Match report
So there you have it. Andy Murray was beaten in straight sets by Stan Wawrinka earlier, and Johanna Konta has now followed her compatriot out of the French Open at the first hurdle, with a straight-sets loss. Konta did not look wholly comfortable against Gauff, whether it was the wind or the cold or something else. But Gauff of course was aiming to make life uncomfortable, did so very effectively, and earned a second-round match with Martina Trevisan.
Overall, Roland Garros does look very different at this time of year - the wind and the low temperatures make it a profoundly different event, and whoever adjusts best will flourish over the next couple of weeks. Well done to Gauff and Wawrinka. Thank you for reading, and goodbye!
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Gauff defeats Konta! 6-3, 6-3
A very accomplished win by the young American. Johanna Konta is out. The 16-year-old who hails from Atlanta is through to the second round.
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Superb work from Gauff and she has two match points ... Konta saves one by coming into the net and executing a good drop shot.
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Konta breaks back! It is 5-3. Just when it looked like Gauff was storming to victory, Konta grinds out a break under a lot of pressure. She is serving to try and make it 5-4, and exert a little pressure on her opponent.
Gauff breaks! She earns a 5-2 lead in the second with a tremendously deep ground stroke that lands just inside the line. Konta is heading out in straight sets, just as Murray did earlier, unless she can produce a miracle.
Konta gets another volley all wrong. She is staring down the barrel now at 0-30 to Gauff on Konta’s service game, at 4-2 in the second. And now Gauff earns three break points with a massive forehand.
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On her service game, Gauff give up two double faults, but still comes through it, and she leads 4-2 in the second set having now won four games in a row. She is two games away from progressing at the expense of Konta.
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Gauff is playing really impressively and tenaciously here. She takes a long rally as Konta overhits an attempted winner - and then she converts her fifth break point of the game, as Konta overhits another drop shot. Gauff hunts it down and hits a clean winner. Gauff is so impressive for a 16-year-old player - or indeed for a player of any age - she is just remarkable. It is 3-2 to Gauff in the second set. She took the first set 6-3.
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The umpire called ‘Time’ on Konta when she went for her towel. She then saves another break point with another brilliant drop shot. But now Gauff has another break point ...
Konta double-faults and now has to try and save another break point ...
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Wow! Konta saves one of two break points with an absolutely delightful drop shot that hits the line ... and saves the next with a big cross-court forehand! It’s deuce in the fifth game.
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Gauff holds and it is 2-2. Konta is unhappy about something - not sure what. Anyway, she is facing a battle to take this to three sets with the scores level in the second. Gauff took the first 6-3.
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Gauff breaks back! It is 2-1. Good stuff from the young American - Konta had a volley to try and save that break point, but got it wrong. The commentators think the wind might have been a factor. At the break, both players sit with thick towels wrapped around them. It looks much colder on court than the 14C that they say it is. Wind chill must be coming into play.
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A furious rally ends with Konta getting an attempted drop shot very wrong. It goes long. I *think* it was an attempted drop shot, anyway.
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Konta breaks to love! She leads 2-0 in the second. Impressive stuff - Konta fought hard to save that first set, narrowly failed, but is right back in this match.
Konta leads 1-0 in the second set, trailing by a set against Gauff. She has 0-30 on Gauff’s serve ... make that 0-40!
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Wawrinka defeats Murray 6-1, 6-3, 6-2
All over. And extremely one-sided. Wawrinka will face Dominik Koepfer in the second round. It really is that simple. Was Murray injured? There were whisperings about tendonitis.
Over on Suzanne-Lenglen, Gauff takes the first set against Konta, 6-3.
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Match point Wawrinka ... three of them ...
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“The one thing about Murray over the years is that he relishes a battle. And today we are just not seeing it,” says our commentator, and that is quite right.
And Wawrinka breaks! 5-2 and all but over.
Meanwhile, over in Konta v Gauff, Konta is fighting hard to save the first set.
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Murray smokes a hugely powerful forehand towards the corner but it’s just out. He’s just got to find something from somewhere ...
Wawrinka holds serve to love and he leads 4-2 in the third set. The Swiss player’s power and precision is too much for Murray at the moment, and there aren’t many moments left ...
Murray holds. It’s 3-2 in the third set, with Murray fighting for his life, two sets down. Meanwhile, Gauff leads Konta 5-3.
Cor! That Wawrinka backhand again, it is power-packed. But Murray gets it back this time and his opponent fluffs a forehand into the net. Murray is serving now at 3-1. He can’t afford to be broken here that is for sure.
Hello everyone. Thank you Daniel. Wawrinka has just powered a dismissive backhand winner down the line with Murray nowhere, and he’s set to hold serve to love, which would make it 3-1 in this third set.
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And that’s me done for the day; Luke McLaughlin will coax you through the amazing British double-swoop of a comeback.
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While that was all going on, Konta struggled to a hold; she trails Gauff 2-4.
Wawrinka misses a gimme – his third loose shot of the game – and suddenly Murray has three break-back points, his first of the match! Not gonna lie, I put that exclamation mark there partly on principle, partly as force of habit, and Wawrinka quickly eliminates with with two big forehands. Normal Murray would be ranting and shrieking at that, but he’s been very submissive today, and nets a tame return to give Wawrinka deuce. The next two points take about 0.0004 seconds. Wawrinka leads 6-1 6-2 2-0.
Murray comes to the net with no apparent strategy as to what he might do when he got there. A nondescript volley allows Wawrinka to pass for break point, and a forehand winner – he’s hit 30 total now – gives him a break in the third. This is extremely over.
Wawrinka has played really well so far, but it’s impossible to forget that once upon a time you’d still back Murray to beat him on any surface.
Wawrinka takes the second set to lead Murray 6-1 6-3!
Gauff saves two break points, the second of them with a colossal ace down the middle, while another winner takes Wawrinka to 40-15; a serve down the T, a clean-up forehand, and that’s the second set, with Gauff closing out for 4-1.
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Everything Murray does looks hard, but he holds for 5-3 and Wawrinka will now serve for the set. Nothing we’ve seen today suggests Murray can break him.
Gombos has beaten Coric [24[ 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4. He meets Rodionov next.
It requires a deuce, but a big forehand and clean-up overhead give Konta her first game of the match. She now trails Gauff 3-1.
I didn’t feel the last photo did this rig justice. Just look at what he’s putting himself through!
Wawrinka holds for 5-2, and with ease. I wonder how long Murray will put up with this; on the one hand, he loves competing, but on the other he’s Andy Murray. I guess he’ll want to find out what his current ceiling is, but with a young family at home, does he really need this? “Yes yes yes!” chorus those with young families at home.
Konta gets herself a break point but Gauff saves it and her serve does the rest. She leads 3-0.
Wawrinka just has a bit too much for Murray here, lashing a backhand flat down the line, then belting a flat return; he’s hit 20 winners to Murray’s six, and is up 0-30 looking for 4-2 in set two. He finds another lovely angle too - Murray used to be so quick around the court, but he’s looking a bit old today - drops to seal the point, and makes the break when Murray shanks a forehand wide. Wawrinka leads 6-1 4-2.
Konta spanks a lovely backhand down the line for 15-all as Murray chases down a drop for 2-2 in set two. But Gauff has Konta’s number for the time being and quickly breaks her for 2-0 in set one, while Wawrinka, under pressure at 30-all, lands an unbelievable serve on the tramline then closes out.
“You reckon Wawrinka is coming in to this totally under the radar?” asks Yas. “Not been in any form coming in but a Stan on a roll is a Stan to be contended with...”
Agree with that, and if he’s in nick he could go deep, but it’s hard to see him beating either of the big two.
A deep return and a clouted forehand give Konta deuce in the first game of the match, but Gauff responds well with an ace and quickly closes out for 1-0.
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Murray gets to 40-30 on the Wawrinka serve, but then a booming delivery out wide is too good for him. Still he’s looking a little better now.
Is Murrance warming up? He’s lost six games in a row, but comes up with a love hold to trail 6-1 1-1.
Konta and Gauff are out...
Wawrinka takes the first set against Murray 6-1!
Wawrinka has made more unforced errors than Wawrinka 10-8, but has hit way more winners; I think it’s 10-2. It took them 20 minutes to play three games, but Murray is now serving at 15-40, and a return to the tootsies sees Murray waft a forehand wide.
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Now 1-5 down, Murray serves to stay in the set. These are his garms...
Wawrinka looks too strong for Murray at the moment and has breaks him a second time for 4-1. No one will be enjoying the cold, but in normal circumstances you’d expect the man from Dunblane to have his beach shorts on, except Murray’s new bionic hip probably thinks differently.
On Mathieu, Paire has just won the second set against Kwon, to lead 7-5 6-4.
Wawrinka consolidates his break, while Rodionov talks about how munting it is in the cold and says whoever adapts best will win.
Rodionv beats Chardy 3-6 4-6 7-6(6) 6-4 10-8!
That’s his first slam win in his first slam match and also the first time he’s come back from two sets down to win! He did so well to keep breaking after serving for thematch and failing; he meets Coric or Gombos next, with Gombos 2-1 and a break up.
Murray hasn’t quite got himself going yet; he can hut the ball a lot harder than he’s doing. But let’s go back to Lenglen, where Rodionov have match point numder 7!
Murray nets a forehand and Wawrinka breaks! It’s taken them 20 minutes to get through three games, while Rodionov now has another match point, his sixth I think! AND OH NO! He bangs a great serve out wide, Chardy can only float back to keep it alive, and Rodionov nets!
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AND RODIONOV GOES LONG FROM THE BACK! What a match this is!
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Wawrinka earns himself a break point, which Murray saves with a big serve, then on Lenglen, Rodionov thunders yet another ace down the middle. HERE WE GO....
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Chardy gets over-excited trying to play a clever drop when one wasn’t on, and Rodionov will now serve for the match for the third time! It’s incredible that we’ve got this going on so I feel bad for griping, but imagine this place full for this.
Norbert has taken the third set against Coric [24] to lead 2-1.
Murray whips a forehand cross-court to make it 15-all; it’s 1-1 in the first set as they warm up.
Goodness me, it’s now 8-7 to Chardy, but Rodionov has just thundered a serve down the middle to make it 8-8.
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Murray and Wawrinka are underway, Murray now in shorts on top of leggings, while Chardy is two points away at 0-30.
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Chardy runs down a drop to make 7-6 and Rodionov must now serve to stay in the competition having failed twice when serving to progress in it.
Murray is knocking up in tracky bums, partly because he’s a shloch and partly because he needs his muscles to be warm. On Lenglen, it’s 6-6 and they’re fighting through a deuce.
On Chatrier, Murray and Wawrinka arrive. It’s absolutely mad that Murray is even here after everything that’s happened since he last played Stan – in some ways, that achievement is even greater than his achievement in winning three majors.
Rodionov earns another match point then swings a double fault miles wide, and Chardy wins the next two points to break back again! 6-6!
But Chardy plays the point beautifully, slicing from the back before coming to the net off a forehand and clouting a slam onto the outside of the tramline. We go again...
Rodionov and Chardy rally from the back, but then Chardy nets a backhand and that’s Rodionov’s third match point!
Chardy gets to 15-30 but then overhits a forehand and Rodionov is two points away...
Benoit Paire [23] has taken the first set 7-5 against Kwon Soon-woo
Rodionov shows phenomenal stones to come straight back after being broken serving for the match for break Chardy again. At 6-5, he’s have a second go at winning his first-ever major match in his first-ever major match. Good luck old mate.
Shortly on Chatrier we’ve got Murray-Wawrinka, who were practising together just last week. They played an unbelievable semi in 2017, which Wawrinka won 6-1 in the fifth; though he won at the same stage in 2016, he’s not been quite the same since then.
Mais bien sur! Chardy backpeddles and manufactures a tremendous return to bring us back on serve in set five. It’s now 5-5!
Rodionov thunders a left-handed serve down the middle to save it! That’s excellent from him, going for the best he’s got rather than bunting it into play.
Chardy saves two match points then arranges a break-back point!
Caroline Garcia beats Anett Kontaveit [17] 6-4 3-6 6-4!
That was a great match, Garcia has so much flair, and she meets Sasnovich or Friedsam next. currently, Sasnovich is a set up but a break down.
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Gosh, there’s a lot going on here. A fine forehand from Garcia gets her 15-30, then Kontaveit goes long and that’s two match points! Meanwhile, Rodionov has two, having come back from 0-15!
Chard races through a service game, forcing Rodionov to serve for it; he’s only 21 and this is his first match at a major. Meanwhile, Kontaveit is serving to stay in her match.
Chardy is running out of road; Rodionov now leads 5-3 in the final set.
A banging return from Garcia opens the court; she fills it with the ball to give herself break-back point, then absolutely panels Kontaveit’s weak second serve and we’re four apiece in the decider!
On 7, Coric [24] has levelled things against Norbert; it’s now one set all.
A backhand slice from Kontaveit dips over the net and forces Garcia, skidding in, to net herself; break point. And with both players knocking the absolute cover off it, we see why Garcia has never been close to no1; she can’t sustain the brilliance, flapping a backhand wide. Kontaveit is now two games away.
Excellent from Garcia – she’s so mercurial, and lovely to watch when it’s working – to break back – while Chardy has just saved two points for a double break in the fifth. He then clinches the game via deuce, while Garcia might just be getting into something – and we learn that when Murray saw her play as a junior, he thought he’d seen a future world no1.
Huge hold from Garcia on Chatrier! Kontaveit had a break point, but eventually Garcia prevailed after a succession of deuces. When this is done, we’ve only got Murray-Wawrinka.
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So much football. Spurs and Newcastle are nearly done...
While Man City and Leicester haven’t yet started.
Rodionov has broken Chardy to lead 2-0 in the decider, while on Chaterier there’s the bones of a crowd. What a pleasure that is to hear.
A good effort from Dan Evans, but Kei Nishikori wins the weirdest match of the tournament 1-6 6-1 7-6(3) 1-6 6-4 to reach the Roland Garros second round. Every win is a big win for Nishikori as he tries to get back to his best.
— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) September 27, 2020
Evans is now 2-10 at ATP level on clay.
Cecchinato is about to serve for the match against De Minaur [25]; he leads 7-6(9) 6-4 5-0.
On Lenglen, Rodionov has just won the fourth set against Chardy, who won the first two; they’ll now play a decider, and after that, we’ll get Gauff v Konta.
Nishikori beats Evans [32] 1-6 6-1 7-6(3) 1-6 6-4!
What a great match that was. The standard wasn’t the highest, but it was a buzz watching them play an extremely odd match, and it’s great to see Nishikori back like this. He meets Andujar or Travaglia next.
![Nishikori beats Evans [32] 1-6 6-1 7-6(3) 1-6 6-4.](https://media.guim.co.uk/37f6b2deb52add778bbb700d6f95d709a672984d/0_0_5805_3872/1000.jpg)
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Evans serves long...
Eeesh! Another banging return from Nishikori sees Evans waft a forehand wide, and it’s match point!
On Chatrier, Kontaveit has just broken Garcia in the first game of the final set.
Nice from Evans, who gets to 30-0 with no alarms and no surprises. But at 30-15 he goes wide with a forehand hit cross-court from the backhand corner, putting Nishikori two points away from the match ... only to respond with a monster serve and clean-up forehand. He makes the same mistake again though, when a huge serve comes back with interest, hitting wide from the backhand corner; deuce.
Anett Kontaveit [17] wins the second set against Caroline Garcia 6-3!
They’ll now play a decider.
We’ve been going three-and-three-quarter* hours on Court 14, and Evans will now serve to stay in the match.
*no, I’m not sure where the hyphens go either.
OK, I appear to be back. Any thoughts, please email daniel.harris.casual@theguardian.com or tweet @DanielHarris. It’s warming up...
Evans v Nishikori is on a knife edge, both players holding their serves to make it four games each in the final set. Federico Coria has beaten Jason Jung in straight sets.
Venus Williams is out!
Anna Karolína Schmiedlová was made to work for her second set, but work she does and after some huffing and puffing she seals a 6-4, 6-4 win. She faces Victoria Azarenka in the second round, while Venus is left to pack her bags.
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Except Evans is back in it! He breaks Nishikori in style and a very good service game makes it 3-3 in the fifth.
Taylor Fritz wraps up his win at long last, he’ll play either Jordan Thompson or Radu Albot. And Stefano Travaglia sees off Pablo Andújar in straight sets to set up a second-round meeting with Dan Evans or (more likely) Kei Nishikori.
Rodionov v Chardy has gone into a fourth set after the Austrian hangs on to win a tie-break.
The men’s No 24 seed, Borna Coric, is under way … and he’s losing to a man called Norbert. Specifically, Norbert Gombos, who has sauntered into an early 4-2 lead.
Dan Evans, meanwhile, has made a shaky start to the fifth set. Nishikori breaks and holds two service games – although Evans makes him work for the second – to go 3-0 up.
The match between Tomas Machac and No 27 seed Taylor Fritz has been something of an epic. But three and a half hours after the first ball was struck, the American looks to be heading to a hard-fought win, holding his serve to go 4-1 up in the fifth set.
And on Court 13, the Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich has seen off Anna-Lena Friedsam, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
Venus Williams, meanwhile, is on the verge of a first-day exit. Anna Karolína Schmiedlová breaks her opponent’s serve to go 4-1 up in the second set. She’s cruising.
Jérémy Chardy looked to be making short work of Jurij Rodionov. He was serving for the match but a late fightback from the Frenchman has kept him in it, Rodionov 6-5 up in the third with Chardy now to serve.
… and a businesslike (ie perfect) service game takes the set. Into a fifth we go
Evans has recovered some form. A nice forehand takes him 4-1 up in the fourth, and he takes the next point too, off Nishikori’s serve. This one is going all the way
Slow going on Chatrier, where Kontaveit and Garcia are 2-2 in set one. Anyhow, I’m off for my dinner; Alex Hess will guide you through the next hour, which promises to be a jazzer.
Elsewhere: Leeds won 1-0 at Sheffield United, while Spurs are 1-0 up against Newcastle. You can follow that here:
Nishikori gets on the board in set 4; he now leads Evans 1-6 6-1 7-6(3) 1-3.
Isner [21] has beaten Benchetrit 4, 1 and 3. He plays Korda next.
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Schmiedlova breaks Venus in the first game of the second set, while Evans consolidates to love.
Evans is underway! He’s started this set superbly, with a conclusive service game and now a break. Can he consolidate?
Schmiedlova takes the first set against Venus Williams 6-4!
Venus battles hard to save the set – to be still going at at it at 40, with no chance of winning another slam and having been so brilliant says plenty about who she is – but after a few deuces she nets a backhand.
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Catchup: Cecchinato has taken the first set against De Minaur [25] 7-6; Machac has taken the third set against Fritz [27] to trail 5-7 (2)6-7 6-1, and now leads 2-1 in the fourth with a break; Schmiedlova is serving for the first set against Venus.
Nishikori wins the third set to lead Evans 1-6 6-1 7-6(3)!
He’s not lost a five-setter for five years, which is to say Evans is in all sorts. And that’s fair enough really – Nishiori’s best has been much better than his so far, it’s just his worst has been horrendous.
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Evans wins the first two points of the breaker but Nishikori immediately retrieves the mini-break and wins the next two points too. Evans, who’s already been warned for what some consider bad language hurls his racket into the clay, and what a nause it’ll be if he comes back from 1-4 only to serve for set, toss it, then lose a breaker. But at 5-2 that looks extremely likely, Nishikori skidding in to despatch a backhand volley, and when Evans dominates the next rally only to volley long, Nishikori has four set points...
On Mathieu, Venus and Schmielova are on serve, with Venus 4-3 up; on 7, Isner now leads Benchetrit 2-1, 4 and 1 respectively.
Evans blazes a backhand long, giving Nishikori two points for a breaker; he only needs one, clouting a return directly at the tootsies. Off we go!
Evans holds for 5-5 then earns himself two break points; a booming forehand from Nishikori saves one, but Evans dominates the next rally and earns the luck he gets when a mishit loping forehand ducks over Nishiori’s racket and in! From 1-4 down, he’ll now serve for the set at 5-4 in what is a ridiculously fluctuating match!
Next on Chatrier is Kontaveit [17] v Garcia ... and after that, it’s Wawrinka v Murray!
Halep [1] beats Sorribes Tormo 6-4 6-0!
Just the 10 games in a row for her – she meets Begu or Teichmann next.
Aaarrrgghhh! I somehow deleted my detailed description of Evans saving set points in the process of breaking Nishikori back, but the highlight was him bellowing “Laughable! Laughable!” at himself in the process. He’s now 4-5 in set three.
Halep has just gone 5-0 up in set two; she’s now won nine games in a row.
Evans gets a portion of own back, drawing Nishikori to the net then diddling him with an extremely pleasant angled lob. He wins the next two points too, forcing Nishikori to serve for the third set, but even he manages, the portents for set four are better.
Back on Chatrier and after a succession of deuces, Halep has broken Sorribes Tormo for the second time in set two; she now leads 6-4 3-0. Chardy, meanwhile, has broken Rodionov to lead by a set and a break.
Goodness me, a gorgeous backhand pick-up, just shy of the net that dies just over it, illustrates how well Nishikori is now playing. But Evans is hanging in there, hollering loudly when he makes 30-all and banging back a forehand return that induces Nishikori to go wide. But Nishikori retaliates with a drop and lob, then creams a forehand down the line; “Too good,” acknowledges Evans, not to praise his opponent but to let himself off, and Nishikori quickly finishes the game for 5-2. Evans will now serve to stay in the set, but there were signs there that he’s regaining some sort of acceptable level.
On Court 7, Isner [21] has taken the first set against Benchetrit 6-4.
Nishikori is all over Evans now, stamping on the gas for 4-1 and earning break point for 5-1. But his backhand down the line, that’s working so well now, catches the top of the net and won’t quite climb over for him; Evans then finds the first ace of the match and Nishikori goes long, so we’re at 4-2 Nshikori now.
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Evans fights back from 15-40 to win his first game in quite some time. Can he build on that? Meanwhile Halep wins her fifth game in a row to go from 2-4 to 6-4 1-0 with a break and Chardy has taken the first set against Rodionov. When they’re done, we’ve got Konta-Gauff for our delectation.
Back to Court 11, Fritz has just won the second set on the breaker, to lead Machac 2-0.
Elsewhere, Schmiedlova and Venus are on court – Venus Williams, what an absolute hero – and Venus leads 1-0.
Halep [1] wins the first set against Sorribes Tormo 6-4!
Of course she does.
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Nishikori and Evans both continue where they left off, Nishikori quickly breaking for 2-0. Frew notes that he’s mainly binned the kick-serve that was doing so well for him in set one, in favour of a slice serve with far greater margin for error.
There’s other stuff going on today too...
Evans and Nishikori are back, so I’m back watching them. They’ve got no warm-up, it’s straight back on with it.
Halep breaks back and we learn that, with the roof on, the balls seem very heavy. That won’t mither Halep, who hits them harder than most, and a love-hold sees her level at 4-4.
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Halep is in good nick too – she won in Rome last week – but she’s made 14 unforced errors so far today and we’re only in game seven.
Interesting! On Chatrier, where there’s now a roof, Sorribes Tormo has broken Halep to lead 4-2 in the first set. I guess I’ll be watching that match after the break, so we’ll learn more about what’s what out there presently.
It took a few deuces in the decisive game, but Mertens [16] has seen off Gasparyan 2 and 3. Her second-round match with Kanepi should be a goodun.
The covers aren’t coming out, so there’s a fair chance we have the players back with us shortly – they’re still playing everywhere else. The break isn’t bad for Evans, who’s lost his way.
It’s raining on Court 14, so after one point of set three, Evans tells the umpire that they have to go in. Evans is told to wait, but like Azarenka earlier, is minded to decide for himself what he does. Both players leave.
Couple of results: Bonzi has beaten Ruusovuori 6-2 6-4 4-6 6-4 and meets Sinner next; in the women’s competition, Sharma has beaten Blinkova 6-3 2-6 7-5 and meets Alexandrova next.
Nishikori wins the second set against Evans 6-1, levelling the match at one set all!
Evans, who’s totally lost it, hands it to him with a double on set point.
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On Mathieu, Mertens, who’s improved so much in the last couple of years, has broken Gasparyan back then broken her again. At 6-2 5-3, she’s now serving for the match...
My tennis-coach mate informs me that Sinner’s movement is relatively good from side to side but not that good up and back. So that’s me telt.
Evans has to save two break points in his next service game, the second of them when Nishikori was in control of the rally but netted from half-court. Evans then goes long with a forehand, following up with a double fault and some pointed words in Anglo-Saxon. Four games in a row for Nishikori, and I’ve not a clue where this is going.
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On Court 9, Korda has beaten Seppi 6-2 4-6 6-3 6-3. He meets Benchetrit or Isner [21] next.
Nishikori is underway, breaking Evans and now serving to consolidate at 30-all. He constructs the next point beautifully too, then absolutely zetzses a forehand that’s behind a booming serve to secure his 3-1. This is a context now, and my soul feels much the better for it.
I really enjoyed this on Halep.
On Chatrier, Halep and Sorribest Tormo are under way. I absolutely love Halep – how she plays, but also the way she plays, with so much passion, personality and attitude. Two years ago, I wondered if she’d ever win a slam; now I’m wondering how many she can win.
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Kanepi has beaten Bouzkova from a set down 4-6 6-4 6-2. She meets Gasparyan or Mertens next, a tough draw for either.
On Mathieu, Gasparyan has come back well from losing the first set 6-2 to lead Mertens in the second 3-2 with a break.
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Dan Evans takes the first set against Kei Nishikori 6-1!
With Nishikori serving at 1-5, Evans gets himself two set points ... and there it is! He played that brilliantly, staying in, hoisting a lob, playing a fine response to the response and waiting for the inevitable mistake. It’s not enjoyable watching Nishikori play like this; hopefully he finds himself shortly.
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“His ball-striking is phenomenal” says a tennis coach mate of mine about Sinner. He also moved nicely, and in general looks to have a pretty good smorgasbord of qualities.
On Court 11, Fritz, seeded 27, has taken the first set against Machac, while Kanepi is close to victory over Bouzkova, leading 4-1 in set three after losing set one.
Evans is in terrific touch and Nishikori is not, so it’s no surprise to see another break to the Brummie. He leads, and just as I’m typing, goes to 40-0 with a drop shot. Nishikori takes a point back, but then goes wide with a backhand return which takes him into double figures of unforced errors, and that’s 5-1!
Sinner means Bonzi or Ruusuvuori next; Bonzi, a qualifier, leads by two sets to one. Next on Chatrier, we have Halep, 2019 champ and top seed, against Sorribes Tormo.
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Jannik Sinner has done it! The 19-year-old beats David Goffin, seeded 11, 7-5 6-0 6-3!
What a talent he is! What a player he is! What a performance that was!
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Sinner is serving for the match against Goffin [11] at 7-5 6-0 5-3...
Azarenka beata Kovinic 6-1 6-2!
After a little break to get warm, seeing as she lives in Florida. It’s Schmiedlova or Venus for her next, while on Lenglen we’re getting Rodionov v Chardy.
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Evans has taken to the conditions much better than has Nishikori and he consolidates easily enough; “There’s no shadow on the court but he’s a shadow of his former self on here,” muses Frew McMillan, dancing on the words. Meanwhile, Azarenka is about to serve for the match against Kovinic, who she leads 6-1 5-2, with Sinner two games away from beating Goffin.
Kanepi has levelled her match against Bouzkova at one set all; Blinkova has done likewise against Sharma; Korda served out for 2-1 against Seppi; and Ruusuvuori ia serving to make it 1-2 against Bonzi.
It’s extremely windy on Court 14, so I guess it’s similar everywhere.
Nishikori, wearing long sleeves under his short, starts slowly, surrendering three break points immediately. He saves two, but then nets a backhand and Evans is underway. I quite fancy him here.
Tellywise, we’ve moved from Sinner-Goffin, which is brilliant but over, to Evans-Nishikori. Evans is seeded 32, but this isn’t his surface and Nishikori has had a lot of time off injured. I’ve no idea what’s going to happen here, but I’m looking forward to finding out.
Azarenka has broken Kovinic in set two, so leads 6-1 3-1; Mertens has just clinched the first set against Gasparyan, 6-2; and Korda is serving to take a 2-1 lead against Seppi.
Gosh, what are we seeing? Sinner is now a consolidated break up in set three, so leads 7-5 6-0 3-0!
Sinner takes the second set against Goffin [11] to lead 7-5 6-0!
That was extremely poor from Goffin, the backhand into the net which secured the bagel indicative of how that set went for him. He’s got a lorra lorra work to do. Sinner is the biz.
Meanwhile, Mertens [16] has broken Gasparyan to lead 3-1 and Sinner wins another service game to lead Goffin 7-5 5-0. Oh, and Sakkari has beaten Tomljanovic 6-0 7-5 – after Tomljanovic served for the second set – and meets Rakhimova next.
Azarenka [10] takes the first set 6-1 against Kovinic
All Azarenka wanted was to be warm. She wins every game after the players return.
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Sinner is for real! OK, we knew that already, but he breaks again to lead 4-0 and is cruising.
On Court 19, Seppi has taken the second set against Korda – they’re 1-1 now – while Rakhimova has seen off Rogers and meets Tomljanovic or Sakkari next. Talking of whom, Sakkari has just broken back with Tomljanovic serving to level the match at one set all. On the show courts, Sinner and Azarenka have consolidated their breaks.
Meanwhile, on Lenglen, Azarenka has taken advantage of the break – she lives in Florida you know – and breaks Kovinic off the bat to lead 3-2.
Sinner sees Goffin coming towards the net and sweeps a pass into the corner, them clambers into a second serve before a pair of booming forehands set up three overheads in a row, the third of them despatched. Sinner now leads 7-5 2-0.
I was looking forward to watching that match, but now I hope we stick with Sinner-Goffin.
Good stuff: Azarenka and Kovinic are back on Lenglen and getting warmer.
Serving at 7-5 40-30, Sinner drops short and Goffin pounces, but it doesn’t matter; a thunderous forehand and a serve out wide quickly resolve the deuce.
Elsewhere, Bouzkova has taken the first set against Kanepi, 6-4; Tomljanovic is on the board against Sakkari, 3-3 in set two after losing set one 0-6; Azarenka and Kovinic are still off, likewise Gasparyan and Mertens [16], who departed at 1-1; Alexandrova leads Inglis 6-3 0-1 (with a break).
Sinner takes the first set against Goffin [11]!
Again, Sinner pushes Goffin, getting to deuce as he serves for a tiebreak and directing his man all about the court before anticipating a forehand and flicking the wrist to send a winner spinning cross-court; set point. And when Goffin goes lonf and wide with a backhand down the line, that’s the set!
More women’s set action: Sharma leads Blinkova 6-3 and Bonzi leads Ruusuvuori 6-2 2-1 with a break.
We’re getting to the business end on Chatrier, with Goffin serving at 4-5. Sinner gets to 30, but Goffin sorts things from there. Still no apparent activity on Lenglen; Azarenka lives Florida you know.
Bay-gel or bye-gel? A question that has taxed Talmudic scholars for generations. But the correct answer is bay-gel.
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A thunking backhand down the line gives Goffin the immediate break back; he and Sinner are now 4-3. Still nothing doing on Lenglen, but elsewhere, Sebastian Korda has take the first set 6-2 against Andrea Seppi and Kamilla Rakhimova has done likewise against .Shelby Rogers. Sakkari, meanwhile, has bageled Tomljanovic.
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Sinner anticipates Goffin going to his forehand corner, running the ball down and flinging a winner cross-court. He moves beautifully – Dominic Thiem may soon have a rival as the best on tour – and is now a break up, leading 4-2.
A promise is a promise. Here’s Aza’s rig.
4-0 Sakkari now, which is to say they’re still playing on Court 14.
Elsewhere, Maria Sakarri is 3-0 up against Alja Tomljanovic.
Jannik Sinner, incidentally, is a colossal talent. He’s only 19, and was far too good for age-group tennis, so here he is.
So off we go to Chatrier where there are lights and a roof; Sinner leads Goffin 3-2, on serve.
In a tremendous turn-up for the books, the players are not enjoying the extremely unpleasant weather conditions to which they’re almost entirely unaccustomed. Sat under an umbrella, Azarenka calls over a supervisor – she’s told they’re waiting to see if the drizzle stops, and she says she’s not doing that outside. “It’s eight degress, I live in Florida”, she informs. “Do you want to wait outside?” she asks Kovinic. “No”, her opponent responds candidly, so off they go at their own behest. It’s 2-1 Azarenka on serve.
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We’re on serve everywhere at the moment; the game we’re watching on telly, Azarenka-Kovinic, is 1-1, Aza serving first.
The weather isn’t expected to stray far from the minging over the competition, but I guess it’s giving us some leisurewear we might not otherwise have got. I shall endeavour to locate a photo of Azarenka’s tracky top, which she’s still wearing as we start, which looks like it’s come straight out of 1992.
Full order of play
Court Philippe Chatrier
11:00: Jannik Sinner (Ita) v (11) David Goffin (Bel), (1) Simona Halep (Rom) v Sara Sorribes Tormo (Spa), (17) Anett Kontaveit (Est) v Caroline Garcia (Fra), (16) Stan Wawrinka (Swi) v Andy Murray (GBR)
Court Suzanne Lenglen
11:00: (10) Victoria Azarenka (Blr) v Danka Kovinic (Mne), Jurij Rodionov (Aut) v Jeremy Chardy (Fra), (9) Johanna Konta (GBR) v Cori Gauff (USA), (6) Alexander Zverev (Ger) v Dennis Novak (Aut)
Court Simonne Mathieu
11:00: Margarita Gasparyan (Rus) v (16) Elise Mertens (Bel), Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (Svk) v Venus Williams (USA), (23) Benoit Paire (Fra) v Soon Woo Kwon (Kor), Miomir Kecmanovic (Ser) v (12) Diego Schwartzman (Arg)
Court 7
11:00: Marie Bouzkova (Cze) v Kaia Kanepi (Est), Elliot Benchetrit (Fra) v (21) John Isner (USA), (24) Borna Coric (Cro) v Norbert Gombos (Svk), Anna Kalinskaya (Rus) v Eugenie Bouchard (Can)
Court 9
11:00: Sebastian Korda (USA) v Andreas Seppi (Ita), Marco Cecchinato (Ita) v (25) Alex De Minaur (Aus), Camila Giorgi (Ita) v Martina Trevisan (Ita), Greet Minnen (Bel) v Nadia Podoroska (Arg)
Court 10
11:00: Anna Blinkova (Rus) v Astra Sharma (Aus), Pablo Andujar (Spa) v Stefano Travaglia (Ita), Jordan Thompson (Aus) v Radu Albot (Mol)
Court 11
11:00: Kamilla Rakhimova (Rus) v Shelby Rogers (USA), Tomas Machac (Cze) v (27) Taylor Harry Fritz (USA), Irina-Camelia Begu (Rom) v Jil Belen Teichmann (Swi), Nina Stojanovic (Ser) v Barbora Krejcikova (Cze)
Court 12
11:00: Maddison Inglis (Aus) v (27) Ekaterina Alexandrova (Rus), Federico Coria (Arg) v Jason Jung (Tpe), Federico Delbonis (Arg) v Juan Ignacio Londero (Arg), (24) Dayana Yastremska (Ukr) v Daria Gavrilova (Aus)
Court 13
11:00: Benjamin Bonzi (Fra) v Emil Ruusuvuori (Fin), Aliaksandra Sasnovich (Blr) v Anna-Lena Friedsam (Ger), Dominik Koepfer (Ger) v Antoine Hoang (Fra), Kirsten Flipkens (Bel) v (23) Yulia Putintseva (Kaz)
11:00: Ajla Tomljanovic (Aus) v (20) Maria Sakkari (Gre), (32) Dan Evans (GBR) v Kei Nishikori (Jpn), (32) Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (Cze) v Varvara Lepchenko (USA), Corentin Moutet (Fra) v Lorenzo Giustino (Ita)
It’s a bit rainy out there – I fear that may be said a lot over the next couple of weeks – but we’re getting ready to go.
Opening up on Chatrier, we’ve got Sinner v Goffin [11], while on Lenglen, we’ve got Azarenka [10] v Kovinic. I wonder how she’s getting on after losing the US Open final from a set and a break up; on the one hand, what a brilliant fortnight she had, but on the other...
Preamble
Morning all! This is a bit strange isn’t it? Strange in an awful way, but also strange in an it’s the end of September and we’re about to absorb ourselves into the maelstrom of a major magnificent way. Joy and love where you find them, mes amis.
Today we have for you – amongst other things – Johanna Konta v Coco Gauff and Stan Wawrinka v Andy Muarry, Dan Evans v Kei Nishikori – oh yes! – with Jannik Sinner, Simona Halep, Victoria Azarenka, Alex Zverev, Venus Williams, Elise Mertens, Benoît Paire and Venus Williams also in action. Mais oui!
Play: 11am local, 10am BST
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