Tops
To discover
- Roland Garros Men's Singles
- Roland Garros Women's Singles
The Republic of Tsitsipas
In the purest tradition of the great Greek thinkers of antiquity, Stefanos Tsitsipas, qualified for the third round of the Roland-Garros tournament this Wednesday by dominating the Spaniard Carballes Baena (6-3, 7-6, 6-2), lent himself to the game of Platonic allegories by comparing the life of a tennis court, its watering, its maintenance, to that of a man. A nice step aside in a press conference.
«
It is the cleansing of the soul. It's a bit like life. We make a clean sweep of the past, and we start with something new. It's a great feeling, when you enter a court where the net has been well passed, the lines are well cleaned. It makes for a beautiful visual experience. But there is also a beauty when the court is full of marks. You can see all the effort, the footwork, all the effort that has been put in. You have a vision of the effort that has been put into making it so that you can succeed in what you do.
It is practically a spiritual cleansing. I'm attached to that, because I've played on this surface since my debut in tennis. These rituals, I have seen them, it is part of me. It's part of my identity. I've done it myself thousands of times. Now it is a ritual that is done by other people. It's no longer me who passes the net and cleans the field."
Le marathon de Kokkinakis
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I'm going to bed, I don't want to wake up and see that Kokki has lost another thriller," Kyrgios tweeted. Winner 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 of Stan Wawrinka in 4h38, the Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis (51 winning shots, 12 aces) finally got the better of the resistance of the robust Swiss (with his first victory match in 5 sets since 2015). He reached the 3rd round of the France International for the first time since 2015. At the last Australian Open, he lost in the 2nd round in an extension match against Andy Murray (7-5 in the 5th set), after having 5 match balls. "Against Andy, it broke my heart. It's been a tough game, these guys, the older they get, the better they get. Age has no hold on them. He was a legend in front of me. The audience was all for him, I love this kind of atmosphere. »
Read alsoRoland-Garros 2023: brushed by a ball, a pigeon invites itself on the net in full exchange
American group fire
Jessica Pegula (who, after winning the 1st set 6-2 saw the Italian Camila Giorgi, diminished, forced to retire), Slona Stephens (victorious of the Russian Varvara Gracheva 6-2, 6-1) and Peyton Stearns who defeated Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (6th seed, winner of Roland-Garros in 3) 1-6, 6-2, 17-2017). American tennis in the spotlight at the last Australian Open (two men and four women present in the 8th final) proves its vitality (16 players in the Top 100).
Monfils' programming in the night session on Thursday
For the second time in three days, Gaël Monfils will have the honors of the center court in the night session on Thursday. This program signed by the organizers is excellent news for the public who hopes once again to ignite for the "Monf'", opposed to Holger Rune. And this, even if term of parity, the account is not there since only matches of the men's table have for the moment been scheduled since Monday.
Flops
Blue leaders not up to the task
Of the twenty-eight Frenchmen entered in the two women's and men's draws, only ten had managed to save their heads after the first round (six men and four women). Already suffering, the tricolor clan lost Wednesday its two leaders at the stage of the 32nd final, almost at the same time in the afternoon. Ugo Humbert, 40th player in the world, could not do anything against Lorenzo Sonego who outclassed him in three sets (6-4, 6-3, 7-6). Borrowed in her movements, out of whack on her powerful forehand (50 direct faults) and often caught up in speed, the Lyonnaise gave way on Court Philippe Chatrier against Anna Blinkova, in three sets (6-4, 3-6, 5-7) after saving eight match balls.
Read alsoRoland-Garros 2023: in a day without, Caroline Garcia takes the door in the second round
No miracle for Puglia
Qualified in an exceptional atmosphere for the second round, Lucas Pouille did not repeat the feat on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, quickly air-conditioned by the number 14 seed Cameron Norrie. No Marseillaise sung by the public this time. The step was too high for the Northerner who measures the way he still has to go to return to his best level. Thanks to Pouille despite everything for this enchanted parenthesis forty-eight hours ago on the boiling court n°14.
