Roland-Garros 2023: the program, the favorites in the running, the anecdote and the figure of Monday, June 5

Who are the favourites?

On the Chatrier, the Tunisian Ons Jabeur, seeded number 7, will start the day against the American Bernarda Pera. Casper Ruud, last year's finalist, will face the great Chilean Nicolas Jarry. The poster of the night session will pit Alexander Zverev, in contention in a third match in a row in the evening, this time against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov. Outgoing finalist Coco Gauff challenges Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova on the Chateier as well. For once, world number one Iga Swiatek will be on the bill of Court Suzanne-Lenglen, against the Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, The Dane Holger Rune, will also play on the same court, in the second rotation against the Argentine Francisco Cerundolo.

To discover

• Roland Garros Men's Singles
• Roland Garros Women's Singles

Today's program

Court Philippe Chatrier
(from 11am)

Bernarda Pera (USA) v Ons Jabeur (Tun/7)Nicolas Jarry (CHI) v Casper Ruud (Nor/4)Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) v Coco Gauff (USA, 6)

Not before 20:15
Alexander Zverev (GER/28) vs. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL/22)

Court Suzanne-Lenglen

(from 11am)

Sara Sorrubes Tormo (ESP) v Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRE, 14) Holger Rune (DAN, 6) v Francisco Cerundolo (ARG, 23)Iga Swiatek (POL,1) v Lesia Tsurenko (UKR)Tomas Martin Etchevery (ARG) v Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN,27)

The player who will be worth a look

Etcheverry, the Argentine school. Fan of Novak Djokovic (against whom he lost in the 2nd round in Rome), clay specialist, the Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry (23 years old; 49th in the world) will start slightly favorite, this Monday against the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka (No. 23). "I was born on clay, in Argentina we play a lot on this surface. I played a lot of tournaments. I feel comfortable. This season, I played a lot of games (16 wins-8 losses). I was in the final in Chile (beaten by Jarry), Houston (beaten by Tiafoe), Bordeaux (dominated by Humbert) on this surface. And when I got here, I thought, after all, I have my chances. I love this surface, and I try to do my best! That's how you have to think. That's the mindset you need to have. His solidity, his serve, his forehand shift are his weapons. To illustrate.

The figure

71
That's the number of sets Iga Swiatek has won 6/0 since his debut on the professional circuit. The last two against China's Xinyu Wang in the 3rd round. It was the third time in her career that the Pole inflicted a double bicycle wheel, the second in a month after beating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova by the same score in Rome. Her opponent of the day Lesia Tsurenko is warned.

Today's anecdote:

Roland-Garros is (sometimes) also a political platform. The final of the 2013 edition between Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer was disrupted during the second set by protesters hostile to marriage equality. Two spectators had held up a sign hostile to the law on marriage equality bearing the inscription, in English: "Help, the France tramples on the rights of children". After a brief interruption of play, they were evacuated from the stadium. Some other demonstrators, shirtless and wearing a mask, had also unfurled a banner bearing the inscription "Hollande resign" on the court Suzanne-Lenglen where a few dozen spectators followed the final on a giant screen...

The expression of the day:

«

"Backcourt rowers" are players or players at the back of the court who use and abuse large high balls more or less lifted. Defenders at heart, who bring back all the balls and who in general do not seek the winning shot but rather seek to provoke the foul. An endangered species in modern tennis.