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Nadal and Djokovic into French Open second round

  • Posted: May 27, 2019
2019 French Open
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 26 May – 9 June
Coverage: Live text and radio commentary on selected matches on the BBC Sport website and app.

Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal secured their places in the French Open second round with routine victories on Philippe-Chatrier.

World number one Djokovic, who could hold all four Grand Slam titles for the second time in his career, beat Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 6-4 6-2 6-2.

Earlier, defending champion and second seed Nadal beat German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann 6-2 6-1 6-3.

The Spaniard is chasing a record-extending 12th title at Roland Garros.

  • Johanna Konta advances to second round for first time
  • Caroline Wozniacki knocked out in first round
  • Sixth seed Petra Kvitova withdraws

But Djokovic is in impressive form as he chases history.

“I put myself in a situation where I can actually make tennis history again and obviously I have very high ambitions for this tournament,” said the Serb.

“It’s not the first time that I’m facing these kinds of circumstances. It’s not the first Grand Slam in my career. I have played so many.

“I know it’s two weeks, potentially, long and I just need to be in my lockdown mentally, and just do things that have worked for me in the past.”

After saving four break points in the first game, 17-time Grand Slam winner Nadal dominated throughout and will face German qualifier Yannick Maden in the second round.

The 32-year-old, who won his first title since August at the Italian Open earlier in May, remains a hot favourite to win the Grand Slam.

Djokovic, who warmed up for the tournament by winning the Madrid Open and reaching the Rome final, toyed with his opponent, ranked 44th in the world.

He took the first set with an ace before breaking three times in the second and twice in the third – producing an array of winners and using the drop shot to devastating effect.

The 15-time Grand Slam champion will face Swiss lucky loser Henri Laaksonen, ranked 104th in the world, in the second round.

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Wawrinka through but upsets for other seeds

Another former champion Stan Wawrinka joined Nadal and Djokovic in the second round, with the Swiss beating Slovakia’s Josef Kovalik 6-1 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 6-3.

Meanwhile, Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem – who lost to Nadal in last year’s final and is widely expected to challenge again this year – needed four sets to get past American wildcard Tommy Paul 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.

But 12th seed Daniil Medvedev, 15th seed Nikoloz Basilashviliand 20th seed Denis Shapovalov suffered early exits.

Russian Medvedev lost 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-2 7-5 to French world number 43 Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who gave home fans something to cheer about with his fight-back from two sets down.

Georgia’s Basilashvili, meanwhile, was convincingly beaten 6-4 6-1 6-3 by Argentine world number 78 Juan Ignacio Londero, and Canada’s Shapovalov went out 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 6-4 to Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.

As well as Herbert’s dream comeback win, there were victories for five other Frenchmen in front of their home fans, with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon,Benoit Paire,Richard Gasquet and Corentin Moutet all progressing.

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Bad light stops play with Edmund & Chardy level at 5-5 in final set

  • Posted: May 27, 2019

British number one Kyle Edmund’s French Open first-round match with Frenchman Jeremy Chardy was suspended deep in the final set because of bad light.

The match was halted with the score at 7-6 (7-1) 5-7 6-4 4-6 5-5 after four hours of play at Roland Garros in Paris.

There were boos from the crowd when the decision was made to resume on Tuesday.

Edmund, 24, was a set and a break up before he was pegged back by the world number 41.

Edmund has reached the second round in each of his past four appearances at the French Open.

Compatriots Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans will play their first-round matches on Tuesday.

Earlier on Monday, British women’s number one Johanna Konta beat German world number 147 Antonia Lottner 6-4 6-4 to reach the second round for the first time in her career.

  • ‘I never doubted my ability’ – Konta reaches second round

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Thiem Tames Paul Test To Advance At Roland Garros

  • Posted: May 27, 2019

Thiem Tames Paul Test To Advance At Roland Garros

May272019

Austrian to face Bublik next

Fourth seed Dominic Thiem faced the toughest test of the tournament favourites in the first round at Roland Garros. But the Austrian battled on, and that’s what counts.

Thiem defeated wild card and 2015 Roland Garros Boys’ Singles champion Tommy Paul 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2 to remain undefeated in his openers at the year’s second Grand Slam (6-0).

“it was definitely difficult, but I didn’t expect at all an easy match,” Thiem said. “I wasn’t playing my best today, that’s for sure. But, I mean, we all could see what happens if I don’t play my best tennis. He was playing amazing then. It was very, very close. And of course the key moment of the match was the tie-break in the third set.”

One year ago in Paris, Thiem reached his first Grand Slam final, with only 11-time champion Rafael Nadal being able to stop him. The 25-year-old brings momentum to this tournament again, having captured his first ATP Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells and defeating Nadal en route to the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell trophy without dropping a set at that ATP 500 event.

Paul, who earned his spot via a reciprocal wild card provided to the USTA, proved a difficult opponent for Thiem, showing no fear of stepping into the court and trading blows with the big-hitting World No. 4. But the difference came in the third-set tie-break, when Paul let slip a 4/0 lead with errors he had not hit throughout the match.

That was the only advantage Thiem needed, raising his already high level another notch, hitting 10 winners to just two unforced errors in the fourth set to triumph after two hours and 31 minutes.

“I didn’t feel really good. Didn’t play my best tennis. He really took advantage of that, also. He made it very tough for me out there,” Thiem said. “The most positive thing I am taking from the match today is the fourth set, because I freed myself. I played way faster, way tougher for him. I moved him around way more. That’s what I tried to build up on this fourth set. And of course, I was tough and fighting all the time and turning around. 0/4 in a breaker is nice for the confidence and for the fighting spirit.”

Read More #RG19 Stories
Rafa Ruthless In Opener
Tsonga Sets Nishikori Blockbuster
Wawrinka & De Minaur Win As Tiafoe Falls

Thiem will next face 21-year-old Kazakh Alexander Bublik, who beat #NextGenATP German Rudolf Molleker 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-1, 7-6(2) in two hours and 34 minutes. It will be their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting. This is Bublik’s first appearance in the main draw at Roland Garros.

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In other action, Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas beat home favourite Maxime Janvier 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 34 minutes 

“I’m still very disappointed. He’s a very good clay-court player. Conditions were not easy. It was windy. I didn’t feel stable,” Janvier said. “I did my utmost. He was stronger than I was. I can’t say much about this.”

No. 28 seed Kyle Edmund was tied with Frenchman 7-6(1), 5-7, 6-4, 4-6, 5-5 when play was suspended due to darkness.

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Williams survives scare to go through – without the catsuit

  • Posted: May 27, 2019
2019 French Open
Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 26 May-9 June
Coverage: Live text and radio commentary on selected matches on the BBC Sport website and app.

Serena Williams survived a scare as she fought back to beat Russian world number 83 Vitalia Diatchenko in the French Open first round.

American Williams, who has been battling injury, showed rustiness in a poor first set filled with loose shots.

But the 23-time Grand Slam champion found her rhythm to claim 12 of the final 13 games and win 2-6 6-1 6-0 at Roland Garros in Paris.

Williams, 37, faces Japan’s Kurumi Nara or Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic next.

“There is always a lot of fear for a first-round match,” Williams said.

“I made lots of mistakes in the first set and I just said ‘good luck, Serena’.

“I was strong after that. Now I feel like I need to go and practise.”

  • Konta wins at French Open for first time
  • Kvitova withdraws from first round with arm injury
  • Wozniacki knocked out in first round

From screams of frustration to a milestone

The women’s draw at Roland Garros had already lost Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber and former world number ones Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams to first-round defeats, while sixth seed Petra Kvitova pulled out injured.

It started to look like Williams’ name would be added to the list of casualties.

Her season has been disrupted by a persistent knee injury and she was even pictured sat in a wheelchair – seemingly as a protective measure – on a trip to Disneyland Paris with her daughter Olympia last week.

The injury forced her to pull out of the Italian Open two weeks ago, meaning she had played only once on clay since last year’s Roland Garros.

Since losing to Karolina Pliskova in the Australian Open quarter-finals in January, Williams has played in only three tournaments – Indian Wells, Miami and Rome – and has withdrawn from all of them.

So it was unsurprising to see the 10th seed make 14 unforced errors in the opening set against 28-year-old Diatchenko.

Loud screams of frustration at the start of the second set seemed to have a cathartic effect, with Williams finding her stride soon after.

The three-time French Open champion, who is aiming to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, hit 20 winners in the final two sets as she increased the intensity against a rapidly wilting Diatchenko.

In the end it was a procession to an 800th victory in the main draw of a tournament as Williams became the first woman to reach the milestone.

The catsuit was banned – so what did she wear?

Williams was banned from wearing the black catsuit outfit she donned at last year’s French Open, with the tournament introducing a stricter dress code.

She said the outfit made her feel like a “superhero” and that it helped with the issue of blood clots, which she said almost cost her her life giving birth.

She answered the ‘what will she wear?’ question when she arrived on Philippe Chatrier wearing a black and white striped cape emblazoned with the words ‘champion’, ‘mother’, ‘queen’ and ‘goddess’.

That was just for the warm-up, after which she revealed an abstract outfit in the same colours, which looked like floating shorts and a crop top but which also had a mesh panel around the torso.

Even then she was not finished with the outfit changes, later pulling on a – remarkably plain – long-sleeved top.

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Tsonga Sets Nishikori Blockbuster At Roland Garros

  • Posted: May 27, 2019

Tsonga Sets Nishikori Blockbuster At Roland Garros

May272019

Frenchman won five-setter against the Japanese star in Paris four years ago

Home favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga set a blockbuster second-round battle against seventh seed Kei Nishikori on Monday by beating German Peter Gojowczyk 7-6(4), 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in two hours and 21 minutes to advance at Roland Garros. It is the Frenchman’s first trip to the second round on the Parisian terre battue since 2016, as he did not compete here last season and lost in the first round in 2017.

“I’m very happy to be here,” Tsonga said. “It’s been two years I hadn’t played here. It’s fantastic and Roland Garros has really changed, so for us players everything has been transformed positively, and it’s very great.”

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Tsonga, who missed seven months of 2018 due to left knee surgery, fell as low as No. 262 in the ATP Rankings last November. But Tsonga is already back to World No. 82, and he triumphed in Montpellier this February.

“It’s been difficult, because each time I want to do my best, I’m putting myself under pressure,” Tsonga said. “I need to revitalise things a bit more and to let my tennis play and enjoy each moment.” 

You May Also Like: Nishikori Reaches The Second Round At Roland Garros

Nishikori is a familiar foe for Tsonga. The Japanese star leads the pair’s FedEx ATP Head2Head series 5-3, but seven of those eight matches came on hard courts. At 2015 Roland Garros, Tsonga defeated Nishikori in a five-set marathon lasting three hours and 45 minutes to reach the semi-finals. That was tied for the Frenchman’s best result at his home Grand Slam, also making the last four in 2013.

“I was really in the match with beautiful intentions. I had played very well the first two sets, and then there was this stop because of the panel, and he came back with different intentions than what was happening during the first two sets,” Tsonga said. “The match was balanced. He came back, and I did a fantastic fifth set on the centre court with a fantastic crowd. So that’s the type of matches you enjoy, because everything is present. You have a great player in front of you. You play your best tennis. You have a crowd cheering you. And it’s the best scenario you can have in Roland Garros.”

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View Schedule: Del Potro, Zverev And Fognini Kick Off Day 3 At Roland Garros

  • Posted: May 27, 2019

View Schedule: Del Potro, Zverev And Fognini Kick Off Day 3 At Roland Garros

May272019

Khachanov also headlines Tuesday play

Juan Martin del Potro, Alexander Zverev and Fabio Fognini all start play at 11:00am on a busy Day 3 of Roland Garros. Tenth seed Karen Khachanov of Russia is also in action on Tuesday’s schedule.

Eighth seed Del Potro faces a challenging opening test against Chilean Nicolas Jarry. The Argentine has been limited to three tournaments this season due to a right knee injury, but reached the quarter-finals at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia and held two match points against Novak Djokovic before falling in three sets. Del Potro has a 19-8 record at Roland Garros and is a two-time semi-finalist (2009 and 2018). Jarry held two championship points last week at the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open before losing to Zverev in a third-set tie-break.

You May Also Like: After Rome Surprise, Del Potro Looks Forward To Roland Garros Challenge

Fifth seed Zverev starts his fortnight against Aussie John Millman. Although the 2018 Nitto ATP Finals champion has had mixed results this year, he clinched his first title of the season in Geneva and reached the final in Acapulco (l. to Kyrgios). Millman is seeking his first-ever win in Paris (0-3).

Ninth seed Fognini aims for a big run as he opens against fellow Italian Andreas Seppi. They are even in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry at 4-4, but Fognini has won their past four matches. The 32-year-old won his first ATP Masters 1000 title last month at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (d. Lajovic) and could crack the Top 10 for the first time with a big result this fortnight.

Read More: Fognini & Khachanov Seek Top 10 Breakthrough At Roland Garros

Khachanov kicks off his Paris campaign against German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe. Although the tenth seed arrives in Paris with a 10-12 record this season, he reached the quarter-finals this March at the BNP Paribas Open. Stebe returned to action last month after sitting out 15 months due to several injuries.

Other notable matches on Tuesday include No. 14 seed Gael Monfils looking to delight the home crowd against Japanese Taro Daniel. Another Frenchman, No. 22 seed Lucas Pouille, will square off with Italian qualifier Simone Bolelli.

More On #RG19
* Laver Talks Djokovic Chasing ‘Nole Slam’ 
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ORDER OF PLAY – MONDAY, 27 MAY 2019

Court Philippe-Chatrier start 11:00
[5] Alexander Zverev vs John Millman
Two WTA matches
[14] Gael Monfils vs. Taro Daniel

Court Suzanne Lenglen start 11:00
[8] Juan Martin del Potro vs Nicolas Jarry
WTA match
[22] Lucas Pouille vs [Q] Simone Bolelli
WTA match

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Court Simonne-Mathieu start 11:00
[9] Fabio Fognini vs Andreas Seppi
Two WTA matches
Adrian Mannarino vs Stefano Travaglia

Court No. 1 start 11:00
WTA match
[18] Roberto Bautista Agut vs Steve Johnson
[10] Karen Khachanov vs Cedrik-Marcel Stebe
WTA matchr

Court No. 14 start 11:00
Taylor Fritz vs Bernard Tomic
WTA match
[WC] Gregoire Barrere vs Matthew Ebden
WTA match

Court No. 7 start 11:00
Cameron Norrie vs [Q] Elliot Benchetrit
WTA match
[23] Fernando Verdasco vs Daniel Evans
WTA match

Court No. 6 start 11:00
WTA match
Ivo Karlovic vs Feliciano Lopez
Damir Dzumhur vs [WC] Antoine Hoang

Court No. 4 start 11:00
Ken Skupski / Neal Skupski vs Luke Bambridge / Jonny O’Mara
Guido Pella / Diego Schwartzman vs Hugo Gaston / Clement Tabur
[14] Robin Haase / Frederik Nielsen vs Marcelo Arevalo / Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela

Court No. 5 start 11:00
[16]Austin Krajicek / Artem Sitak vs Cheng-Peng Hsieh / Christopher Rungkat
[8] Henri Kontinen / John Peers vs Leonardo Mayer / Joao Sousa
[1] Lukasz Kubot / Marcelo Melo vs Roberto Carballes Baena / Jaume Munar

Court No. 8 start 11:00
[2] Jamie Murray / Bruno Soares vs Matteo Berrettini / Lorenzo Sonego
[10] Jean-Julien Rojer / Horia Tecau vs Christian Garin / Juan Ignacio Londero
Kevin Krawietz / Andreas Mies vs Manuel Guinard / Arthur Rinderknech
[6] Raven Klaasen / Michael Venus vs Rohan Bopanna / Marius Copil

Court No. 9 start 11:00
Federico Delbonis vs [Q] Guillermo Garcia-Lopez
Three WTA matches

Court No. 10 start 11:00
Yoshihito Nishioka vs Mackenzie McDonald
[12] Ivan Dodig / Edouard Roger-Vasselin vs Miomir Kecmanovic / Casper Ruud
Aljaz Bedene / Hubert Hurkacz vs Marcus Daniell / Wesley Koolhof
[15] Ben McLachlan / Jan-Lennard Struff vs Jeremy Chardy / Fabrice Martin

Court No. 11 start 11:00
Matwe Middelkoop / Tim Puetz vs Roman Jebavy / Andres Molteni
[30] Dusan Lajovic vs [Q} Thiago Monteiro
[9] Maximo Gonzalez / Horacio Zeballos vs Denys Molchanov / Igor Zelenay
WTA match

Court No. 12 start 11:00
WTA match
[7] Mike Bryan / Bob Bryan vs Pablo Carreno Busta / Gerard Granollers
Jordan Thompson vs [LL] Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
WTA match

Court No. 13 start 11:00
{Q] Mikael Ymer vs [Q] Blaz Rola
WTA match
Martin Klizan vs Mikhail Kukushkin

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