Tennis tournament French Open in Paris (clay, subsidy 49.6 million euros): Women: Singles – 1st round, May 28. Czech Karolína Muchová.
Paris – Tennis player Karolína Muchová defeated eighth-seeded Maria Sakkariová from Greece 7:6, 7:5 in the Roland Garros opener. Argentina's Nadia Podoroská awaits her in the 2nd round of the Paris Grand Slam. Jiří Veselý lost to the favored Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 5:7, 3:6, 6:4 and 6:7. Seventeen-year-old Sára Bejlek was not enough in her debut in the main competition in Russia against Kamilla Rachimova, who lost 0:6, 3:6.
Advertisement'; }
Photo gallery: French Open 2023 tennis tournament
Twenty-six-year-old Muchová beat Sakkariová on the Paris clay for the second time in a row. Last year she eliminated her in the 2nd round, when she also did not lose a set. The Olomouc native played 23 winning balls in the more than two-hour match, the Greek paid for 35 unforced errors. Muchová became the first Czech in 25 years to beat a player from the top ten four times in a row at the Grand Slams. In 1998, Jana Novotná even succeeded in five matches in a row.
“It was a difficult first round. I tried to play my game. I knew what to expect from her. Last year we played on clay twice, so I watched the matches. I stuck to the plan to be aggressive, I also played slices and short cuts so that I didn't get into a rhythm. The wind was blowing a bit, which also affected the game. I'm happy that I won in two sets.” Muchová said at the press conference.
Although the Czech tennis player lost her serve at the beginning of each set, she returned to the game each time. Although she did not serve the first set at 6:5, she won 7:5 in the shortened game. She erased the loss of the break even in the second set. Although she did not use two match points in the tenth game, a moment later during Sakkariová's next serve, she managed the fourth opportunity to end the match. Muchová will face Podoroska for the first time.
“The coach told me that she already played in the semifinals here (2020), so she will be a good clay player. You don't just play the Grand Slam semifinals out of nowhere,” said Muchová.
Former Czech No. 1 Veselý, who returned to the courts in in April, after a more than seven-month break caused by a thigh muscle injury, he started thanks to a protected ranking. He did not make it to the 2nd round of Roland Garros for the third time in a row, not even 11 aces helped him. Tsitsipas had one more, he also played 58 winning balls.
“I think I should rather brag. I went into the match a bit worried. I didn't know what to expect from my game and what level I was at. The fact that I played such a close match against one of the best clay players is definitely a motivation.” Veselý told the journalists.
Veselý started the duel on Phillip Chatrier's court promisingly and, thanks to a break in the third game, served at 5:4 to win the first set. However, he did not improve on set point, he lost three games in a row and lost the first set. Thanks to his 100% serve, Tsitsipas won the next set as well.
However, the experienced Czech tennis player did not give up the match. At the end of the third set, he won a break and reduced. A shortened game in the fourth set brought the decision. Veselý led 6:3 and 7:6, but he did not use any of the four set points and the 2021 Roland Garros finalist punished him. He took advantage of the first match point and celebrated the promotion after three hours and 16 minutes.
“But it definitely gave me a lot of positive feedback. That level is still there and that's the basis for me to come back. Now you have to go around tournaments, beat other weaker players and claw your way back. I would rate today's match positively. It was there a few chances, which if I had taken, it could have been different. But it was one of the better matches in Paris,” Veselý added.
Bejlek did not even get past the opening phase of the Grand Slam tournament on the third attempt. She was also eliminated in the first round last year at the US Open and this year at the Australian Open. “The match didn't go well for me. It was the first time I felt a chance in the main competition of a Grand Slam, and it unexpectedly tied me up a lot. That's what it looked like. But that's part of tennis, I'm young and I have to go through it,” said Bejlek
< p>The semi-finalist of last year's junior Roland Garros reached the main competition thanks to a successful qualification. In the duel with the 21-year-old Rachimova, she played ten winning balls, but paid the price for 24 unforced errors.
Bejlek could not rely on her serve from the start, winning only one of seven games on serve. The young Czech got a “canary” in the first set in 21 minutes and did not use an early break in the second set. Thanks to three more breaks, Rachimov turned the score from 0:1 to 4:2 and converted the second match point after 58 minutes of play.
“It's good to experience it. Every player has to go through it. For me, it means that I'm on the right path. If someone had told me last year, when I was playing junior here, that I would play three major competitions in a row, I would have took,” said Bejlek.
Sabalenková managed to enter, beat Ukrainian Kostyukova
World No. 2 and winner of this year's Australian Open Aryna Sabalenková from Belarus successfully entered Roland Garros, beating Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyukova 6 :3, 6:2. In the next round, she will challenge compatriot Iryna Šymanovičová.
Kostyukova refused to shake hands with Belarus after the match because of her country's involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian earned boos from the audience for this. “I didn't expect that. I won't react to it in any way, but those people should be ashamed,” said Kosťuková. “I want to see how they will react in ten years, when the war is over,” she added, adding that she would not continue to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian rivals.
The reaction also confused Sabalenkova. “I'm sorry, at first I thought the booing belonged to me. I was a little surprised, but then I heard your support. Thank you for it,” she said in an interview on the court of Belarus. “It was a very difficult match. Above all, on the emotional side,” she said.
The 25-year-old Sabalenkova defeated the world number 39 Kostuková in the second match and, just like last year in Dubai, she did not allow her even a set. She played 19 winning balls, Kostuková eight less.
Although the 20-year-old Ukrainian had a better start, she took the lead 3:2 after a break in the fifth game, but Sabalenko turned the set with four games in a row. In the second set, Belarus was already 100% on serve, again breaking the opponent's serve twice and in 71 minutes was able to celebrate advancement.
French Open tennis tournament in Paris
(clay, subsidy 49.6 million euros)
Men:
Singles – 1st round:
Tsitsipas (5-Greece) – Cheerful (Czech Republic) 7:5, 6:3, 4:6, 7:6 (9:7), Rublyov (7-Rus.) – Djere (Serb.) 6:1, 3:6, 6:3, 6 :4, Khachanov (11-Rus.) – Lestienne (Fr.) 3:6, 1:6, 6:2, 6:1, 6:3, Hurkacz (13-Pol.) – Goffin (Belg.) 6 :3, 5:7, 6:4, 2:6, 6:4, Musetti (17-It.) – M. Ymer (Swed.) 7:5, 6:2, 6:4, Kokkinakis (Aust. ) – Evans (20-Brit.) 6:4, 6:4, 6:4, Korda (24-USA) – McDonald (USA) 6:4, 7:5, 6:4, Sonego (It.) – Shelton (30-USA) 6:4, 3:6, 6:3, 6:3, Humbert – Mannarino 6:3, 6:3, 6:1, Moutet – Cazaux (all Fr.) 6:1, 6 :3, 4:6, 6:4, Shevchenko (Russia) – Otte (Germany) 7:5, 4:6, 6:1, 7:6 (7:2), Pouille (Fr.) – Rodionov (Aust.) 6:2, 6:4, 6:3, Kubler (Aust.) – Díaz Acosta (Arg.) 1:6, 6:3, 6:4, 3:6, 6:1, Arnaldi ( It.) – Galán (Col.) 2:6, 6:3, 6:0, 6:2, Albot (Mold.) – Kypson (USA) 6:3, 6:2, 4:6, 6:1 , Ofner (Aust.) – Cressy (USA) 6:4, 7:6 (8:6), 6:2, Griekspoor (Netherlands) – Martínez (Sp.) 6:4, 2:6, 0:6 , 7:5, 6:3, Fucsovics (Germany) – Grenier (Fr.) 6:3, 5:7, 6:1, 6:3, Carballés (Spain) – Nava (USA) 7:6 ( 7:5), 6:3, 6:2, Borges (Portugal) – Isner (USA) 6:4, 5:7, 7:6 (7:3), 4:6, 7:6 (11: 9).
Women:
Singles – 1st round:
Muchová (Czech Republic) – Sakkariová (8-Greece) 7:6 (7:5), 7:5, Rachimová (Russia) – Bejlek (Czech Republic) 6:0, 6:3, Sabalenková (2-Bel.) – Kostyukova (Ukr.) 6:3, 6:2, Pegula (3-USA) – Collins (USA) 6:4, 6:2, Kasatkin (9-Russia) – Niemeier (German) .) 6:3, 6:4, Samsonova (15-Russia) – Volynetsova (USA) 6:0, 6:1, Cheng Chin-wen (19-China) – Zidanšeková (Slovenia) 6:3, 6 :1, Fernandez (Can.) – Linette (21-Pol.) 6:3, 1:6, 6:3, Potapova (24-Russia) – Townsend (USA) 6:1, 6:2, Begu ( 27-Roman) – Bondárová (Germany) 6:4, 6:2, Mertensová (28-Belg.) – Hrunčáková (SR) 6:1, 6:4, Frechová (Poland) – Zhang Shuai (29- China) 6:1, 6:1, Podoroská (Arg.) – Ponchetová (Fr.) 6:0, 6:2, Hunterová (Aust.) – Párrizasová (Sp.) 4:6, 6:2, 6: 4, Šymanovičová (Belarus) – Udvardyová (Hungary) 6:7 (6:8), 6:3, 6:1, Giorgiova (It.) – Cornetová (Fr.) 6:3, 6:4, Tausonová (Dan.) – Sasnovičová (Bel.) 6:2, 6:0, Jeanjeanová (Fr.) – Birrellová (Aust.) 6:4, 6:7 (6:8), 6:3, Šarífová (Eg. ) – Brengle (USA) 6:3, 6:1, Errani (It.) – Teichmann (Switzerland) 3:6, 6:4, 6:2.
