World number one Naomi Osaka was just two points from a sensational Roland Garros exit on Tuesday before securing her place in the second round where she was joined by defending champion Simona Halep who also needed three sets to survive.
In the men’s draw, Grand Slam under-achiever Alexander Zverev needed four hours to get through his opener.
Here’s a wrap of Day 3
Headlines
Top seed Osaka, bidding to add the French Open to her US and Australian Open titles, defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 0-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1. However, she came within a whisker of becoming only the second top seed to lose in the first round in Paris in the modern era after Angelique Kerber in 2017.
Reigning champion Simona Halep said she was “confident” for her French Open title defence after an ultimately comfortable first-round victory on Tuesday despite a second-set blip against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic. The Romanian was pegged back on Court Philippe Chatrier but raced through the decider to win 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
German fifth seed Zverev, a quarter-finalist in 2018, battled past Australia’s John Millman 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 2-6, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3 in a shade over four hours.The champion in Geneva last weekend fired 57 winners past world number 56 Millman who stunned Roger Federer at the US Open last year.
Argentine eighth seed Juan Martin del Potro, a semi-finalist in 2009 and 2018, made the second round with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 win over Chilean world number 58 Nicolas Jarry. “I think I’m playing well at the moment, but my main goal is still the knee, my health,” said Del Potro who is still feeling his way back after knee surgery. Next up for the giant Argentine is a clash against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.
Ivo Karlovic made a mockery of his 40 years to beat relative spring chicken, 37-year-old Feliciano Lopez, in the oldest ever men’s match-up at Roland Garros. Croatian Karlovic, the tallest player on the tour at 6ft 11in (2.11m), defeated Lopez 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5.
Top results
Naomi Osaka (JPN x1) bt Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) 0-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1
Simona Halep (ROU x3) bt Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
Juan Martin del Potro (ARG x8) bt Nicolas Jarry (CHI) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4
Alexander Zverev (GER x5) bt John Millman (AUS) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 2-6, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, 6-7 (7/9), 7-5
Sidelines
Rough day for McDonald
American Mackenzie McDonald had a day to forget, as he blew a lead to lose in five sets to Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka. He obviously was not feeling too well, either, as he was sick at the back of Court 10 following the first point of the deciding set, having taken a medical time-out at the end of the fourth.
Fritz ‘scared’ by explosion
American Taylor Fritz revealed he was close to a parcel bomb explosion while in Lyon last Friday which left 13 people injured.
“It scared me a little bit that something like that happened... The area that it happened, I had been going a block away to get food every day. So it was just a bit scary to me.”
Fritz beat Bernard Tomic in straight sets to reach round two.
French player hails ‘fun’ Kyrgios
Elliot Benchetrit said he did not feel pressure to play a certain way after replacing Nick Kyrgios in the draw after the fiery Australian’s withdrawal, although he did put on a show for the French fans with a one-sided win over Cameron Norrie.
“I know Nick, he’s really fun, but sometimes he makes some funny choices. I didn’t want to play for show because I was replacing him, but replacing him or anyone else means that I was just going to play my tennis.”
Comeback queen
Russian Anna Blinkova has dragged herself back from the brink twice at Roland Garros en route to a second-round match against home hope Caroline Garcia. She trailed 3-0 in a deciding set in the first qualifying round against Israel’s Julia Glushko before winning 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, and on Tuesday overturned a third-set 4-0 deficit against compatriot Margarita Gasparyan to claim a 6-3, 4-6, 8-6 victory.
Who’s saying what
“I think this is the most nervous I have ever been my entire life during a match.”
– Top seed Naomi Osaka after narrowly avoiding a shock first-round defeat.
“I complain a lot in Japanese. But I mutter it, so you guys probably don’t hear it. But, yeah, usually when I’m complaining on the court, it’s in Japanese because I don’t want people to understand the English.”
– Osaka on how she prevents English viewers from picking up on her frustrations.
“Right now I have nothing to say, because they’ll give me (a) fine.”
– Fabio Fognini when asked to further explain his recent criticism of the Italian Open.
“Nike really has done something different this year. I mean, maybe they’re running out of ideas, but I think it’s something different. And I can’t complain. I actually really like it.”
– Canadian rising star Bianca Andreescu on her skeleton-adorned top.
With AFP inputs
