A hecatomb. A Black Wednesday. The six Frenchmen entered at Roland Garros, including the two number ones Caroline Garcia and Ugo Humbert, all lost in the second round. Then, in the evening, Gaël Monfils declared forfeit before his match scheduled for Thursday against the Danish Holger Rune. So much so that of the 28 French entries in the first round, there are only three left in the running. Diane Parry, Océane Dodin and Arthur Rinderknech will play their second-round match on Thursday. With what prospects?
Diane Parry facing a nugget
In order of appearance, she will be the first of the three to enter the court since the young French (20 years old) is scheduled in the second rotation on the Simonne-Mathieu (around 12:30 if the previous match does not drag on). On paper, Diane Parry, 79th in the world, is favored by the predictions since she faces a younger girl (16 years old) and lower ranked than her (143rd), the Russian Mirra Andreeva. Except that Andreeva is a phenomenon announced by observers as a future great champion.
The nugget is pampered in the south of the France at the Elite Tennis Center of Jean-René Lisnard. In the first round, she atomized American Alison Riske (85th) in two short sets (6-2, 6-1). Even if her concentration and lack of maturity can still play tricks on her, beware of Diane Parry, who would like to repeat her performance from last year when she reached the third round of Roland after a feat against world number 2 and defending champion Barbora Krejcikova. Parry, who grew up in Boulogne and loves the atmosphere of Roland Garros, is in good shape as she has just won the Clarins Trophy in Paris (WTA 125), the second title of her career.
Océane Dodin for a feat
Of the three Frenchmen on the court this Thursday, she is probably the one condemned to the greatest feat. Océane Dodin (26), 122nd in the world, faces the Tunisian Ons Jabeur (28), who is ranked 7th in the world and is among the favorites of this Roland-Garros. "It's a big game, I have nothing to lose, I'm far from being the favorite but I'm going to be able to have fun, play 100% and enjoy," she said. It will be a very complicated match but I can't wait. If I'm in the mindset of winning, you never know what can happen. We play tennis for matches like that, against big players on big courts, that's what gives great emotions. For once, it will be served since it is scheduled in the third rotation on the Philippe-Chatrier court, at the end of the afternoon.
Arthur Rinderknech must believe it
Arthur Rinderknech (27) is not the best known of the French players but his victory in the first round against an otherwise renowned tricolor, a certain Richard Gasquet, offered him a nice spotlight. And allowed him to fill up with confidence before facing the number 9 seed, American Taylor Fritz. Presented like that, the mission seems immense for the 78th player in the world, licensed at the tennis club of Boulogne-Billancourt, who has never faced Fritz on the circuit.
[ROLAND-GARROS] Congratulations to the @TCBBtennis @arthurrinder player who won yesterday against Richard Gasquet (6-4 2-6 6-2 7-6) after a tie-break played 🎾 He will face tomorrow the world number 8 Taylor Fritz
💪Congratulations to him again!@BIJBB @OTBB92 @GPSO_SeineOuest pic.twitter.com/d8dVrs224Y
— City of Boulogne-Billancourt (@Ville_BoulogneB) May 31, 2023
But carried by the court Suzanne-Lenglen in the last match of the day, he could thwart the predictions provided to ignite the public and quickly doubt the American (25 years old). Finalist of the junior tournament in 2015, his opponent has hardly shone Porte d'Auteuil since he has never done better than a third round. In 2021, he was even out in a wheelchair after his second-round loss to Dominik Koepfer.
