At Roland-Garros
To discover
- Roland Garros Men's Singles
- Roland Garros Women's Singles
Tops
Djokovic's new record
By dominating Peruvian Juan-Pablo Varillas (94th in the world) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, Djokovic reached the quarters Porte d'Auteuil for the 17th time, a new record. Double winner "only" at Roland-Garros (2016 and 2021), the Serb will never beat Rafael Nadal's unattainable record of 14 Porte d'Auteuil titles. By dominating without forcing his talent the surprising Pablo Varillas, this Sunday, Novak Djokovic qualified for a 14th consecutive quarter-final at Roland-Garros, a 17th overall. This allows him to pass in front of the Spaniard. Rafael Nadal played "only" 16 quarters in the Parisian Major.
The remontada of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Led 3-6, 1-3, 0-40 by the Belgian Elise Mertens, the Russian saved 7 balls of 4-1 before managing to overthrow her rival to finally win 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-1 in 3h9 on the Philippe Chatrier court where she had never played and on which she had never trained. The proof that women's matches can be hooked, spectacular. "I think this fighting spirit comes from Russia when I was a little girl, I didn't have a lot of support, not a lot of sponsors. So I grew up playing on poor quality courts. It was my father who trained me. Since then, I have the feeling, in every game, in every training, that I have to win to stay alive, to survive at all costs. Since I was a little girl, I've grown up with this state of mind," said a delighted Pavlyuchenkova, who fell to 96th in the world after a knee injury that led to a ten-month absence.
Karen Kachanov has passed a milestone
Invited to the 8th final against Novak Djokovic, Karen Kachanov confirms his great consistency and versatility by equalling his best result in Paris. 8th finalist last year (fell to Alcaraz), the Russian will probably struggle to overcome the Serbian obstacle on Tuesday but his performance against a good Sonego after a catastrophic start (1-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-1) was very convincing. The Muscovite hopes to have broken a glass ceiling. "It was my brain that clicked. It helps. I said that last year, I think, after reaching the first semi-final of the US Open. There are a lot of things that have changed in my head, in my mental part. After playing in the quarter-finals, I could reach the semi-finals for the first time. Sometimes you are confident, you believe in yourself and you know how to do it but you really want to see the results to show that you can do it.
Svitolina, the beautiful story
As since the beginning of the fortnight, the Ukrainian was very supported by the Parisian public. This time on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, Svitolina confirmed her return to the forefront by reaching the quarters of Roland-Garros thanks to her 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) victory over Russian Daria Kasatkina, the ninth player in the world, on Sunday. And pins a new Russian player, whom she did not greet. The former world number 3, now 192nd, will meet in the quarterfinals the American Sloane Stephens or the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (2nd). For a shock that will smell of pain if she plays against Belarus.
Monfils' popularity
Injured in the left wrist, Gaël Monfils was present in the stands to attend the qualification of his wife Elina Svitolina for the 8th final. The Frenchman was able to measure his immense popularity with the public who did not assail requests for autographs and seflies. "La Monf" lent itself to the game with availability and enthusiasm.
Read alsoRoland-Garros 2023: Monfils, spectator assailed by supporters
Flops
Musetti did not exist against Alcaraz
We expected a meeting played in the duel of the generation 2000 between the world number 1 Carlos Alcaraz and the Italian Lorenzo Musetti. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. Carlos Alcaraz swept the Italian 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 after 2:08 of play. . The latter ensured the show well but he was no match for the impressive phenomenon. ..
Kristina Mladenovic scratched from the courts
Eliminated in the 1st round of the singles tournament (her 8th consecutive elimination in the 1st round), 7-5, 6-1 by the American Kayla Day, from the qualifiers, Kristina Mladenovic lost this Sunday in the doubles tournament, in the 2nd round, with her Chinese partner Shuai Zhang against the pair composed of the Chinese Xinyu Wang and the Taiwanese Su-Wei Hsieh 6-1, 6-4. The Frenchwoman was the defending champion with Caroline Garcia (also titled in Paris in 2016, 2019 and 2020). 166th player in the world (13th in doubles), Kristina Mladenovic also won the Australian Open in women's doubles (2018 and 2020). And in mixed doubles: Wimbledon 2013, the Australian Open 2014 and 2022. After her elimination in singles, the Northerner (30 years old) had admitted to living the "most difficult period of (s) a career.
»Miyu Kato's overly severe exclusion
The law is the law but the exclusion of Miyu Kato and her doubles partner at the stage of the 8th finals in the second set which opposed them to the duo Bouzkova-Sorribes Tormo for accidentally hitting a ball collector in the head will leave a bitter taste in the 2023 draw of women's doubles. The Japanese certainly made a mistake, but unlike Novak Djokovic excluded for a moody gesture at the US Open in 2020, the Japanese had no intention of hurting the teenager by sending the ball back into the corner of the court without looking back. Some players who sometimes explode with anger in matches sometimes receiving only a warning would probably deserve to take the door more than poor Miyu Kato, desolate and crying on the court after her blunder.
Read alsoRoland-Garros 2023: a pair of doubles excluded for touching a ball collector in the head
