The first day of the Roland Garros classification, the Grand Slam on brick dust that will begin on Sunday, left a full of Argentine victories (7 of 7) and a peculiar story, which had as protagonist Renzo Olivo. The Rosario made a strategic move at the weekend: he got off a challenger and bet on his chances of entering the table of the previous phase of the "great" French, which were not the best. And he had his prize. Because he entered at the last minute and debuted with a triumph.
As the clock struck 17.30, news came that Italy's Matteo Berrettini and Croatia's Marin Cilic would not play in Bois de Boulogne. The entry list moved and Olivo was two away from getting into the classification.
The Scottish Andy Murray had announced on Sunday his withdrawal and the Rosario took a step further. But the organizers of the contest raffled the table of the previous phase and Olivo had been left out. He did not despair, because the Frenchman Evan Furness was injured and had warned that he was going to get off.
And when it seemed that Renzo's chances were vanishing, this Monday, shortly before 10 in Paris, the Frenchman finally signed his abandonment and Olivo entered, who due to doubts had arrived very early to the property.
He jumped to Court 8 in the second turn and in two hours and 18 minutes beat Ecuadorian Emilio Gómez, 117th in the world, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3 and 6-3, and advanced to the second round. He will now go for a place in the main draw of the tournament against Andrea Collarini, 192nd, who defeated Belgian Joris De Loore, 6th, 2-6, 4-189.
The decision of Olivo, who gave up a tournament in which he had secured a place for an almost remote chance of entering the Paris qualifiers, may seem strange, but it has a simple explanation.
The Rosario is one of those "workers" of tennis, located outside the top 200, with few or no sponsors, who live week by week, play to continue playing and are putting together their calendars thinking strategically. And on Saturday surely that reality weighed when choosing to stay in Paris, beyond how much it can mean for him to compete on the courts of Roland Garros.
Why? Because the Skopje Challenger gives the champion 9,880 euros (just under 10,700 dollars) and the finalist, 5,820 (6,300). A defeat in the debut, meanwhile, pays just 720 euros. And the prizes of the French Grand Slam qualy are much more generous.
If he lost Monday in the first round, Olivo was going to take $17,364. As he beat Gomez, he secured 23,875. With a win against Collarini he will charge 36,898. And playing one main draw match, 74,881.
It is true that the previous phase of the "greats" does not deliver points, so the Rosario could only add if he reaches the main draw (10 units in the initial round). While in the Macedonian contest he could have harvested up to 75, which are what the winner of the title gets.
But sometimes for players located in the lowest positions of the ranking it makes more sense to sacrifice a small promotion and pocket a better prize that allows you to financially "save" a tour and, perhaps, the season.
Seven Argentines played and won on the first day of the qualy in Bois de Boulogne. Photo EFE
A perfect day
The blue and white tennis lived a perfect day in Bois de Boulogne: the seven Argentines who took to the court got into the second round of the qualy of Roland Garros.
Juan Manuel Cerundolo, ranked 104th in the world, defeated 7nd American Zachary Svadja 6-7 (4-6), 3-222. Facundo Bagnis, 124th, beat Italian (born in Villa Gesell) Luciano Darderi, 6th, 3-6, 4-179. Camilo UgoCarabelli, 150th, won 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 against Japan's Kaichi Uchida, 154th. Tiago Tirante, 153rd, won 6-3, 6-2 against Australian Rinky Hijikata, 136th. And Santiago Rodríguez Taverna, 243°, won 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (10-8) against Portugal's Joao Sousa, 258°.
Those five wins were added to those of Olivo and Collarini to complete the perfect record of the national rackets.
This Tuesday will debut eight other representatives albicelestes. Facundo Díaz Acosta (137th) will face Italian Franco Agamenone (166th and native of Río Cuarto, Córdoba); Nicolas Kicker (197th), Britain's Jan Choinski (177th); Mariano Navone (219th) will clash with Slovakia's Lukas Klein (133rd); Juan Pablo Ficovich (223rd), with the Dutchman Gijs Brouwer (138th); Genaro Oliveri (227th), with Switzerland's Henri Laaksonen (213th); and Federico Delbonis (236th), with Colombian Nicolás Mejía (234th).
In addition, for the women's draw, Lourdes Carlé (149th) will go against the American Caroline Dolehide (99th) and Paula Ormaechea (184th) will play with the French Elsa Jacquemot (175th).
There are already eight Argentines in the main draws of the contest. In the men's category are Francisco Cerúndolo (28th in the world), Sebastián Báez (44th), Tomás Etcheverry (46th), Pedro Cachín (63rd), Diego Schwartzman (93rd), Federico Coria (94th) and Guido Pella (421st, who entered with a protected ranking). And in the ladies, Nadia Podoroska, 101st of the WTA.
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