Semifinalist of Roland Garros in 2020, the Argentine Nadia Podoroska, 103rd in the WTA ranking, began this Sunday the 2023 edition with a resounding victory over the French Jessika Ponchet (123°) to reunite in the best way with the brick dust of the second Grand Slam of the season.
It was 6-0 and 6-2 for the rosarina on court 14 of the Parisian venue, to stomp on her return to the place where she achieved her greatest successes, since in addition to that semifinal, she acceded to the doubles in 2021.
The Argentine, wearing sunglasses and a cap on a sunny morning, closed her duel in an hour and two minutes, with five breaks of her seven opportunities against an opponent who had two and wasted them.
"I was very focused, it was a game without mistakes from the beginning that always helps to open a tournament like this. With each player a weapon the game plan, I knew that if I played with weight on this surface it would be good for me, "explained Podoroska, in statements to ESPN, while waiting to meet his next opponent who will come out of the Greek Maria Sakkari (8th) and the Russian Karolina Muchova (42nd).
The native of Rosario, 36th in the world in 2021, landed in Parisian lands with a balance of 16 matches won and 13 lost in 2023 with the title in the WTA 125 of Cali as her best result.
Podoroska, who at the end of 2022 entrusted Clarín with her formula to "start again from scratch" after falling apart due to an annoying injury, is the only Argentine representative in the women's draw, in contrast to the 10 members of the Albiceleste Legion who will start the men's.
Facundo Diaz Acosta. Photo: Luis ROBAYO / AFP.
The first of them to jump on the court, and the only one this Sunday around 8:30 (Argentine time), is the porteño Facundo Díaz Acosta (137°). The left-hander entered the main draw as one of the "lucky losers" of the last round of qualifying and will face Australian Jason Kubler (68).
The Argentine comes from winning two Challengers in Savannah, United States, and Oeiras, Portugal, and if he passes his senior debut in a Grand Slam he will go against the winner of the summit duel between Italian Fabio Fognini (130th) and Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime (10th).
The rest of the Argentines had mixed luck in the main draw. Francisco Cerúndolo, 23rd and favorite Albiceleste, will clash with the Spaniard Jaume Munar (77th) in the first round. Sebastián Báez (44th) will face Frenchman Gael Monfils (386th). Tomás Etcheverry (46th) with Britain's Jack Draper (60th); Pedro Cachín (63rd) against Austrian Dominic Thiem (91st and finalist in 2018 and 2019); Diego Schwartzman (93rd), with Spaniard Bernabé Zapata Miralles, seeded 32nd; Federico Coria (94th) will play Croatia's Borna Coric, seeded 16th; and Guido Pella (421st, another who entered with protected ranking), with the Frenchman Quentin Halys (87th).
The other two who will debut in a Grand Slam will be the platense Thiago Tirante (153, who will debut against the Dutch Botic Van De Zandschulp (30) and the Bragadense Genaro Olivieri (227) who will face the Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (233).
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