Two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud eased previous Brazilian qualifier Felipe Alves in straight units on Might 28 as he launched a renewed bid for a maiden title in Paris.
Recent from his win in Geneva final week the world quantity seven and three-time Grand Slam finalist seemed assured on the Paris clay, serving near 90% first serves as he sped previous the Brazilian in underneath two hours.
He’ll face both Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot or Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina within the second spherical
“This is likely one of the greatest tournaments for me and for everybody yearly. Considered one of my highlights,” Ruud stated.
“I’m all the time wanting ahead to it. The final two years have given me a lot right here in Paris. I hope I could make it one other good 12 months.”
“I feel it’s been clay season for me. Madrid and Rome might’ve gone a bit higher. It wasn’t what I hoped for. However different outcomes went effectively. All in all I’m pleased.”
Ruud, a shedding finalist within the earlier two editions of the French Open, earned three break factors at 3-2 and extra on the Brazilian’s subsequent service recreation earlier than snatching a break on his seventh alternative to go 5-3 up and bag the primary set.
Alves had matched Ruud’s energy recreation for about an hour however progressively the errors piled up as Ruud didn’t give a single break level away in the whole second set.
One other early break within the third noticed Ruud firmly within the driving seat and the 25-year-old sealed his 6-3 6-4 6-3 win in slightly below two hours.
Sabalenka powers into French Open second spherical
World quantity two Aryna Sabalenka over-powered Russian teenager Erika Andreeva in straight units to succeed in the French Open second spherical.
The Australian Open champion, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 2023, gained 6-1, 6-2 in opposition to her 19-year-old opponent underneath the roof of Courtroom Philippe Chatrier after 68 minutes.
Sabalenka fired 27 winners previous the A centesimal-ranked Andreeva and broke serve 5 instances in a dominant show and goes on to face both Irene Burillo Escorihuela of Spain or Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima.
Sabalenka has made at the very least the final 4 at her previous six Grand Slams and is anticipated to be Iga Swiatek’s hardest rival within the Pole’s bid for a fourth French Open title.
Swiatek defeated Sabalenka within the finals of Madrid and Rome within the build-up to the French Open.
Djokovic eyes season turnaround as rain brings havoc
Novak Djokovic begins the defence of his French Open title at Roland Garros, assured his Grand Slam pedigree will assist flip round his lacklustre season as event chiefs battled a irritating five-hour rain delay.
By late afternoon on the third day, solely 4 of the scheduled 40 first-round ties had been accomplished.
Two-time runner-up Casper Ruud and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina had been safely again within the locker room having benefitted from enjoying underneath the roofs of the Philippe Chatrier and Suzanne Lenglen courts.
World primary Djokovic, searching for a fourth Roland Garros title and record-extending twenty fifth main, is enduring his worst run since 2018.
Djokovic, 37, has not gained a title in 2024 and has but to make a last with semi-final spots on the Australian Open and Monte Carlo Masters his greatest performances.
He additionally suffered the indignity of being by accident hit on the top by a steel water bottle in Rome which triggered nausea and dizziness.
In Geneva final week, the place he was knocked out by Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic, Djokovic stated he had been affected by a abdomen drawback.
“They’re reasonably bumps on the street,” stated Djokovic, who watched his long-time rival and 14-time champion Rafael Nadal bow out of the event in opposition to Alexander Zverev on Monday.
When requested to elaborate additional on his difficulties up to now this season, Djokovic opted for discretion.
“Varied issues have been taking place within the final couple of months, however I don’t need to get into it. I don’t need to open Pandora’s Field.”
On Tuesday, Djokovic will tackle French wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the world quantity 142 who hasn’t gained a match on the principle tour this 12 months.
Ruud, who gained clay-court titles in Barcelona and Geneva within the build-up to Roland Garros, cruised to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Brazilian qualifier Felipe Meligeni Alves.
“It’s nice to be again right here at Roland Garros,” he stated. “Hopefully I could make it one other good 12 months right here.”
Ruud was crushed in straight units by Novak Djokovic in final 12 months’s last following a one-sided loss to Rafael Nadal within the 2022 showpiece.
He additionally misplaced the 2022 US Open last to Carlos Alcaraz.
Frenchwoman Alize Cornet’s profession ended with a straight-sets defeat by Zheng Qinwen in her record-extending 69th consecutive Grand Slam look.
Cornet was no match for China’s Australian Open runner-up Zheng, shedding 6-2, 6-1.
She made her debut at Roland Garros as a 15-year-old in 2005 and has not missed a Grand Slam event because the 2006 US Open.
‘Cried watching Rafa’
Cornet reached a career-high rating of eleventh in 2009 and loved a shock run to the 2022 Australian Open quarterfinals.
“I already cried yesterday watching Rafa,” stated a tearful Cornet after seeing Nadal lose what was doubtless his final match on the French Open on Monday.
Over on Courtroom Suzanne Lenglen, Rybakina powered into the second spherical with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Belgian Greet Minnen and will face three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber for a spot within the final 32.
Kazakh world quantity 4 Rybakina is the one participant to defeat event favorite Iga Swiatek on clay this season, within the Stuttgart semi-finals in April.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka will get her bid to succeed in a primary Roland Garros last underway.
The world quantity two has reached at the very least the semi-finals in every of the previous six Grand Slam occasions.
Sabalenka can also be the one girl to beat world primary and three-time French Open winner Swiatek in a last on clay — in Madrid final 12 months — because the Pole misplaced her first WTA title decider as a teen in 2019 at a low-key occasion in Switzerland.
The 26-year-old Sabalenka had by no means even reached the second week at Roland Garros till final 12 months, when she was knocked out by Karolina Muchova within the semi-finals.
She begins her Paris marketing campaign in opposition to Russia’s Erika Andreeva.
Additionally on courtroom within the males’s singles is Argentine qualifier Roman Andres Burruchaga who has sporting success within the blood.
His father Jorge famously scored the successful objective for Diego Maradona’s Argentina within the 1986 World Cup last in opposition to West Germany.
Ranked at 144, the 22-year-old is making his Grand Slam debut and takes on Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
