1 week ago
25
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Naomi Osaka has a tendency to be hard on herself and yesterday was no different after her absorbing 6-7 (1), 6-1, 6-4 defeat against the 1oth seed, Paula Badosa. The four-times grand slam champion has struggled to rediscover her best form since returning to tennis last January after the birth of her daughter, and said yesterday: “I think as time goes on, I feel like I should be doing better. But also I hate disappointing people. So, like, even with Patrick [Mouratoglou], I was thinking this just now, but he goes from working with the greatest player ever [Serena Williams] to, like, what the fuck this is. You know what I mean?”
Osaka’s never been the most comfortable on grass, but hopefully she can gather some momentum during the US hard-court swing. Women’s tennis is all the better for her being in it.
… and Medvedev suddenly springs into life with three quick points to hold. It’s 1-1.
Norrie has held to 30 in the opening game against Medvedev. This is a tough match-up for the Brit, who trails their head-to-head 4-0, including a straight-sets defeat in Rome this month. In fact Norrie has never managed to take a set off the Russian. But Medvedev notoriously hates early matches, and he seems as if he’d still rather be in bed as he slides 15-30 down on serve. Norrie thinks he’s pulled off a winner but it’s called out, but then finishes a well-constructed point with a backhand volley. Break point …
The players have weaved and wound their way to the courts, where most of the spectators look as if they’re dressed for winter. It’s cold, blustery and overcast in Paris today, so it’s not going to be easy for the players. Conditions will be heavy. And there could be some rain.
Just getting under way: Cameron Norrie v Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur v Laslo Djere, Mirra Andreeva v Cristina Bucsa, Marketa Vondrousova v Oksana Selekhmeteva, Victoria Azarenka v Yanina Wickmayer, Beatriz Haddad Maia v Hailey Baptiste and A Shevchenko (not that one – instead it’s the lucky loser Alexander Shevchenko from Kazakhstan) v Dusan Lajovic. Though it has got me thinking about Diego Forlan making his pro tennis debut at the age of 45 last year …
Some more reading:
Djokovic, with a little spring in his 38-year-old step after winning the Geneva Open on Saturday, his first title since the Olympics last summer, will begin his latest bid for grand slam No 25 in the third match on Philippe Chatrier. He’s playing at Roland Garros minus Andy Murray, of course, after the pair ended their coaching relationship a couple of weeks ago, and he spoke about that yesterday in his pre-tournament press conference, including Murray’s quip about how Djokovic had won in Geneva because he now has “a proper coach”.
Andre Agassi and Chrissie Evert are talking on TNT Sports. I could listen to them all day. Agassi is reflecting on when he decided to retire and how Novak Djokovic, whenever the moment comes, must retire on his own terms. He also talks about how strange it was for him to carry on playing when Pete Sampras retired and wonders how Djokovic now, in the absence of Federer, Nadal and Murray, feels being “the last one at the dance”. Evert, meanwhile, says “obsession” must be driving Djokovic to carry on playing because her body “couldn’t even face getting out of bed” by the time she was 31.
Today’s order of play on the main courts
Court Philippe Chatrier (12pm start/11am BST)
Varvara Gracheva (France) v 31-Sofia Kenin (US)
Olivia Gadecki (Australia) v 2-Coco Gauff (US)
Mackenzie McDonald (US) v Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
Gael Monfils (France) v Hugo Dellien (Bolivia)
Court Suzanne Lenglen (11am/10am BST)
6-Mirra Andreeva (Russia) v Cristina Bucsa (Spain)
3-Alexander Zverev (Germany) v Learner Tien (US)
Anca Todoni (Romania) v 3-Jessica Pegula (US)
Mattia Bellucci (Italy) v 5-Jack Draper (Great Britain)
Court Simonne Mathieu (11am/10am BST)
11-Daniil Medvedev (Russia) v Cameron Norrie (Great Britain)
25-Magdalena Frech (Poland) v Ons Jabeur (Tunisia)
Corentin Moutet (France) v Clement Tabur (France)
14-Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic) v Alycia Parks (US)
Preamble
Bonjour le monde! Et bienvenue au jour trois de notre couverture de Roland Garros 2025!
Despite the first round stretching over three days, there’s still plenty of names beginning their campaigns today. Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Coco Gauff? Oui. British trio Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie (v Daniil Medvedev) and Sonay Kartal? Bien sûr. Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Ons Jabeur, Victoria Azarenka, Gael Monfils, Grigor Dimitrov and former runners-up Karolina Muchova and Marketa Vondrousova? C’est ça. And the much-talked about Roland Garros debutants Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik and Ethan Quinn? On y va!
L’action commence: 11h à Paris/10am BST.
