area.
It was not immediately clear who or what was targeted in the building, but the Times of Israel reported that the IDF was attempting to assassinate an IRGC-linked military leader. Citing a security source, the newspaper reported that the target was Ali al-Husni, described as “the head of the missile force in the Imam Hossein Division, an Iranian militia that operates alongside Hezbollah”.
It is the first time in over three weeks that Israel has attacked the Lebanese capital.
Kuwait says Iranian attacks on its territory a ‘dangerous escalation’
Kuwait has now named Iran as the culprit behind the attempted missile and drone attacks against the Gulf state, describing it as a “dangerous escalation”.
Earlier, the Kuwaiti armed forces said it had intercepted drones and missiles that were launched towards the country, but did not say who was behind the attacks. The US and UAE placed the blame squarely on Iran.
In a statement, the Kuwaiti foreign ministry said it expressed the country’s “strongest condemnation and denunciation of the criminal Iranian attacks that targeted the territory of the state of Kuwait with missiles and drones, in a dangerous escalation”.
It added:
The ministry affirms this escalation comes at a time when earnest efforts are being exerted by a number of brotherly and friendly countries to reduce tensions, de-escalate, and spare the region further escalation, which amplifies the gravity of these attacks and undermines diplomatic efforts aimed at preserving regional security and stability.
Associated Press reported that Israeli fighter jets struck a southern suburb of Beirut but it was not clear what the target was.
According to AFP, citing a Lebanese military source, the Israeli strike hit an apartment south of the capital.
IDF says its carried out strike in Beirut
The IDF said it carried out a strike in the Lebanese capital Beirut, which had been largely spared of attacks since a fragile ceasefire took effect on 17 April.
In a post on X, it said: “The IDF has just carried out a targeted strike in Beirut; further details to follow.”
The most recent Israeli strike on Beirut was on 6 May, when the IDF carried out an airstrike in the southern suburbs known as the Dahiyeh.
We will bring you more as we get it.
US accuses Iran of ceasefire violation after missile intercepted by Kuwaiti forces
The US Central Command said an Iranian missile was intercepted by Kuwaiti forces, as it accused Tehran of an “egregious ceasefire violation”.
In a statement posted on social media, it said:
Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait that was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces. This egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime occurred hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear threat in and near the strait of Hormuz. All drones were successfully intercepted by US forces which also prevented a sixth drone launch from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas.
US Central Command and regional partners remain vigilant and measured as we continue to defend our forces and interests from unjustified Iranian aggression.
UAE condemns Iran for strikes on Kuwait
The UAE has condemned “in the strongest terms” what it described as Iranian drone and missile attacks on Kuwait.
Earlier, the Kuwaiti armed forces said its air defences were intercepting “hostile missile and drone attacks” this morning, but did not say how many and where they were launched from.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted an unnamed American military base in retaliation against US strikes on the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas near the strait of Hormuz, according to the Iranian state broadcaster Irib.
In a statement, the UAE’s foreign ministry said the attacks constituted “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Kuwait and a threat to its security and stability”.
The IDF claimed to have struck more than 135 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon over the past 24 hours, including in the city of Tyre and other southern areas and the eastern Bekaa valley.
Among the targets, the IDF said it struck a Hezbollah training camp and rocket launch sites.
Local media in Lebanon have reported massive explosions and widespread damage in Tyre, as the Israeli military continues to expand its operations deeper into the country through a relentless campaign of displacement orders and airstrikes.
First-year university student Henry Nowak was killed as he walked back from a night out in Southampton.
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French Open 2026: Sinner v Cerundolo, Osaka downs Vekic, and more on day five – live | French Open 2026
Key events
Sinner serves out the second set to lead JM Cerundolo 6-3 6-2, while Vallejo, who’s never played a five-setter, never mind come back from 2-0 down to win, has broken Kouame for 3-1 in the third. But can he see out the set?
On 14, Hurkacz has broken Tiafoe back and leads 4-3 in the first; Diaz Acosta now leads Tien 2-1, the winner to meet Cobolli next; and Walton has taken set three to trail Svajda 2-1.
Flavio Cobolli (10) beats Wu Yibing 6-4 6-4 6-4
A second straightforward win for Cobolli, who with Medvedev gone from his eighth and Auger-Aliassime his seeded last-eight opponent, will be eyeing a deep run.
Now on Mathieu: Francisco Cerundolo (25) v Hugo Gaston.
OK, let’s do Osaka’s interview. She’s into round four for the first time since 2018 and says it means a lot, thanking the crowd for watching. She feels so grateful, this is another milestone and she hopes she gets to play more matches.
Despite a difficult first and second-round draw, she’s won both in two sets so has tried to play her best, be focused, and go point by point; eventually, she ended up winning, so she’s really happy.
On to the dress – we weren’t going at the start, so I didn’t report it – but she feels she’s developed a community with her on-court outfits, likes to keep people guessing, and she enjoys that people enjoy it.
Finally, asked for a word in French for the crowd, she offers “Merci”.
Sinner breaks Cerudolo again to lead 6-3 4-1, and he’ll soon be back in the locker room, so too Cobolli, who leads Wu 6-4 6-4 4-3. Otherwise, Tiafoe leads Hurkacz 2-1 with a break, Diaz acosta now leads Tien 5-7 6-4 5-3, Faria leads Struff 7-5 7-6 2-0 and Svajda leads Walton 6-3 6-4 5-6 on serve.
Back on Lenglen, Kouame – another it’s hard to see losing –holds for 6-5, then reaches 30-40 and set point, varying the trajectory and pace of his forehands … before exploding into a backhand winner, sent from centre to corner, inside-in! It’s a fantastic shot but more than that, a fantastic rally, totally controlled by a 17-year-old who looks terrifyingly complete. So he strikes what has already come to be his pose, right hand cupping an ear and left arm stretched across his body, hand on heart. This is amazing, affirming and inspiring to watch, a young man announcing himself to the world like it’s his; this is so overjoying I barely know what to do with myself and Kouame leads 6-3 7-5.
Naomi Osaka (16) beats Donna Vekic 7-6(1) 6-4
It always felt like Osaka had too much and she did, never in serious danger as she settled into form. Next for her comes Iva Jovic, and I cannot wait for that.
…but this time, Osaka finds the shot she missed last, a serve out wide tidied to the opposite corner, then an unreturned serve raise match point.
At 15-all, Osaka finds a big fist serve, and Vekic is vexed to swipe it wide. A decent return, though, on to the baseline, helps her to 30-all, and a backhand wiped wide means a break-back point…
A brave swing-volley gives Osaka break point at 30-40, a decent backhand return forces her into the point, and her second shot, a forehand guided – ushered – to the inside-out corner, means that at 7-6 5-4, she’ll shortly serve for the match. Her best stuff remains too good for almost everyone.
We’re on serve in our other feature matches, Osaka leading Vekic 7-6 4-4 and Kouame leading Vallejo 6-3 5-4. It feels like we know who’s going to win both matches, but we can’t be sure how either leader will respond once the finish line hoves into view.
Sinner holds to 15 and leads Cerundolo 6-3. I think there’s a good chance he wins this one.
While all that was going on, Vekic broke Osaka back, and they’re now level at 3-3 in the second, Osaka having taken the first; on Lenglen, Kouame has just broken Vallejo back after threatening it pretty much since it happened, to lead 6-3 3-3; and I’m now watching Sinner, who leads Cerundolo Jr 5-3.
Jovic and Navarro share a hug of obvious affection, then the younger player moves along the front row, signing stuff and taking selfies like it’s nothing. She knows this is where she belongs – I know this feels a lazy comparison, but she’s almost Mirra Andreeva, with definitive weapons.
Next on Court 14: Hubert Hurkacz v Francis Tiafoe (19).
Iva Jovic (17) beats Emma Navarro 6-0 6-3
An amazing performance from Jovic, who played unstoppable tennis for a set and a bit, rode out a comeback from a serious opponent, then took over again. She is going to be a factor for a long, long time, and might just contest the title this year – and if it isn’t now, it’ll be soon. Next for her: Vekiv or Osaka, and what a blockbuster that might be. We are watching greatness, people.
Sinner now leads Cerundolo Jr 4-2; Cobolli leads Wu 6-4 5-3; Tien leads Diaz Acosta 7-5 4-4; and Svajda leads Walton 6-3 6-4 1-1. Meantime, back on 16, Jovic again asserts herself, missing a putaway at 15-40 but securing her break next point. She’s now serving for the match at 6-0 5-3.
Vallejo nets a putaway he ought to have monstered, and you can’t be handing Kouame gifts like that – a terrific backhand cross-court raises both a break-back point and the pressure. Back on 16, Jovic stops the rot, holding for 6-0 4-3, while Osaka breaks Vekic to 15 for a 7-6 2-2 lead … and Vallejo saves another break-back with a booming backhand cross, but must still pass through deuce to retain his advantage.
It takes him a while, but Vallejo eventually endorses his break for 3-6 2-0, Kouame still at it, and, on Mathieu, Vekic needs some time to secure her hold in the first game of set two; she trails Osaka 6-7 1-0. Oh, and on 14, Navarro makes it three games on the bounce, holding, just, to trail Jovic 0-6 3-3
On Chatrier, Sinner breaks Cerundolo Jr immediately for 2-0. He’s my dark horse to make the final.
Now then! Navarro gets herself on the board at 0-6 1-3, then makes 30-40 … and is that a sign of stress? Jovic flaps a forehand way wide and, after winning the first nine games, she’s lost two on the spin and we’re back on serve in the second, the match still in the balance.
Yup, Vekic nets a backhand and Osaka leads 7-6 while, on Lenglen, Vallejo breaks Kouame at the start of set two to trail 3-6 1-0. Otherwise, moving around the courts, Cobolli now leads Wu 6-4 1-2; Tien leads Diaz Acosta 7-5 1-1; Faria leads Struff 7-5; and Svajda leads Walton 6-3 4-4.
Gosh, Osaka is all over Vekic now, rushing to a 6-0 breaker lead, and though a drop retrieves a point, this is a depressing way to lose a set – even if it’s been in the post for a few games now.
We’ll soon be underway on Chatrier, where Sinner faces Cerudolo – I guess I’ll join that match when Jovic has finished with Navarro, her lead 6-0 3-0. Her shot-selection is really excellent, especially given her commitment to attack – she rarely reaches for one that isn’t there, and there aren’t many who can play better than she is this morning.
Vekic has lost the run of herself, gifting two set points after Osaka holds for 6-5. So she marches on to a forehand and unloads, a winner making 30-40, then, sending down a second serve that sits up nicely, watches the overhit return fly long. That’s a big missed opportunity then, when she arranges another, a wide serve and line backhand restore deuce; excellent work from Vekic. An ace follows, and from there, she closes out the hold; a breaker will settle things.
Back with Kouame, he’s up advantage, takes control of the next rally, and a deep backhand incites Vallejo to net on the forehand! The 17-year-old takes the first set 6-3, with two breaks, and Lenglen is jumping!
Kouame holds for 5-3, then makes 30-40 and set point; Vallejo saves it well, serving out wide then putting away a shoulder-high volley. But he’s soon down advantage, Kouame missing his backhand down the line to restore deuce, but Vallejo shanks his forehand so back round we go. Meantime, Jovic outlasts Navarro in a protracted game on 14, taking her sixth break point to leads 6-0 2-0. She’s taking an experienced top-10 talent to the absolute cleaners.
Osaka makes 0-15, then a double, the first of the match, gives her a serious sniff; this might be a turning point. So Vekic slams down an ace, her first of the match, a return goes long, and this is a decent response … but a fine return from Osaka raises break-back point then, out of nowhere, she ups the pace, an inside-out backhand to the corner the shot of the match so far. We’re level at 5-5, and this is brewing into a very acceptable contest.
Talking of Vekic and Osaka, the former is about to serve for set one at 5-4, still in charge but probably second-best in terms of play now. Otherwise, Cobolli leads Wu 6-4, Tien is about to serve for the set against Diaz Acosta at 5-4, and Svajda leads Walton 6-3 0-2.
On Mathieu, Jovic has bagelled Navarro, and might she be a threat to win this title, this year? What I enjoy about her in particular is her attitude – she looks to dominate and does, but if she’s behind in the rally, she’s certain she can work her way back into it. There’s not much she can’t do, really, and if she were to win today, then beat Vekic or Osaka, she’d probably face Sabalenka in round four. That could be quite a contest.
At 30-all, Kouame hooks a forehand wide, his first proper error … so he plays a gorgeous backhand drop to save break point …then punishes a backhand winner down the line for advantage … then seizes momentum in the next rally with a backhand … only to net the follow-up forehand. But you can see that at 17, his tennis brain is seriously precocious, and a ludicrous forehand, taken early and sent cross-court to the opposite corner, restores advantage. Again, he can’t see it out, but increasingly, I’m convinced we’re watching a superstar. As I type, he flings down an ace, then dashes in to sweep a forehand cross, and the break is thusly endorsed, Kouame up 4-2.
Given how much tennis I watch, and it’s a fair bit, I’ve not seen loads of Jovic, but I’m certain that’ll be addressed over the next decade or two. She’s started beautifully here, up 4-0 on Navarro – still feeling her way back after taking a career break to refresh:
I think it should be normalised. The circuit is very tough, long, and exhausting. Fans see us on TV for an hour and a half every few days, and that’s pretty much all they see of many things we do on and off the court. So yes, there is a lot involved in trying to be at the top level in your sport, and it requires constant care of the body and mind. It takes a toll, without a doubt.
It’s important to normalise it and take a break if necessary. I tried to step back from the circuit and didn’t follow the results or watch any tennis matches when I wasn’t playing. I just wanted to feel like a normal person, a person who wasn’t playing tennis, rather than a tennis player. I spent a lot of time with my family and friends at home and, well, yes, I managed to feel quite normal. That was really nice. Yes, it made me appreciate many things when returning to the circuit.”
These are important words. Of course there are worse things to do for a living than travel the world playing tennis, but that doesn’t mean it should be an endurance test with domestic consequences.
Elsewhere, Cobolli leads Wu 3-2 with a break; Tien leads Diaz Acosta 3-2 with a break; and Svajda leads Walton 5-2.
Righto, I’m watching Vekic 3-1 Osaka; Jovic 3-0 Navarro; and Kouame 3-2 Vallejo – and the younger of the two youngsters has just broken.
Preamble
Salut à tout le monde et bienvenue à Roland-Garros 2026 – cinquième jour! Et oh là là, quel tennis nous attend!
We begin today with a raft of compelling contests. Naomi Osaka takes on Donna Vekic and Iva Jovic meets Emma Navrro, with Flavio Cobolli, Learner Tien and Zach Svajda also in action. But the most exciting among the exciting is to be found on Lenglen, where Moise Kouame, the 17-year-old local boy whose destruction of Marin Cilic made him the hero of round one, addresses Adolfo Daniel Vallejo in what looks an exceedingly winnable matchup.
Soon after, Jannik Sinner takes to the clay against Juan Manuel Cerúndolo – whose seeded older brother faces Hugo Gaston later in the day. But while that’s going on, we might easily be distracted, given the appearances of Amanda Anisimova, Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, Madison Keys and Felix Auger-Aliassime – whose battle with Jorge Burruchaga’s son will engage football fans of a certain medieval.
Then, as the day continues, we’ve got the first appearance of Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara, former men’s doubles champions at Wimbledon and in Melbourne; Victoria Mboko against Katarina Siniakova; with Ben Shelton, Anna Kalinskaya and Katie Boulter also in action. Or, in other words, quelqu’un aurait-il des yeux de rechange?
Chauette! On y va!
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