Between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga's farewell, Hugo Gaston's new feat, the third day of the French Open will have been rich in emotion.
The star: Medvedev assures
Absent from the circuit between March and May due to a slight hernia, beaten in Geneva by Richard Gasquet for his return to the game last week, Daniil Medvedev reassured his fans on Tuesday.
For his first slips on clay at Roland-Garros, the Russian, world No. 2, 6-2).
It is only the second time that the most French of Russians - he has been training for years in the south of France - has passed the first round of Roland-Garros.
Beaten four times in the first round in six appearances, he reached the quarterfinals last year.
He can aim further in this edition where the main favorites are in the other part of the table.
🎾 At the end of a rally from the back of the court, Daniil Medvedev unleashes a powerful long-line backhand that crucifies Facundo Bagnis!
▶️ LIVE: https://t.co/zPPZk836di pic.twitter.com/Hy37oYnm3m
— francetvsport (@francetvsport) May 24, 2022
The gesture: Hugo Gaston
It has lost none of its magic.
Or his touch of the ball.
In 2020, during an edition of Roland-Garros postponed in the fall due to the pandemic, Hugo Gaston had revealed himself to the general public by reaching the round of 16 of the tournament and by multiplying the amortizations.
Two years later, the little prince of Toulouse did it again.
At the end of one of the craziest matches since the start of the Paris fortnight, the Frenchman won (4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 7-6), after 4 hours of combat, facing the Australian Alex de Minaur.
Five sets and a great tie-break!
Hugo Gaston puts the 🔥 on the Lenglen and beats Alex De Minaur 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 7-6
BRAVO HUGO 🇫🇷💪🔥 pic.twitter.com/8FrMrWvnMT
— FFT (@FFTennis) May 24, 2022
The emotional sequence: Tsonga's farewell
A Marseillaise, a host of winners, hope and tears.
It was the emotional sequence this Tuesday afternoon on the Philippe-Chatrier court at Roland-Garros.
Beaten by Casper Ruud in 4 sets (6-7 [6/8], 7-6 [7/4], 6-2, 7-6 [7/0]), Jo-Wilfried Tsonga put, at 37 and under the gaze of all his relatives gathered, an end to his long (705 games) and fine career (18 titles).
“I finished on the court playing as I have done throughout my career, which is to say chasing every point.
It is true that there was a lot of emotion on my side and this moment will remain in my memory.
Somehow I ended up the way I wanted.
»
A last outing where he multiplied the titanic strikes before being betrayed by his body - his shoulder in this case - in the 4th set.
A summary of his career.
Never forget 🧡@tsonga7 |
#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/6tzV4FHhzg
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 24, 2022
Player to watch: Dane Rune
In 2019, at just 16 years old, he became the first Dane to put his name on the record of the Roland-Garros Junior tournament.
Three years later Holger Rune perfectly celebrated his first match in the main draw of the French Open.
This Tuesday, he pulverized the powerful Canadian Denis Shapovalov (seeded n°14) in three dry sets (6-3, 6-1, 7-6).
The current number 40 ATP confirms his good start to the season.
In April, he made short work of world number 3, the German Alexander Zverev, in the final of the Munich tournament (6-3, 6-2).
With the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, Rune, who has been training since he was 13 at the Mouratoglou Academy, is one of the young players to follow...
Really good performance today 💪🏼 A happy return in Paris after my 2019 title 🔝
📸 #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/XvXiOvpJV7
— Holger Rune (@holgerrune2003) May 24, 2022
The rant: "I find it difficult to understand if the ATP is defending the players or Russia"
It was not planned in the schedule of passages in the press room.
But Benoît Paire had things to say.
So the Frenchman appeared at a press conference, after his loss to Ivashka (6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5), where he accumulated a whopping 24 double faults, to push a rant against the decision of the ATP and the WTA not to award any points at the next edition of Wimbledon (June 27 - July 10).
A decision which follows the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian players by the organizers of the London tournament.
“I find it difficult to understand the thing, if the ATP rather defends the players or defends Russia.
That's my point of view.
Because, finally, for 4 or 5 players, we find ourselves playing a tournament without points, without anything.
When some had the Covid and they had to stay in their room, we didn't do a whole thing saying:
There are some who can't play this tournament, so we have to cancel the tournament, it doesn't there are no dots.
There, suddenly, there are four Russian players, including Medvedev, who cannot play and we are against Wimbledon.
I just find it a shame, because in fact, if you listen to most players, not everyone understands this decision.
When I talk about it in the dressing room with 99% of the players, the 99% of the players want points and want to play a normal tournament.
»
On the way Paire, he confirmed that he would be in London to "take his check".
“Me, I'm going to go there to take my check anyway, to play an exhibition.
»
The number: 2
Like the number of points obtained throughout the second set by Fiona Ferro in front of the Spaniard Paula Badosa.
The world No. 3, semi-finalist last year, was intractable with the young Frenchwoman (No. 130), swept away in 54 minutes 6-2, 6-0 on Tuesday.
After the premature eliminations of Krejcikova, world No. 2 and holder of the trophy, and Jabeur, world No. 6, Badosa is one of the main contenders for the title with Poland's Iga Swiatek.
The main results
1st round, men's singles:
Sebastian Korda (USA/N.27) beats John Millman (AUS) 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (8/6);
Richard
Gasquet
(FRA) defeats Lloyd Harris (RSA) 6-1, 6-3, 6-4;
Casper Ruud (NOR / N.8) beats Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga
(FRA) 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 7-6 (7/0);
Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) beats Ugo
Humbert
(FRA) 6-2, 2-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2;
Frances Tiafoe (USA/N.24) defeats Benjamin
Bonzi
(FRA) 7-5, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5);
David Goffin (BEL) defeats JirĂ Lehecka (CZE) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4;
Holger Rune (DEN) defeats Denis Shapovalov (CAN / N.14) 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4);
Hugo
Gaston
(FRA) defeats Alex De Minaur (AUS / N.19) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 7-6 (10/4);
Federico Delbonis (ARG) defeats Adrian
Mannarino
(FRA) 6-1, 7-6 (7/1), 6-2;
Ilya Ivashka (BLR) defeats Benoît
Paire
(FRA) 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5;
Jannik Sinner (ITA/N.11) defeats Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) 6-3, 6-2, 6-3;
Alexander Bublik (KAZ) defeats Arthur
Rinderknech
(FRA) 6-2, 6-4, 6-4;
Daniil Medvedev (RUS/N.2) defeats Facundo Bagnis (ARG) 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
1st round, women's singles:
Simona Halep (ROM/N.19) beats Nastasja Schunk (GER) 6-4, 1-6, 6-1;
Alizé
Cornet
(FRA) defeats Misaki Doi (JPN) 6-2, 6-0;
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT/N.13) defeats Lucia Bronzetti (ITA) 6-1, 6-4;
Jessica Pegula (USA/N.11) defeats Wang Qiang (CHN) 6-2, 6-4;
KarolĂna PlĂsková (CZE / N.8) defeats Tessah Andrianjafitrimo (FRA) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1;
Paula Badosa (ESP/N.3) defeats Fiona
Ferro
(FRA) 6-2, 6-0;
Caroline
Garcia
(FRA) defeats Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-3, 6-4.