PARIS: Novak Djokovic begins the defense of his French Open title at Roland Garros on Tuesday, confident his Grand Slam pedigree will help turn around his lacklustre season as tournament chiefs battled a frustrating five-hour rain delay.
By late afternoon on the third day, only four of the scheduled 40 first-round ties had been completed.
Two-time runner-up Casper Ruud and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina were safely back in the locker room having benefitted from playing under the roofs of the Philippe Chatrier and Suzanne Lenglen courts.
World number one Djokovic, seeking a fourth Roland Garros title and record-extending 25th major, is enduring his worst run since 2018.
Djokovic, 37, has not won a title in 2024 and has yet to make a final with semifinal spots at the Australian Open and Monte Carlo Masters his best performances.
He also suffered the indignity of being accidentally hit on the head by a metal water bottle in Rome which caused nausea and dizziness.
In Geneva last week, where he was knocked out by Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic, Djokovic said he had been suffering from a stomach problem.
“They are rather bumps on the road,” said Djokovic, who watched his long-time rival and 14-time champion Rafael Nadal bow out of the tournament against Alexander Zverev on Monday.
When asked to elaborate further on his difficulties so far this season, Djokovic opted for discretion.
“Various things have been happening in the last couple of months, but I don’t want to get into it. I don’t want to open Pandora’s Box.”
On Tuesday, Djokovic will take on French wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the world number 142 who hasn’t won a match on the main tour this year.
Ruud, who won clay-court titles in Barcelona and Geneva in the build-up to Roland Garros, cruised to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Brazilian qualifier Felipe Meligeni Alves.
“It’s great to be back here at Roland Garros,” he said. “Hopefully I can make it another good year here.”
Ruud was beaten in straight sets by Novak Djokovic in last year’s final following a one-sided loss to Rafael Nadal in the 2022 showpiece.
He also lost the 2022 US Open final to Carlos Alcaraz.
Frenchwoman Alize Cornet’s career ended with a straight-sets defeat by Zheng Qinwen in her record-extending 69th consecutive Grand Slam appearance.
Cornet was no match for China’s Australian Open runner-up Zheng, losing 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 tournament since the 2006 US Open.
Cornet reached a career-high ranking of 11th in 2009 and enjoyed a surprise run to the 2022 Australian Open quarter-finals.
“I already cried yesterday watching Rafa,” said a tearful Cornet after seeing Nadal lose what was likely his last match at the French Open on Monday.
Over on Court Suzanne Lenglen, Rybakina powered into the second round with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Belgian Greet Minnen and could face three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber for a place in the last 32.
Kazakh world number four Rybakina is the only player to defeat tournament favorite Iga Swiatek on clay this season, in the Stuttgart semifinals in April.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka gets her bid to reach a first Roland Garros final underway.
The world number two has reached at least the semifinals in each of the past six Grand Slam events.
Sabalenka is also the only woman to beat world number one and three-time French Open winner Swiatek in a final on clay — in Madrid last year — since the Pole lost her first WTA title decider as a teenager in 2019 at a low-key event in Switzerland.
The 26-year-old Sabalenka had never even reached the second week at Roland Garros until last year, when she was knocked out by Karolina Muchova in the semifinals.
She starts her Paris campaign against Russia’s Erika Andreeva.
Also on court in the men’s singles is Argentine qualifier Roman Andres Burruchaga who has sporting success in the blood.
His father Jorge famously scored the winning goal for Diego Maradona’s Argentina in the 1986 World Cup final against West Germany.
Ranked at 144, the 22-year-old is making his Grand Slam debut and takes on Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
Djokovic eyes season turnaround as rain brings havoc to French Open
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Djokovic eyes season turnaround as rain brings havoc to French Open
- World number one Djokovic, seeking a fourth Roland Garros title and record-extending 25th major, is enduring his worst run since 2018
- He also suffered the indignity of being accidentally hit on the head by a metal water bottle in Rome which caused nausea and dizziness
Sabalenka beats Paolini in straight sets to reach last four of WTA Finals
- Top-ranked Sabalenka cruised in the first set after building a 4-0 lead, then saved two set points in the second to advance at the year-ending tournament
- Sabalenka has won 22 of her last 23 matches, and three of the last four tournaments in which she played
RIYADH: Aryna Sabalenka reached the semifinals of the WTA Finals with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Jasmine Paolini on Monday for a second straight victory in the group stage.
The top-ranked Sabalenka cruised in the first set after building a 4-0 lead, then saved two set points in the second to advance at the year-ending tournament for the top eight ranked players.
Sabalenka will face already eliminated Elena Rybakina on Wednesday in the final group match of the week.
Sabalenka has won 22 of her last 23 matches, and three of the last four tournaments in which she played.
Another round-robin win will secure her the year-end No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career.
In the other Purple Group match, Zheng Qinwen defeated Rybakina 7-6 (4) 3-6, 6-1 to maintain chances of advancing.
It was Zheng’s first career win over Rybakina in three tries.
Rybakina sits at 0-2 and can’t advance to the semifinals. She lost to Paolini on Saturday, while Sabalenka eased to a straight-set victory over Zheng in the opening match in Saudi Arabia.
Zheng and Paolini will play each other on Wednesday, with the winner advancing to her first WTA Finals semifinal to face the winner of the Orange Group.
China’s Zheng downs Rybakina at WTA Finals
- Zheng rebounded from her opening round-robin defeat by Aryna Sabalenka by claiming her first win from three meetings with Rybakina
RIYADH: Zheng Qinwen improved her chances of advancing to the semifinals at the WTA Finals with a 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-1 victory over world No. 5 Elena Rybakina in Riyadh on Monday.
The seventh-seeded Zheng rebounded from her opening round-robin defeat by Aryna Sabalenka by claiming her first win from three meetings with Rybakina.
Meanwhile, Rybakina suffered a second defeat in as many matches this week in Saudi Arabia and is facing elimination, with one more round-robin clash to go against Sabalenka on Wednesday.
During her on-court interview, Zheng apologized to the Chinese fans in the stands for “losing control” of her emotions at one point during the match, admitting she was “harsh” in her reaction to them, and thanked them for their support.
“I’m really happy to have won this match because I never beat her before and she’s one of the greatest players right now on tour, huge serve and great groundstrokes,” said Zheng.
“I didn’t take my chances in the second set but I was able to come back in the third and I stayed focused.
“I had to stay really focused on my service games, because here, both of us are destroying our serves, it’s really tough to return.”
Zheng arrives in Riyadh on the back of an impressive second half of the season that saw her win titles in Palermo and Tokyo, and an Olympic gold medal in singles in Paris. No woman has won more matches than her within that span.
The first Chinese player to qualify for the WTA Finals since Li Na in 2013, Zheng amassed a 12-2 win-loss record during the Asian swing last month and is the tour leader in most aces struck and percentage of first-serve points won.
Rybakina’s second part of 2024 could not have been more different.
The Kazakh had played just two matches between Wimbledon and the WTA Finals as she struggled with allergies, insomnia, and a back injury.
After saving a pair of break points on her own serve in the third game, Zheng made her move, breaking Rybakina en route to a 4-1 advantage.
Rybakina wiped out her deficit, attacking Zheng’s second serve, and was soon on level terms at 4-4.
The set fittingly went to a tie-break which Zheng sealed on a long forehand from Rybakina on the 58-minute mark.
In a pattern similar to the opening set, Zheng carved out a lead in the second frame, only for Rybakina to strike back and even the score. This time though, the big-hitter took four games in a row to claim the second set and force a decider.
Zheng shook off early trouble on her serve in the final set before surging ahead 4-1. It was the boost she needed to wrap up the win — the ninth of her career against a top-10 opponent.
Sporting superstars attend opening of WTA Finals
- Al-Hilal star Neymar performs official coin toss on first day of the tournament
- Arab tennis icon Ons Jabeur meets with fans
RIYADH: The stars of world sport came together for the opening day of the Women’s Tennis Association Finals in Riyadh on Saturday, adding excitement to this groundbreaking event.
Brazilian footballer Neymar carried out the official coin toss — which determines who serves first — ahead of the Paolini vs. Rybakina match. Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur also attended the opening ceremony alongside Saudi Tennis Federation President Arij Mutabagani and WTA Finals Tournament Director Garbine Muguruza.
Afterwards, Jabeur engaged with fans in the tournament fan village and took part in a Q&A session on stage, signing autographs and sharing her journey.
The fan zone also welcomed stars from the Ladies European Tour, who competed in the Aramco Team Series earlier in the week at Riyadh Golf Club, including golfers Anne Van Dam, Olivia Cowan and Marianne Skarpnord.
Monday’s play sees Elena Rybakina take on Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng, followed by world number one Aryna Sabalenka facing Jasmine Paolini.
The season-ending finals, which take place until Nov. 9, mark the first WTA tournament to be held in Saudi Arabia. They feature the world’s top eight female singles players and doubles pairings who are competing for the top spot in the PIF WTA World Rankings for the 2024 season.
Zverev dispatches Humbert in straight sets to win Paris Masters
- The third-seeded Zverev was in total control of the final to earn his seventh Masters 1000 title, his first in the French capital
- Zverev became the second German player to win in Paris after Boris Becker
PARIS: Alexander Zverev was imperious in dispatching Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2 to win the Paris Masters on Sunday.
The third-seeded Zverev was in total control of the final to earn his seventh Masters 1000 title, his first in the French capital. The win also moved him past top-ranked Jannik Sinner for the most wins on the ATP tour this year, at 66.
Zverev’s big serve, excellent returns and great attacking shots did not take long to extinguish the hopes of the partisan crowd as Humbert never got into the match.
Humbert won’t have fond memories of his first Masters final. He tried to play aggressively from the start and to take all the risks to shorten rallies. But he could not find his range while Zverev defended extremely well.
The German quickly solved his rival’s serve and had his first break chance in the third game. He took it when Humbert sent a forehand into the net.
Humbert continued to make unforced errors. Trailing 3-1, he saved two break points but dropped his serve again when another shanked forehand sealed the game.
Zverev dropped just one point on his serve in the opening set and sealed it at love with an ace.
The 15th-seeded Humbert walked back to the locker room after the first set. The interlude didn’t change anything.
The Frenchman double-faulted on his return to the court, continued to make poor tactical decisions and was immediately broken with a forehand into the net. Another break gave Zverev a 3-0 lead as Humbert wasted a 40-0 lead and was never able to stage a comeback.
Zverev became the second German player to win in Paris after Boris Becker. He will overtake Carlos Alcaraz to move into second place in the new ATP rankings and will be a top contender at the ATP Finals gathering the top eight players of the season from Nov. 10-17 in Turin, Italy.
Swiatek and Gauff make winning starts to WTA Finals campaign in Riyadh
- Polish superstar began her title defense with an almighty comeback
- American had a more straightforward evening
RIYADH: Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff enjoyed winning starts to their WTA Finals campaigns in Riyadh on Sunday, albeit in contrasting fashion.
Swiatek began her title defense with an almighty comeback, rallying back from a set and a double-break down to overcome eighth-seeded Barbora Krejcikova 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in two hours and 33 minutes.
The win was crucial for the Polish second seed to keep her hopes of wrestling back the number one ranking from Aryna Sabalenka alive.
Meanwhile, third-ranked American Gauff had a more straightforward evening, completing a 6-3, 6-2 win over her compatriot and US Open finalist Jessica Pegula in 75 minutes.
“It was a tough match. She's always a tough opponent. And these conditions against her, it’s tough,” said Gauff, who snapped a three-match losing streak to Pegula.
“But overall, I think I'm just happy with how I played. Sometimes it was sloppy, sometimes it was great, but that's tennis. I thought we both were playing at a high level. I think I just, was able to break through on some of the more important points.”
Earlier at King Saud University Indoor Arena, making her first competitive appearance in two months, Swiatek fell behind 4-6, 0-3 before she mounted a successful comeback against Krejcikova.
"For sure it wasn’t easy. At the beginning I felt a bit rusty but I’m happy I found a way to play a little bit more solid," said Swiatek, who finished the match with a total tally of 10 aces.
"I tried to do the usual stuff that I do to control the ball a bit more because it was flying like crazy off my racquet.
"I knew I had this game in me, I just needed to find it. It was hard to be patient with that but at the end I’m glad I just kept it going and didn’t think what the score was."
Swiatek, a five-time major champion, skipped last month’s Asian swing and hadn’t played a match since her US Open quarter-final exit in early September.
The 23-year-old Pole parted ways with her coach of three years Tomasz Wiktorowski and debuted her new partnership with Belgian coach Wim Fissette at these WTA Finals.
Krejcikova is ranked 13 in the world but claimed a place in Riyadh as one of the tour’s best eight players due to a new rule implemented this season that gives priority to a grand slam champion that maintains a ranking between nine and 20 over the eighth-ranked player in the Race.
FIGHTBACK
Swiatek stared down three consecutive break points in her opening service game. She saved the first two but overcooked a forehand, sending it long to get broken at the start of the match.
A costly double fault saw Krejcikova fall behind 0-40 but the Czech swept the next five points to get out of trouble and inch ahead 4-2.
Swiatek saved a set point with a good serve in the ninth game to hold but Krejcikova was unnerved as she comfortably served out the set to take the lead in 47 minutes.
The two-time Grand Slam champion looked on her way to a comfortable straight-sets victory when she went up 3-0 with a double-break in the second set, punishing Swiatek’s second serve and benefitting from her opponent’s mistimed shots.
But that only sparked a fightback from Swiatek, who erased her deficit by grabbing the next four games to take the lead for the first time in the match.
Krejcikova double-faulted at a crucial moment, handing Swiatek two set point opportunities in game 12. Swiatek converted her second chance to clinch the set and force a decider.
That took the wind out of Krejcikova’s sails as Swiatek quickly carved a 5-0 gap.
Swiatek got broken while serving for the match but quickly self-corrected, breaking Krejcikova in game eight to seal the win.
With Sabalenka’s opening round win over Zheng Qinwen on Saturday, Swiatek will now need to win the title, while winning at least two round robin matches, in order to secure the year-end number one ranking.
