A Wild Turn Of Events At Roland Garros

Roland Garros
Roland Garros (photo: Florian Heer)

PARIS/WASHINGTON, May 31, 2023 (by Michael Dickens)

On any given day of a tennis major, wild things can – and do happen. To wit, in just the third day of this year’s French Open, Thiago Seyboth Wild, the unheralded 172nd-ranked player from Brazil with a tour-level record of 0-0 this season and 9-15 lifetime, abruptly ended the bid of World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev of Russia, the 2021 US Open champion, who arrived in Paris after winning his first title on clay at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on May 21.

In a first-round match on Court Philippe Chatrier that stretched over four hours and 15 minutes, Seyboth Wild, 23, pulled off the biggest upset of the first round – heck, of the first three days of the year’s clay-court major – with a high-risk, high-reward 7-6 (5), 6-7 (6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Medvedev. His 69th winner on match point was a blazing forehand down the line. He benefited from 15 double faults by his opponent.

Seyboth Wild’s journey to an improbable victory has included competing in variety of lower-level ATP Challenger Tour events in Chile, Argentina and Brazil – winning titles on clay in Vina Del Mar, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina – earlier this year. He survived three rounds of Roland Garros qualifying last week to earn a berth in the main draw – something he had never done in eight previous attempts at majors.

The Brazilian reached a rankings peak at No. 106 in September 2020 right after making the main draw at the US Open, his only other main-draw appearance before this week.

“I mean, I’ve watched Daniil play for like my entire junior career until today,” Seyboth Wild explained in his press conference. “I’ve always dreamed about playing o this court against these kinds of players. … It’s a dream come true.

“Walking the court, I really just wanted to get the angles, try to get to the net as much as possible, try to use my forehand against his. It worked pretty well.”

Medvedev gave props to Seyboth Wild during his press conference. “If he continues to play that way, in my opinion, end of the year, he’s Top 30,” he said.

“I honestly hope he’s going to play like this later on, because if not, I’m going to be disappointed. I’m going to be like, why today? Why not in two days?

“His life is going to be better if he plays like this every match. He’s going to get more money, more sponsors, win big titles. But he has to play like this. Not once on the Philippe Chatrier, but a lot of times in different tournaments all over the world throughout the year.”

Svitolina victorious in French Open return, vocal in support of Ukraine

Just three days after two-time Grand Slam semifinalist Elina Svitolina won her first WTA title in nearly two years and first since becoming a mother, the Ukrainian put on a solid, confident display of tennis in defeating No. 26 seed Martina Trevisan of Italy, 6-2, 6-2, on Court Simone-Matthieu Monday afternoon. It was her fifth straight victory following a title run last week at Strasbourg, France, and now she’s through to the second round of the clay-court major.

In her first Grand Slam event in more than a year – since the 2022 Australian Open – the 192nd-ranked Svitolina made her return from maternity leave a positive one by energetically taking out last year’s Roland Garros semifinalist in 70 minutes, behind 20 winners and four breaks of Trevisan’s serve.

Svitolina, 28, and her husband, French tennis player Gaël Monfils, became parents last October. Once ranked as high as No. 3, Svitolina, who returned to the WTA Tour in April, became the lowest-ranked woman (at No. 508 last week) to win a tour title since an unranked Kim Clijsters at the 2009 US Open. It was Svitolina’s 17th title.

“It’s extremely special for me to get my first win of the Grand Slams here at Roland Garros,” Svitolina said in her on-court interview. “I always have amazing memories of playing here in front of great people and great fans. I’m really, really happy with how I played today and I am looking forward to the next one.”

Later, in her post-match press conference, Svitolina added: “Right now, I’m just gaining points and coming back to the level, coming back to the tour. So, everything is kind of old and new for me right now. Just want to enjoy each opportunity at each tournament that I get. Just play good tennis. Try to enjoy out there, and then, you know, see how it goes.”

On Wednesday, Svitolina, who is in the bottom-half of the draw in No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka‘s quarter, plays 204th-ranked qualifier Storm Hunter of Australia.

Svitolina, who has been vocal in her support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, pledged to donate her Strasbourg title earnings to humanitarian aid for Ukrainian children.

“These moments bring joy to people of Ukraine, to the kids as well, the kids who loved to play tennis before the war and now maybe they don’t have the opportunity,” Svitolina said Monday after her first-round victory. “These moments that can motivate them to look on the bright side and see these good moments and enjoy themself as much as they can in this horrible situation.

“Right now, it’s my focus, and I want to invite everyone to focus on helping Ukrainians. That’s the main point of this, to help kids, to help women who lost their husbands because they are at war and they are fighting for Ukraine. We are missing the main point that people now at this time, they need help as never before.”

Gaël Monfils wins midnight marathon for the ages

At age 36, French favorite Gaël Monfils may not have many more years to receive the plaudits of the Roland Garros faithful. Early Wednesday, Monfils turned back the clock and came back from 0-4 down in the fifth set of his Tuesday night-session featured match against 22-year-old Sebastian Baez of Argentina on Court Philippe Chatrier. He pulled out a dramatic 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 victory that lasted three hours and 47 minutes and received overwhelming applause for his efforts. It was his first tour-level match win since becoming a father last October.

By the end of the tension-filled first-round match, just his fifth in an injury-plagued 2023 season, the 394th-ranked Monfils showed why an athlete who is arguably past his prime – struggling with leg cramps by the end – still plays. After shaking hands with Baez, La Monf allowed himself a moment to lay on the red dirt with his arms stretched out and let out a nice cry that was followed by a big smile. The partisan French crowd that stayed past midnight serenaded Monfils with a rousing chorus of “La Marseillaise” at 12:22 a.m.

In his on-court interview, Eurosport’s Marion Bartoli said to Monfils: “I’ve known you for almost 24 years since you were 14. You were losing this last set, but I was sure you’d come back. You did it! You did it!”

Monfils replied: “When it was 0-3, I was thinking I’ve never won a match since I became a dad. My daughter is here. I needed to win. I trie to use the energy of the public. I don’t have the words. I can’t even speak. The only thing I can say is thank you.”

A tale of two French: Luca Van Assche and Arthur Fils

Luca Van Assche and Arthur Fils, the 2021 French Open junior champion and finalist, will be forever linked. On Monday, both Frenchmen were on court at Roland Garros at about the same time. Each drew big, vocal crowds. Van Assche held forth on Court 14 against 2018 semifinalist Marco Cecchinato of Italy, winning 6-1, 6-1, 6-3, to earn his first professional win at the French Open. The crowd began to shout his name as soon as he clinched victory after an hour and 58 minutes. It was the 19-year-old Van Assche’s main draw debut after losing in the first round of qualifying in each of the past two years.

Meanwhile, before an overflow crowd on Court Simonne-Mathieu, Fils gave good fight against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina before bowing 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Fils hit 28 winners but was undone by 51 unforced errors.

On the day before his match, Fils, who last Saturday won his first ATP Tour title at Lyon, said he did not feel any extra pressure playing at Roland Garros, where it has been 40 years since Yannick Noah became a national hero and is the last French man to win the French Open. “No, no extra pressure. I’m young, I’m 18,” he said. “So, I have all my career in front of me. So, I have time.”

Van Assche will play Davidovich Fokina in the second round on Wednesday.

Paris and Coco Gauff: A match made in Heaven

First round, no worries for Casper Ruud

Elina Avanesyan: This lucky loser was a big winner

Mirra Andreeva: Living her dream at 16

Sixteen-year-old Russian qualifier Mirra Andreeva is proof that dreams come true. Her Grand Slam main draw debut was a success after she beat American Alison Riske-Amritraj, 6-2, 6-1 – needing just 57 minutes Tuesday – to advance to the second round. It was her fourth Top 100 win of her career. The No. 143 Andreeva, who is the youngest player in the main draw, extended her pro record this year to 21-2. Through four matches at the French Open (including three in qualifying), she is yet to drop a set. She credits intuition on the court for her success.

“I am just doing what I feel is right to do on the court,” Andreeva said in her press conference. “Honestly, when we talk with my coaches about the plan for the match, I think about it just right before the match, but then I forget all the stuff, and I just play as I feel, and that’s it.”

By the numbers

Two-time women’s Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek of Poland began defense of her 2022 title with an easy 6-4, 6-0 win over No. 70 Cristina Bucsa of Spain in 73 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier Tuesday afternoon. Swiatek entered play at this year’s clay-court major 36-3 in sets in her last three appearances, a winner of six titles on clay (7 on other surfaces) and a 56-9 win-loss record on red dirt (with only six losses since the start of 2020).

“Quotable …” 

• “It is one of the main reasons why I keep playing. It’s to play those big tournaments like here, to have such amazing atmosphere. On Court 14 over there is always going to be special for me to play here at the French Open. I have so many support and give me a lot of emotion to win those matches.”

– Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland, 2015 French Open champion, who needed four hours and 35 minutes to beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (2), 1-6, 6-4, on Court 14 Monday afternoon.

• “It’s an honor to play on this court and play Petra Kvitova. She’s one of my idols. I grew up watching her on TV. … This is, I think, the best victory in my life against a great champion.”

– No. 44 Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy on her first Top-10 victory, against No. 10 seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic on Court Suzanne-Lenglen Monday evening.

• “It’s dropshot Tuesday Paris, it feels good to be back into the second round.”

– No. 7 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, following her first-round win over Lucia Bronzetti of Italy on Court Philippe-Chatrier Tuesday afternoon.

 

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