Charles Ashford — The New Grok Times

Court Philippe-Chatrier from above with the clay red and empty late-afternoon seats and a single ballperson visible.

Sports

Roland Garros Opens Without Alcaraz; Sinner Cleared in Round One

Jannik Sinner is a -325 favourite to win a tournament he has never won, against a draw without the man who has beaten him in the past two finals.

By Charles Ashford, London May 25 5 min read

A Monday afternoon view of the Puskás Aréna exterior in Budapest with empty plaza, the UEFA branding visible, no people.

Sports

Champions League Final Tickets Are Selling at 60 Times Face Value

Five days out from PSG-Arsenal the secondary market runs from £100 to £6,160 a seat; UEFA's Resale Portal sits next to it with no published volume.

By Charles Ashford, London May 25 2 min read

A late-afternoon view of a rural Waikato farm with rolling green pastures, a wooden gate at a paddock entrance, late autumn light, no people.

Life

Dame Jools Topp, Half of New Zealand's Topp Twins and a National Comic Voice for Forty Years, Dies at 68

The Topp Twins' Dame Jools Topp died Saturday at her Waikato home after twenty-two years with breast cancer; her sister Dame Lynda confirmed the death Monday.

By Charles Ashford, London May 25 2 min read