If the madness Gaël Monfils took over the center court Tuesday night, the French hopes are extinguished hour after hour at Roland-Garros. This Wednesday, in addition to the elimination of Caroline Garcia in the women's draw, these gentlemen Lucas Pouille and Luca Van Assche suffered the law of the British Cameron Norrie (1-6, 3-6, 3-6) and the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (4-6, 3-6, 6-7). Logical defeats but which have somewhat showered the atmosphere of the French fans in the aisles of the Parisian Grand Slam.
But the cases are different between the two "Lucas (or Luca, therefore)". Pouille, 29, 675th in the world, returned from the devil Vauvert, from qualifying, is already very happy to have been able to spend a lap on the Parisian clay. "I saw that I had the level to play matches again, to replay this kind of tournaments, rejoices the Northerner. That was important to me. We will have to start all summer without injury and no more cuts to continue to progress. Tasting it again makes me want to leave even more. »
His main objective now? Go up the ranking to find the top 100 in the world by the end of 2023. This would allow the former top 10 (in March 2018) a direct entry into the draw of the Australian Open 2024.
🎾 #RolandGarros | The black day of French tennis continues ❌
✔ It is the turn of Lucas Van Assche to lose against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: still 0 pointed for the French today.
▶ Follow the matches live on: https://t.co/QcnMbW4Uvz pic.twitter.com/HKV06sIQ8f
— francetvsport (@francetvsport) May 31, 2023
Van Assche continues to grow. At 19, he is already in the top 100 (they are only two as young to do it, with his friend Arthur Fils). Dryly beaten by a player, Davidovich Fokina, who could be one of the surprises of the fortnight, he did not demerit and his name now resonates at Roland-Garros. "It was a great tournament with a first Grand Slam victory," he said. But I remain disappointed. I have the level of the best players in the world on such long matches, I think. I don't miss much: experience. Next year, I will be stronger. »
Finally, the black day of the French in Paris began and ended with two other defeats: that of Ugo Humbert, also swept in three sets by the Italian Lorenzo Sonego (6-4, 6-3, 7-6), and Corentin Moutet, in four sets against the Russian Andrey Rublev (4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 3-6).
