PARIS: Carlos Alcaraz eased into the second spherical of the French Open after shrugging off pre-tournament issues about his forearm whereas fellow seeds Andrey Rublev and Hubert Hurkacz superior with hard-fought wins because the Grand Slam started on Sunday.
A lot of the main target was on title contender Alcaraz’s recently injured proper forearm within the build-up to the 12 months’s second main, with the 21-year-old Spaniard saying he nonetheless had worries forward of his conflict with American JJ Wolf.
However cheered on by the Philippe Chatrier crowd, the two-time Grand Slam champion, who skipped three of the 4 tune-up occasions he deliberate to take part in, thumped the fortunate loser 6-1, 6-2, 6-1.
“I’m actually completely satisfied to be again right here in Paris and competing once more. It’s been a tough month for me […] I really like enjoying tennis,” third seed Alcaraz mentioned. “To steer clear of that was hurting me. I attempted every part I might to be at 100 per cent in Roland Garros to indicate my finest. I feel I did it immediately.”
Madrid champion and sixth seed Rublev was pushed arduous by Japan’s Taro Daniel earlier than securing a 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-5 victory, whereas Polish eighth seed Hurkacz was dragged the space by one other Japanese participant in Shintaro Mochizuki.
Hurkacz returned from a rain break to seal a 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory.
French hopes of a primary males’s champion since Yannick Noah’s conquer 4 many years in the past had been dampened considerably earlier as their primary participant and seventeenth seed Ugo Humbert crashed to a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat by Italian Lorenzo Sonego.
In the meantime, German Maximilian Marterer, ranked 99, comfortably moved into the subsequent spherical as he defeated Jordan Thompson of Australia 6-3, 6-2, 6-0, whereas Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov beat Aleksander Kovacevic of the US 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
Within the ladies’s fixtures on Sunday, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and 2017 winner Jelena Ostapenko additionally superior earlier than rain interrupted play, however the motion continued on Suzanne Lenglen with a brand new retractable roof inaugurated earlier within the day deployed instantly.
Osaka’s reward for a battling 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 win over Italian Lucia Bronzetti might be a gathering with defending champion Iga Swiatek within the subsequent spherical. High seed Swiatek, chasing a fourth French Open, will face Osaka if the Pole will get previous qualifier Leolia Jeanjean on Monday.
Ostapenko continued her sturdy season by beating Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian 6-4 7-5.
Russian Maria Timofeeva crashed out of the occasion after dropping in opposition to skilled Chinese language Wang Yafan 6-3, 6-3. Wang, 30, will subsequent face Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine, who downed Australian Ajla Tomljanovic 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, on Monday.
Croatian Donna Vekic benefited from the abandonment of Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine (6-5) on Sunday and can now face one other Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk within the second spherical.
Kostyuk dropped a set in opposition to Brazil’s Laura Pigossi however was in a position to energy by 7-5, 6-7(4-7), 6-4 after a hard-fought match.
Maria Bouzkova of the Czech Republic was additionally among the many winners on Sunday as she cruised previous Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 6-4 and subsequent might be up in opposition to Croatia’s Jana Fett, who defeated Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-2, 3-6, 7-5, on Wednesday.
American Sofia Kenin got here from a set all the way down to beat German Laura Seigmund 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Earlier, 1000’s of spectators made their method by the gates, with their panama hats and sun shades put to good use within the brilliant afternoon sunshine earlier than the umbrellas got here out.
With fit-again 14-time champion Rafa Nadal again in Paris however solely enjoying fourth seed Alexander Zverev on Monday, they gathered in giant numbers to see Alcaraz showcase his expertise.
“I actually need to see an American go far however I feel Alcaraz goes to comply with in Nadal’s footsteps,” mentioned Jake, an American fan from New York attending his first French Open.
“He’s from Spain and he’s been enjoying actually good within the completely different tournaments he’s been in. He’s gained the US Open, he’s gained Wimbledon and I feel he’s coming for the French Open.”
Printed in Daybreak, Could twenty seventh, 2024