The start of a slam is that glorious vortex of uncertainty into which spin champions and outsiders as equals until the final ball of the contest is struck – so the British players who are not Andy Murray have at least a couple of days in the Parisian sun.
Murray, who has genuine prospects of reaching the semi-finals after a grand run of 10 consecutive wins and two titles on clay, lines up with Kyle Edmund and new passport-holder Aljaz Bedene as the largest British contingent in the men’s draw since 2006. There are two players in the women’s tournament, Heather Watson and Johanna Konta – and, yet again, no Laura Robson, whose 17 months out with a wrist injury is turning into a worryingly long absence.
Nine arrived in total at the start of the week, so five are still standing as the competition proper begins. That may be a rather sad little tally when you look at the representation of other countries – men’s and women’s, including the qualification rounds: 48 French, 28 Spanish, 40 Americans, 23 Germans, 22 Russians, 21 Czechs, 20 Italians and Australians, 16 Japanese, 15 Argentinians, 12 Belgians and Croatians, 11 Romanians, 10 Chinese, Serbs and Ukrainians – but it’s our sad little tally.
The newest Brit, Bedene, went straight for the heart strings when he declared with a straight face there would be “four or five British men in the top 100 within a year”. Good luck with that one, Al – but at least he struck a note of positivity. Bedene, ranked 77, plays Dominic Thiem (42), and will take heart from his three-sets victory over the gifted Austrian shotmaker in Texas this year. He is, however, perilously close to Roger Federer in the draw. Edmund is not far away from Murray’s clutches – if he gets past the French qualifier Stéphane Robert in the first round. Murray has the easiest job, regardless of his opponent’s status, and should make short work of the Argentinian lucky loser Facundo Argüello.
Watson, who played well in Rome before going out to the finalist Carla Suárez Navarro (seeded eighth here and a feared sleeper), meets the French wildcard Mathilde Johansson first up and could play Konta in the third round if the stars are properly aligned, which they often are not.
Konta plays the Czech Denisa Allertova. The Sydney-born daughter of Hungarian immigrants who has lived in the UK for 10 years, naturally bridles when her Britishness is raised – as did Bedene on Saturday, in an altogether gentlemanly way. Both are fine ambassadors. Quite how long their posting in Paris lasts we will soon discover.
Murray has already given his blessing to Bedene – his nearest British colleague in the rankings – and an ITF ruling on 30 May will determine if the Slovenian-born player will be eligible to play Davis Cup for his adopted country.
