Key events
And Mcnally takes it to five, so to a decider we go.
On 7, Tomljanovic and Mcnally are playing a second-set tiebreak so I’m on to that – it’s 4-4.
Down 0-30, Gea finds an ace … only to follow it with a double … and a netted backhand. That was, I’m afraid a tame subsidence, but he still leads Khachanov 5-4 in the second, having lost the first.
A lovely drop at net saves Davidovich Fokina, serving for 1-1, a break-back point at 6-7-5-3, but Dzumhur then punishes a backhand winner down the line to restore deuce from set-point down. Oh, and have a look! Gea forces break point against Khachanov and it’s saved, but he immediately earns another and when a forehand goes long, he has a 5-3 lead in the second! The home crowd chant his name, but he can he serve it out? Davidovich Fokina can, levelling at a set apiece with Dzumhur, 6-7 6-3.
Back to Kostyuk, I’d really fancy her to go deep with a different draw. Should she get to meet Swiatek, she’ll be in rhythm given her likely opponents, but I don’t think she’s quite ready to beat her on this stage. At 23, though, she’s got plenty time, and in a year’s time I’d hope to feel differently.
Davidovich Fokina has taken over against Dzumhur, leading 5-2 in the second having lost the first on a tiebreak, while Bencic has served out to lead Kraus, who’s playing pretty well, 6-2.
That being the case, I’m back with Davidovich Fokina, who trails Dzumhur 6-7 3-2 on serve. And I’m still on Chatrier, ready to take a closer look at Bencic, who leads Kraus 4-2 in the first.
Next on Mathieu: Katie Volynets v Clara Burel.
It just goes to show, really – we wondered why she was struggling more than expected when it came to finish sets, and why she looked so emotional at the end. Well, now we know, and it’s a reminder that you never know what’s going on in someone’s life beyond the obvious stuff that can be seen.
Kostyuk is really proud of herself, saying this was one of the most difficult matches of her career – and this is why. Earlier this morning, 100m away from her parents’ house, a missile destroyed a building – Kostyuk is Ukrainian – and she didn’t know how she’d handle things having spent the morning crying. She doesn’t want to talk about herself today, she says, holding back tears. She’s pleased to be in the second round, but all her thoughts and all her heart goes to the people of Ukraine. It’s important to keep going, though – her biggest inspiration is the Ukrainian people and she woke up today looking at them living their lives despite being in need. She knew there’d be Ukrainians supporting her and she has friends in the crowd, so thanks them, then the rest of the crowd – it seems all interviewers are contractually obliged to force that.
Otherwise, she’s off – what an excellent woman she is.
Marta Kostyuk (15) beats Oksana Selekhmetova 6-2 6-3
Sealed with a kiss an ace. Kostyuk, who beat Pegula, Noskova and Andreeva, among others, whole winning Madrid, moves on and looks more emotional than you’d expect. Next for her: Volynets or Burel.
…both saved, Selekhmetova finding decent second serves when she needs them and holindg; Lostyuk will no serve for the match again at 6-2 5-3. Back on Lenglen, meanwhile, Khachanov is forced to save a break point against the growing Gea, closing out a hold to lead 6-3 1-1.
Selekhmetova isn’t going away, securing that break to trail 2-6 2-5 … then three unforced errors donate two match points.
Back on Mathieu, Kostyuk is racing away with set two, leading Selekhmetova 6-2 5-1. Again, though, she’s struggling to serve out, finding a brutal backhand to save a break point and force deuce. On the one hand, this is a decent workout for her, playing herself into stroke without having to fear elimination; on the other, is she showing the same frailties that have held her back until now?
Bencic, of course, reached the last four at Wimbledon, only to no-show against Swiatek – until the match was almost over. If she can manage her nerves, she can give anyone aggro – in the last eight, she binned Mirra Andreeva – but lacks the power and weapons to win majors.
On 14, Dzumhur has taken the first set off Davidovich Fokina 7-3 in the tiebreak, a match I’m no longer watching as I’ve moved to Chatrier, where Belinda Bencic, seeded 11, meets the Austrian qualifier Sinja Kraus.
In fairness to Gea, he improved significantly after going 4-0 down – which makes sense given this is his debut in the competition. He’s starting to attack the ball and, though Khachanov has seen off better, this match isbn’t over yet.
Khachanov has reached the last eight of this competition twice – Wimbledon likewise – and the last four of the other two slams. That tells us he’s got an all-court game, with the eye-test advising that he lacks the power-augmenting finesse go further. He does, though, have Gea’s number … so of course, as I type, the young Frenchman flat-bats an incredible pass cross-court to save set point. For all the difference it makes, Khachanov closing out from there to lead 6-3.
It looks a lovely day in Paris, by the way – which isn’t always the case. It’s going to be seriously hard work for those involved in tight matches, given clay-court rallies and soaring tempteratures.
Going around the courts, Tomljanovic leads Mcnally 6-3; Bouzkova is up 6-3 on Bronzetti; Kecmanovic and Maroszan are level at 5-5; Wang leads Tagger 6-3; and Duckworth has taken the first set off Gallo, 6-3.
Davidovich Fokina is another who’s come closer to finding his top level in recent times – though it’s lower than Kostyuk’s. He’s just broken Dzumhur for 6-5 in the first, but now trails 0-30, while Kostyuk has broken Selekhmetova back and held to lead 6-2 2-1.
On Lenglen, Gea has gone off for a bathroom break – it seems he’s an upset stomach – with Khachnov poised to serve at 4-2 in the first. Meantime, Selekhmetova breaks Kostyuk immediately in set two to trail 2-6 1-0.
Kostyuk is one of those players I think can push into the top 10. She struggled with pressure earlier in her career, but has worked hard on herself and now looks ready to exploit her prodigious technical skill and athletic prowess. She does, though, have Swiatek in her eighth – the two are seeded to meet in round four – and there are some decent players standing between her and that, Leylah Fernandez and Jelena Ostapenko among them.
Kostyuk doesn’t convert, but then, on game point, Selekhmeteva misses a pass she ought to have made, and from there the set is taken from here. Kostyuk leads 6-2.
OK, Selekhmeteva – who I can’t say I’ve seen play before, so that’s exciting – nabs back a break off Kostyuk, but then finds herself down set point, on serve. Though she’s found her lefty game the last few minutes, she’s got to be more consistent and take more risks to tax a player as good as her opponent. Gosh, and a seventh double of the game means she’s now down advantage.
So what matches to watch? Let’s start with Karen Khachanov, the no 13 seed, who leads Arthur Gea, a qualifier, 4-0; Marta Kostyuk (15), who leads Oksana Selekhmeteva 5-1; and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina’s tussle with Damir Dzumhur, currently 3-4 on serve.
Preamble
Salut et bienvenue à Roland-Garros 20126 – jour un! Notre été starts here, and it’s going to be a jazzer – or, to keep on theme, le jazzeur.
It’s fair to say we’ve a strong idea of how the men’s tournament might resolve, but the fun in getting there means we can ignore the inevitability for now and the women’s even promises a royal rumble for the ages. The top four seeds will fancy their chances: Aryna Sabalenka is the best player in the world; Iga Swiatek is a four-time winner who’d won three in a row prior to last year; Coco Gauff is the defending champ; and Elena Rybakina is on the surge, at one with her easy power.
And of course there’s a cast of other brilliant players – Mirra Andreeva, Elina Svitolina, Victoria Mboko, Karolína Muchova, Naomi Osaka and others – good enough to sort any of them on a good day. Or, in other words, we’re talking about what is now the most competitive, highest-level sport in the world.
So it’s no surprise that today’s likeliest classic comes on the women’s side, where Hailey Baptiste, the no 26 seed, meets Barbora Krejcikova, the winner in 2021 – and at Wimbledon in 2024. But that is not the size of things. Taylor Fritz’s meeting with Nishesh Basavareddy looks tasty, Alexander Zverev meets Benjamin Bonzi, Francesca Jones takes on Bea Haddad Maia, and Emma Raducanu, Mirra Andreeva and João Fonseca all get under way.
Alors on y va!
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