Latest news from day two
A heartbreaker finally ends on court 14 as Lorenzo Giustino wins 6-0 6-7 6-7 6-2 18-16 over Frenchman Corentin Moutet. The first set took 28 minutes, the fifth set took three hours, the match took 6 hours 5 minutes. Incredibly, that was Giustino’s first ever tour level win and his second slam match. He will never forget it.
Spare a thought for the players in the three matches that are still to be played on that court.
Rafael Nadal beats Egor Gerasimov 6-4 6-4 6-2 to ease into the second round.
Thanks to the shortened clay swing and his lack of matches, this is the first time Nadal has arrived at Roland Garros without a clay title. No matter, he will adapt. A good start to his chase for a 13th Roland Garros title.
It was tough, but Garbine Muguruza recovers from 0-3 down in the third set to move into the second round with a 7-5 4-6 8-6 win over Tamara Zidansek.
Garbine Muguruza finally breaks through deep into the third set, snatching the break against Tamara Zidansek with an excellent forehand crosscourt on her second break point.
She has just spent the entire change of ends standing up, jogging on the spot and trying hard not to cool down. She will serve for it now. Muguruza 7-5 4-6 *7-6 Zidansek.
This has been a tremendous performance from Cameron Norrie so far. At 4-0 and break point, he chased down at least two shots that would have been winners against many others, retrieved an overhead and then flipped the point with a defensive lob. Eventually, he finished things off with a nice volley. He will serve for a bagel. Norrie *5-0 Galan.
After 2 hours 52 minutes, there will be extra innings on Simonne-Mathieu as Garbine Muguruza holds for 6-6 against Tamara Zidansek. No tiebreaks, no nonsense. They will play until somebody wins leads by two clear games. Muguruza 7-5 4-6 6-6* Zidansek.
Q. We often ask you about Margaret Court and No. 24. Another player here, Rafael Nadal has a chance to equal the Grand Slam record that Roger Federer holds. Just wanted to ask your perspective on what significance that might have in the discussion about greatest men’s player and what significance that would hold if Rafa can reach Roger’s number of 20? Still trailing you, of course.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t get involved in the greatest talk. You know, the greatest for me is and will always be Jesus, so I’m going to leave it at that. But I think Rafa, I’m obviously a huge fan of his. I always have been. But it’s like you can’t compare two people that are equally great. Roger, I mean, he’s Roger Federer. I think that says enough (smiling).
So, you know, it’s like I don’t understand why people want to pit who’s this, who’s that? They both have spectacular careers that 99% of people can only dream of and they both deserve. Every single credit and every single thing that they get they absolutely deserve it. I’m a big fan of both, to be honest, so... Yeah.
Never a dull moment.
Elsewhere, Garbine Muguruza continues to fight for her place in the tournament against Tamara Zidansek. She recovered from 0-3 down in the third set before holding serve at 4-5. Tense moments.
Cameron Norrie has a so-so record on clay. His big breakthrough came on the surface, when he beat No 23 Roberto Bautista Agut in five sets in the 2018 Davis Cup and then reached the semi-finals of Lyon with a win over No 10 John Isner later that Spring. But he has struggled to piece together wins at the top level ever since. His tour level record is 10-12.
Still, with his movement and his spinny topspin forehand, there are plenty of reasons why he should enjoy this surface. He is showing it here with a really impressive start. Norrie now leads Galan *3-0.
Cameron Norrie looks very confident at the beginning here and he opens with a break, sealed with an exquisite crosscourt backhand winner. Norrie 1-0* Galan.
Cameron Norrie has arrived on court 10 for his first round match against qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan. Norrie will start as clear favourite against the Colombian, who is ranked 153 and competing in only his second slam main draw match.
Rafael Nadal continues to move swiftly on Chatrier. He now leads Egor Gerasimov 6-4 6-4 0-1.
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Q. You just used the word ‘perfect’. Have you ever played a perfect match? If so, which one? Is it possible?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I mean, that’s the thing, right? You don’t play that many perfect matches. That’s one thing I have been working on in this offseason loosely. But it’s just understanding that I have to let go of that -- I don’t know the word I’m looking for -- expectation. That doesn’t mean I’m lowering my expectations. It just means I’m having realistic expectations of not winning every point, every game, every shot (smiling). Yeah, so it sounds crazy, but, you know, that’s me and that’s what makes me me. I’m me. I’m Serena. At some point I’m always going to have some level of perfection, but I just need to have a more reasonable level so I cannot put so much stress on me mentally.
12th seed Madison Keys falls 6-3 7-6 to Zhang Shuai of China. Keys is a former semi-finalist in Paris, but these conditions were always going to be difficult for her.
Cameron Norrie will follow Liam Broady on Court 10 against Daniel Elahi Galan. With Heather Watson to face Fiona Ferro tomorrow, there are only two remaining opportunities for a British player, any British player, to nab win at this year’s French Open. This is probably the best opportunity.
Jiri Vesely defeats Liam Broady 6-2 5-7 6-3 6-2
A good effort from Liam Broady against a much higher ranked opponent. This has been an incredible week for him, finally reaching a slam main draw on his own merit and doing so without dropping a set. He offered ample resistance should be hoping to use it as a springboard to more success.
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It looks like Liam Broady has reached his limit. After another quick loss of serve for Broady, Vesely will serve for the match at *5-2 in the fourth.
Things have escalated astoundingly quickly for Garbine Muguruza. After leading by a set and *4-3, she has now squandered 6 games in a row, including losing her serve to love to open the third set. Tamara Zidansek now leads Muguruza 5-7 6-4 3-0*.
Jiri Vesely continues to plough through service games, breaking a little more of Liam Broady’s spirit with each booming lefty serve. With another hold to love, he is now two games away at 4-2* in the fourth.
Liam Broady is finally broken in the fourth set, dropping his serve to love with a netted backhand passing shot.
As he fell down 0-40, he started loudly yelling “fuck off” to himself, instantly receiving a code violation. The frustration is understood. Let’s see how much he has left in the tank. Broady 2-6 7-5 3-6 2-3* Vesely.
The problem for Liam Broady isn’t only how hard he is working to hold serve, but how quickly Jiri Vesely is strolling through his own service games. After all of that work from the Brit to keep himself ahead, Vesely strolls through another service game and the pressure returns to his shoulders. Broady 2-6 7-5 3-6 *2-2 Vesely.
Garbine Muguruza has been pushed to a third set against Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia. After her impressive run to the Rome semi-final, narrowly losing to eventual champion Simona Halep, Muguruza was regarded as one of the favourites here. Despite how notoriously inconsistent she is, this would be a big shock. Zidansek now leads Muguruza 5-7 6-4 1-0*.
Liam Broady is living dangerously here, but he is still alive. Once again, he overcomes a tough service game, saving break point to pull together another hold.
There was plenty of courage from Broady on that break point: he moved into the court, crunched a forehand down-the-line and then put away the point at the net. He will need even more to push this into a fifth set. Broady 2-6 7-5 3-6 2-1* Vesely.
Over on Chatrier, Rafael Nadal has taken the first set 6-4 against Egor Gerasimov.
After a marathon game, Liam Broady somehow survives with an essential hold to open the fourth set.
Across the long game filled with endless exchanges, Broady saved three separate break points. On the first, he ground out a forehand error from Vesely after a long point. On the second, he fired a forehand down the winner. On the third, he once again refused to miss, eventually eliciting a backhand error from Vesely.
Broady failed to convert three game points himself, but after bringing up a fourth with a great backhand down the line, Vesely finally missed one more forehand. Goodness, that was tough. Liam Broady 2-6 7-5 3-6 1-0* Jiri Vesely.
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Jiri Vesely moves to a two sets to one lead on Liam Broady, sealed with some excellent serving from 0-30 down in the final game. That was a very good recovery from the Czech. Broady 2-6 7-5 3-6 Vesely.
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Suddenly, Liam Broady and Jiri Vesely are back to how things looked in the first set, with the Brit unable to find traction in his service games as Vesely steps in and overwhelms with his depth and weight of shot.
Broady led 3-1 just a short while ago, but now Vesely will serve for the third set. Broady 2-6 7-5 3-5* Vesely.
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Over on Philippe Chatrier, Rafael Nadal has taken an early break on Egor Gerasimov and then he spent the change of ends having a discussion about his time between points. Neither of those things are rare occurrences.
After rediscovering some rhythm in his service games, Jiri Vesely finally stepped in and imposed himself in a Broady service game, forcing double break point at 15-40. Liam Broady did well to dig himself out of that hole and reach game point at Ad-40, but he won’t be happy with the errors that followed. After breaking serve, Vesely pieced together a quick hold to move ahead again. The momentum swings again. Broady 2-6 7-5 *3-4 Vesely.
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A reminder of Rafael Nadal’s not so complementary comments on the conditions:
Q. You’re coming off a quarterfinal appearance in Rome. How can you build off that result coming into the French Open?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don’t know. I think is a very strange situation for everyone. The situation here is completely different than in Rome, no? The conditions to play tennis in Rome have been good. Here the conditions are very, very tough. The weather is so, so cold. That makes difficult for everyone. But the conditions are a little bit extreme to play an outdoor tournament.
Q. Novak Djokovic said in Rome that he felt you were beatable on clay this time because of the conditions, because of the lack of preparation. What is your reaction to that?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, 100% true. I always have been beatable on clay. He beat me a lot of times. But at the same time is true that I had a lot of success in this surface. Situation is special. Conditions here probably are the most difficult conditions for me ever in Roland Garros for so many different facts. Ball completely different. Ball is super slow, heavy. It’s very cold. Slow conditions. Of course, the preparation have been less than usual. But you know what, I am here to fight and to play with the highest intensity possible, to practice with the right attitude, to give me a chance. That’s the main goal for me. Be competitive on Monday, and let’s try. Just day by day. I know very well this place. Is about be patient, be positive, just trying to find the positive vibes every single day.
Jiri Vesely has found some rhythm on his serve again and he moves through a quick hold of his own with few problems. Broady 2-6 7-5 *3-2 Vesely.
Momentum is a funny thing in tennis. Liam Broady could barely hold onto his serve in the opening set and he won only three points, but now, with the wind on his back, he is rolling through his service game in a flash. He eases to another love hold to retain his break lead. Broady 2-6 7-5 3-1* Vesely.
Liam Broady continues to run with the momentum, immediately breaking in the third set before consolidating serve to establish a 2-0 lead. Some big serving from Jiri Vesely yields a quick hold for him, but Broady is still up a break. This is his first lead of the match. Broady 2-6 7-5 *2-1 Vesely.
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12 time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal is out onto his court for his first round match against Egor Gerasimov of Belarus. This will be the first meeting between the pair.
A remarkable turnaround from Liam Broady, who takes the second set 7-5 against Jiri Vesely, winning 11 points in a row from *4-5 15-30 down. We have a match.
Incredible work from Liam Broady, who will now serve for the second set. from 15-30 down at 4-5, he found a brilliant second serve when needed and then went on a run of 7 consecutive points to break.
Some other results:
- Elina Svitolina moved on with a 7-6(2) 6-4 win over Varvara Gracheva.
- 19 year old Iga Swiatek pulls off a big upset in the women’s draw, dismantling last year’s finalist Marketa Vondrousova 6-1 6-2.
Liam Broady has made a much better match of the second set against Jiri Vesely on court 10. He is now serving to stay in the set at 2-6 *4-5. No breaks in this set so far.
Serena Williams reaches the second round, beating Kristie Ahn 7-6(2) 6-0
The three time French Open champion moves on, sealed with an ace. After an unimpressive start that yielded an endless 72 minute first set, that turned into a really good performance from Williams. Who took a step back and began to construct points really well. Also a good effort from Ahn in just her third career tour level match on clay.
Williams will now face Tsvetana Pironkova, who gave her so much trouble in their US Open quarterfinal earlier this month.
Serena Williams is rolling and she is hitting the ball really nicely. Slow clay forces every player to be creative in order to finish points and with Williams, that means countless sharp, acute angles from both wings.
Since the end of the first set she has stopped trying to crush the ball and she has constantly opened up the court with those angles. It is great to watch and it bodes well for her in these conditions. She will serve for the match. Williams 7-6(2) *5-0 Ahn.
Liam Broady just won more return points in one game (6) than in the entirety of the first set (3). He was able to get further into the court and to consistently move Vesely for the first time today, generating one break point. Although he was unable to take it, that is very encouraging. Broady 2-6 *1-2 Vesely.
Serena Williams is starting to find some momentum here. She opens the second set with a quick break, consolidated with a love hold. Another thing champions do: they rarely let their momentum go to waste. Williams 7-6(2) 2-0* Ahn.
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You need 24 points to win a set abd Serena had handed Ahn 28 UFEs. She still won the set because that's what GOAT level players do - they just hang on, fight, and find ways to win. This is beyond tactics or strokes. Just the mental ability to overcome your own struggles.
— Juan José Vallejo (@jjvallejoa) September 28, 2020
Serena Williams takes the first set 7-6(2) against Kristie Ahn, winning the last five points of the tiebreak. It took 72 minutes. That was tough.
First set unforced errors:
Jiri Vesely - 5
Liam Broady - 16
Jiri Vesely takes the first set 6-2 against Liam Broady. That was just a very tough set for Broady, who lost serve twice and really struggled to get through any service game with ease. Vesely is serving extremely well and camping far behind the baseline on return games, ekeing out errors from the Brit. Much more consistency needed from Broady in this set.
Mikhail Kukushkin upsets 14th seed Fabio Fognini 7-5 3-6 7-6(1) 6-0. Fognini, one of the best clay courters around on his best days, underwent double ankle surgery during tour suspension and things have not been easy for him on his return.
On Court 10, Liam Broady did extremely well to keep the deficit at one break, saving a couple of break points with big forehand down-the-line winners before holding for 2-4. But Jiri Vesely is impenetrable on serve so far today and has only lost 3 points in his service games. He just rolled through another easy service game, sealed with an ace. Liam Broady *2-5 Jiri Vesely.
This is a strange, strange match. After an awful game to drop serve for 4-5, Serena Williams resets with some great returning to break Kristie Ahn back at the death. She followed it with a quick love hold and now leads for the first time since the opening game. Williams 6-5* Ahn.
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Oh dear. After all of that work to get back on serve, Serena Williams hands over her service game to love with three consecutive unforced errors. Kristie Ahn, who did a great job of retrieving and forcing Williams to play one more ball, will serve for the first set. Ahn *5-4 Williams.
Over on Chatrier, Serena Williams finally breaks Kristie Ahn back for 4-4 after a long, long return game. Williams is starting to find her range off the ground. In these damp, slow conditions Williams did a good job there of cracking open the court with sharp, acute angles.
First blood to Jiri Vesely as he breaks Liam Broady for 3-1 in the opening set by by grinding from far behind the baseline, eliciting consecutive unforced errors from Broady.
Elsewhere, Liam Broady has finally started his first slam main draw match outside of Wimbledon on Court 10. He plays Jiri Vesely, a tall, hulking Czech lefty ranked 68. He certainly has a chance.
Happiness is....@yoshihitotennis #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/nALz9Scely
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) September 28, 2020
Kristie Ahn continues to consolidate her lead with another great hold. She is serving well, pushing Williams back with her forehand and keeping her off balance with drop shots and backhand slices. Williams does not yet look comfortable moving. There is plenty of discussion from the Eurosport commentators about the achilles injury she sustained at the US Open against Victoria Azarenka. Ahn 4-2* Williams.
Big result for Christina McHale, who wins the last four games to defeat 22nd seed Karolina Muchova 62 64.
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) September 28, 2020
Faces either Tig or Voegele in 2R. #RG20
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Around the grounds
- Kristie Ahn *3-2 [6] Serena Williams
- [3] Elina Svitolina *4-1 Varvara Gracheva
- [14] Fabio Fognini 5-7 6-3 6-7(1) Mikhail Kukushkin
- Tamara Korpatsch 2-6 [25] Amanda Anisimova
- [28] Svetlana Kuznetsova 1-6 6-2 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
After a very long game, Serena Williams falls down 1-2* and an early break against Kristie Ahn. It took couple of double faults from Williams and great work from Ahn, who is moving Williams around early on with her forehand. Still early days.
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A disappointing performance from 20 year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime who falls 7-5 6-3 6-3 to Yoshihito Nishioka. Nishioka is a fun, creative player who is in the best form of his career but that is a bad loss on clay for the Canadian. He is the second top 20 seed out in the first round after David Goffin on Sunday.
From Luke:
Hi Tumaini. Rain in Paris at the end of September. Who could have predicted it? In all seriousness though, I do feel for the lower-ranked players in the tournament. All the big names on Chatrier will get to play their games as normal, while everyone else’s matches eventually get backed-up to the point where inevitably people are playing on consecutive days. And even when they can play, they’re dealing with the cold, the wind and the stop-start nature of rain breaks.
Normally the big-ticket games take place on the biggest courts for the biggest crowds, but considering almost nobody is attending this year, why not randomise which court matches are played on? Unless it’s an inherent seeding advantage by design, why is it necessary that Nadal, Djokovic, Serena et al play on Chatrier?
Fair points. It should be noted that there are 1000 fans who would are there to watch the top players, but that certainly wasn’t the case at the US Open. I agree with the general point - those on Chatrier and those off Chatrier will essentially be playing different tournaments this week.
I think the big takeaway from this tournament should be just how many benefits are afforded to the top players and their comfort will always be prioritised over other players. Even if there were no crowds, there are other reasons why they wouldn’t have Novak Djokovic on court 17. For example: the player locker rooms are on Chatrier and so it is easier to access that court than a court on the other side of the grounds.
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This does not happen often: Kristia Ahn was drawn against Serena Williams in the first round of the US Open. One month later, they’re back again in the first round of the French Open. A great opportunity to play the most famous player her country has produced, but also awful luck given how few tournaments will be played this year. Ahn gave Williams a good match in New York, falling 7-5 6-3. Let’s see what she can do against a Williams who hasn’t played a single match on clay this year.
All change on the top two courts now. Serena Williams is on Chatrier for her first round match against countrywoman Kristie Ahn, while 3rd seed Elina Svitolina is up against Varvara Gracheva on Lenglen.
Some crazy scenes towards the end of the Kiki Bertens match. Zavatska even broke two strings in one game, something I’ve never seen:
Not something you see every day:
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) September 28, 2020
Katarina Zavatska has broken three strings in the last 10 minutes and is out of strung racquets. Had to borrow a racquet from her coach in the stands. #RG20
5th seed Kiki Bertens comes through 2-6 6-2 6-0 against young qualifier Katarina Zavatska on Chatrier. A good showing from Bertens after dropping the first set and it is encouraging that she comfortably lasted the duration of a three set match. If she can play her way into this draw, she can be a contender by the second week. We’ll see. She has a tough match against Sara Errani next.
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Dominic Thiem: “I think, never happened before that two major tournaments are only two weeks in between.”
It should be noted that this is not actually true. Until 2015, the pre-Wimbledon grass season was only two weeks long. Rafael Nadal reached the Wimbledon final four times after winning Roland Garros a couple of weeks earlier.
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Dominic Thiem reaches the second round with a 6-4 6-3 6-3 win over Marin Cilic
Considering this was Thiem’s first match since winning a slam and also his first on European clay this year, a great performance from the third seed to open up his tournament. Cilic, who turned 32 today, is a long way away from the level that took him to the 2014 US Open title and two slam finals.
Dominic Thiem was down 2-0 early in the third set to Marin Cilic. No matter, he has won four successive games to lead 6-4 6-3 4-2*. The finishing line is rounding into view for Thiem.
Yoshihito Nishioka is now up 7-5 5-3* on 19th seed Felix Auger Aliassime. Tense times for the 20 year old.
Men in Black.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/7AfGpo4VbO
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) September 28, 2020
A pretty good recovery from 5th seed Kiki Bertens on Lenglen to level Katarina Zavatska at 2-6 6-2. Bertens is big, strong and one of the best servers in the game but she has impressively complete game. Rather than trying to hit herself out of trouble, she went back to basics with ample slices, drop shots and topspin forehands. She frequently offered no pace and forced Zvatska to beat her, which she couldn’t do in that set.
Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova picks up where she left off at the US Open, beating Andrea Petkovic 6-3 6-3 to reach the second round. Pironkova was one of the stories of the US Open. In her first tournament back after three years of maternity leave, she reached the quarterfinals of the US Open, her best ever result there, eventually losing to Serena Williams in three sets. Good to see Petkovic back, who is returning from knee surgery.
Other completed matches:
- Bernarda Pera 7-6(3) 6-1 Cici Bellis
- Jasmine Paolini 6-4 6-3 Aliona Bolsova
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Dominic Thiem moves up 6-4 6-3 on Marin Cilic with his second break of the set, puncutated with a loud cheer. No problems here.
After achieving his dream by winning his first slam, it appears that Dominic Thiem is looking for a new career as a linesman.
Translation: “If he gets more upright, you could even think he’s sitting at the back of the court when returning.
Se ele ficar mais em pé, dá até para achar que tá sentado na cadeira do fundo de quadra na devolução. pic.twitter.com/LTJwp3OLJ3
— Break Point (@BreakPointBR) September 28, 2020
Around the Grounds:
- [3] Dominic Thiem 6-4 5-3* Marin Cilic
- [5] Kiki Bertens 2-6 3-1* Katarina Zavatska
- [14] Fabio Fognini 5-7 1-0* Mikhail Kukushkin
- [WC] Tsvetana Pironkova 6-3 5-2* Andrea Petkovic
- Yoshihito Nishioka 7-5 1-1* [19] Felix Auger-Aliassime
- Christina McHale 1-0* Katarina Muchova
- Reilly Opelka 4-6 4-6 Jack Sock
- Cici Bellis 6-7(3) 1-3* Bernarda Pera
Dominic Thiem is still rolling on his serve with a break in the second set. Thiem leads Cilic 6-4 *4-3.
Over on Court 9, the diminutive and wildly fun Yoshihito Nishioka has taken the first set 7-5 against 20 year-old 19th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Both players were opponents of Andy Murray at the US Open: Nishioka lost in the first round after holding match points and leading two sets to love, then Auger-Aliassime easily dismantled him in the first round. Nishioka leads here. Funny sport.
A first completed outdoor match of the day: [Q] Sara Errani defeats Monica Puig 6-2 6-1.
Interesting to see former No 4 and 2012 French Open finalist Errani playing well again. It has been a interesting few years in her career after she served a doping ban and then had some of the worst service struggles that have ever been seen from a top pro upon her return. At one point, she simply could not serve. She was just serving underarm on every point yet still winning some matches against players outside of the top 100 on the ITF Pro Circuit.
Today was different: she landed 85% first serves and won 77% of points behind it.
Spare a thought for Monica Puig. It has been a tough four years for the Puerto Rican since she shocked the world by winning gold in women’s singles at the Olympics.
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How poor was Marin Cilic at the end of the first set? This poor.
I was struck temporarily dumb by the pure potency of Marin's first set flatulence. The odor of which still lingers, but at least I'm able to tweet again.
— Wilfy (@whitelinefervor) September 28, 2020
Over on Court Suzanne Lenglen, Kiki Bertens opens with a break. In normal times, she is one of the best servers in the women’s game. Let’s see if she can run with it. Bertens 2-6 *1-0 Zavatska.
This is quickly getting away from Marin Cilic. Cilic opened the second set as he ended the first, dropping serve with a series of errors before Dominic Thiem calmly held serve. Thiem ended up winning 5 successive games from *3-4 in the first set before the Croat finally clinched another service game. Thiem leads Cilic 6-3 *2-1.
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Elsewhere, 5th seed Kiki Bertens has finally dropped the first set to qualifier Kararina Zavatska, who is ranked 112.
20 year old Zavatska is seizing the moment in the biggest match of her career so far and she has played an excellent set but this has been a tough watch from Bertens’s perspective.
Bertens is one of the best clay court players in the world and she should be a top title contender but she arrives in Paris having retired with injury last week in Strasbourg. After deciding to skip the US Open, she also looked completely off the pace during her comeback match in Rome and she is still dusting off the cobwebs in her game. Time is running out.
Dominic Thiem takes the first set 6-4 against Marin Cilic on Chatrier.
After a poor service game at 4-4, Cilic responded well by immediately bringing up 0-40, only to lose five points in a row with a series of unforced errors. Thiem is making life tough for Cilic with some exceptional defence, but otherwise that was an extremely sloppy final two games from Cilic. He may be a former slam champion, but we have just seen why he has been so off the pace since the beginning of 2019.
Dominic Thiem takes the first big breakthrough and he will serve for the set at *5-4.
Marin Cilic only has himself to blame there. He opened with a couple of errors. After dragging himself back from 0-30 to 30-30, Thiem demonstrated some excellent defence, eventually forcing a forehand error from Cilic after retrieving an overhead. On break point, Cilic shanked a backhand well wide.
Over on Chatrier, both Dominic Thiem and Marin Cilic have settled down and slipped into a rhythm after trading breaks in the opening two games. Quick service games, quick holds. 4-4.
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Nick Kyrgios is referring to these comments [below] from Mats Wilander after Andy Murray’s easy loss to Stan Wawrinka yesterday.
My opinion: The comments are completely nonsensical and silly considering Murray has an ATP title on his ranking and he beat Alexander Zverev last month, who went on to reach the US Open final one tournament week later. He clearly needs more matches and to just play consistently after so many years without doing so.
Even if Murray had no hope, he is a champion and a former #1. If he wants to take wildcards, so be it. Tournaments are happy to give them because he attracts attention and business. Young players are not entitled to wildcards and players from France, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom get so many more opportunities than players from other countries as it is. They will survive.
Wilander: ‘I did it and I shouldn’t have, it was the biggest mistake I did in my career. I think Andy Murray needs to stop thinking of himself and start thinking about who he was. Does he have a right to be out there taking wildcards from the young players?’
— George Bellshaw (@BellshawGeorge) September 27, 2020
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Meanwhile.
Just read what Wilander said about @andy_murray .... shut up Mats, no one cares. Muzz, just know that how ever long you stay, we all appreciate and enjoy your tennis and banter. Also I’ve never watched a point of Mats Wilander. 😂🤦🏽♂️
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) September 28, 2020
Q. This was your first main draw match in Paris. Do you think of this as you walk out there today? [...] Sort of describe what your mindset was heading into this match as your first time playing in the French Open main draw. COCO GAUFF: Honestly, my dad told me something in the warmup. He was just telling me, like, You’re living your dream, so just enjoy and have fun. His goal was to become an NBA player, and he didn’t make it. He told me, You’re living your dream, not everybody gets to do that, just have fun on the court. That really changed my perspective. I was really nervous going into the match. That just calmed me down. I realized it’s just a tennis match. I’m doing some things that people wish they could do. Just go out there and enjoy it.
After dropping his opening service game, Marin Cilic has looked very sharp. He has particularly thrived in the forecourt, producing a couple of lovely, dainty and uncharacteristic drop volleys. From *0-1, he rolls through two games in a row. Thiem trails 1-2.
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It feels quite symbolic that Dominic Thiem and Marin Cilic should meet each other in Thiem’s first match since winning the US Open. Outside of the Big 3, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, they are the only two players to win a slam in 11 years.
Cilic’s quality is well known and he presents an extremely tough first round draw for Thiem, who is playing his first match on clay since the tour suspension. Still, poor form is part of the reason why he has fallen to his current ranking of 40. We’ll see if Cilic can step up and produce a big performance, and how much of a hangover Thiem has after a life-changing first slam title.
They have opened with two breaks to begin.
As Dominic Thiem vs Marin Cilic begins on Chatrier, players are warming up on outside courts.
Some good news. The covers are off on the outdoor courts and play will begin soon outside of Chatrier.
Petra Kvitova moves into the second round with a 6-3 7-5 win over Oceane Dodin
A great performance from Petra Kvitova against tough opposition. The clear conclusion of that match is that as long as Kvitova can play under the roof, she could well contend here.
After an incredible rally with some sublime defence and grind from Petra Kvitova, the Czech breaks serve and she will serve for the match at 6-3 *6-5.
This has been a very good set of tennis. It is absolutely not a typical clay court match - aided by the indoor conditions, both players are serving big and crushing the ball as soon as the opportunity arises - but Oceane Dodin has played extremely well and she has forced Kvitova to be extremely focused. So far, Kvitova has not let up.
He’s a great example of what a Champion looks like on and off the court ! Lot of respect my friend 🙏🏻✊🏻💥❤️ #legend #respect #champion #friend #rival pic.twitter.com/id71ESpXBH
— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) September 28, 2020
Extraordinary scenes on Chatrier as Oceane Dodin faced break point down 6-3 4-4* 30-40 to Petra Kvitova. She broke a string on her missed first serve and then had to defend break point on her second serve with a new racquet, after a long pause. She shrugged it off and won three points in a row to hold. 6-3 *4-5.
This year’s US Open will forever be known as the year of the ‘Paire 11’ after Benoit Paire tested positive for coronavirus on the eve of the tournament and 11 players were deemed to have come into close contact with him. 7 were isolated from other players during the event and eventually Kiki Mladenovic, the top seed, was withdrawn from the women’s doubles draw after the State stepped in and ruled that players should quarantine in their rooms if they come into contact with a positive case. The drama! Here is Benoit on the past 4 weeks. Somehow, he won his first round yesterday against Kwon Soonwoo of Korea:
Q. For those of us who haven’t had a chance to speak with you since New York, can you just comment on what happened and your current status with the COVID-19 situation?
BENOIT PAIRE: You know what, it was not easy, the situation after New York. Stayed 10 days in my room. Then I went to Rome to play my tournament, but I was not totally ready to play. So it was not easy against Jannik [Sinner]. Then I went to Hamburg and again positive test, so I had to stay in my room only. I could leave my room only to practice and to play my match for one hour. It was not easy, honestly, the situation after the 10 days in my room in New York, then have to stay again in my room. The only thing I wanted was to go home, so couldn’t because we had to come here for the test.
So honestly now what happen is I’m tired. I’m tired physically. I’m tired mentally. Of course I’m very happy to win, but is not like last year I remember a lot of good memories with the crowd, with the tennis I was playing. So it’s not easy to come back here and to play with an empty stadium, and, yeah, honestly physically I’m not good and mentally I’m not good enough.
Q. So now you tested negative presumably here in Paris?
BENOIT PAIRE: Yeah, I did one test when I arrive negative. Really happy about it. I was scared about the test, because, you know, when you’re negative, positive, negative, positive, you never know. And I knew before it was 50% of chance to play because if I was positive I was out. So not easy mentally when you know there is a possibility you don’t play at home on this tournament is something different in the head. And, yeah, I’m not 100% now.
Again, Oceane Dodin is making life tough for Petra Kvitova, this time pushing her to deuce with a screaming backhand down-the-line winner. A good response from Kvitova, who produced two big first serves to hold. Kvitova leads 6-3 3-3.
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Simple and clear.
Q. Is that at the moment your feeling is you’ll be back next year?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, definitely.
Oceane Dodin is still giving Petra Kvitova plenty to think about on Chatrier, retaining her serve with another good hold. Kvitova leads 6-3 *2-3.
As we wait for the rain to abate outside of Chatrier, this is a good opportunity to look back at some of yesterday’s press conferences. 11th seed David Goffin gave the most relatable answer after his listless loss to Jannik Sinner:
Q. When you look at all of 2020, what has been the most difficult thing for you this year?
DAVID GOFFIN: For me it’s the motivation, I would say. You feel like kind of worried all the time. Before every tournament you don’t know if there will be, like, a wrong test or you will be positive, negative. It’s the same for your staff. Every week it’s different rules. Every city is different, how to travel with the staff. In your private life also it can be just not easy. The most difficult for me, it’s like to be fresh mentally on the court and to save energy to give everything on the court. That’s why I think today it was the toughest part. It’s just that I was a little bit empty, no energy today.
Petra Kvitova immediately consolidated the first set by breaking serve in the opening game of set two, but she has been pulled back impressively by her young French opponent. Oceane Dodin has now won two games in a row and she has some momentum on her side. 6-3 *1-2.
Petra Kvitova takes the first set 6-3 against Oceane Dodin on Chatrier. Kvitova has won 15/15 points on her first serve and 12 winners to only 4 unforced errors - she has comfortably hit through the court today.
This clearly bodes well for her and shows how completely different this tournament will be for those under the roof on Chatrier compared with those who will have to constantly deal with the heavy, rainy and slow outdoor conditions. Few people like Kvitova’s chances in those conditions, but the more time she spends under the roof, the further she can go in this tournament.
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This is how things currently look on the outside courts. Kvitova leads 3-2* on Chatrier. Still on serve.
Llueve en París. 🌧️
— ESPN Tenis (@ESPNtenis) September 28, 2020
Sólo Kvitova-Dodin se está jugando en este momento en #RolandGaros.#RGxESPN pic.twitter.com/MAwUOqYJhl
Translation: “Surprise, surprise: it is raining in Paris this morning. Incredible, right? No...”
Kvitova and Dodin have started under the roof on Chatrier as play is yet to begin elsewhere. It’s going to be a long two weeks.
Surprise, surprise : il pleut sur Paris ce matin. Incroyable, non ? Non...
— Carole Bouchard 💜💛 (@carole_bouchard) September 28, 2020
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The players are on-court and ready to begin. On Chatrier, Petra Kvitova opens with a quick love service game. Few players are expecting Kvitova to thrive in these heavy conditions on clay, but the roof may just be to her liking.
Here is today’s order of play on the main courts. Liam Broady is third on court 10 against Jiri Vesely and Cameron Norrie follows on the same court against Daniel Galan. Both are pretty good draws.
Monday's Roland Garros OOP: pic.twitter.com/1KR2TTBgty
— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) September 27, 2020
Preamble
Hello! Welcome to our coverage on day 2 of Roland Garros. Today marks the second of the French Open’s unique three-day first round action and we will get our first glimpses of Petra Kvitova, Dominic Thiem, Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, Garbine Muguruza. After Johanna Konta, Andy Murray and Dan Evans faced three tough first round draws and were each bundled out, Britain’s Liam Broady and Cameron Norrie are left to see if they can make the second round. Heather Watson will play on Tuesday.
Considering so many of those players come in with either minimal match practice after skipping the US Open [Nadal] or not much preparation on clay after going deep in New York [Thiem, Serena, Medvedev], it feels like these early rounds have rarely counted more. It’s not just about settling into the tournament and finding their games early, but every minute counts as they look to acclimate themselves to the surface and matchplay. The rainy, cold conditions will only further complicate things for those not fortunate enough to compete under the new roof on Chatrier. We’ll see who adapts best.
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