Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame a sluggish begin to reach the second round of the French Open with a 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-1 victory over France’s Jeremy Chardy on Sunday (May 30). The fifth seed, who prolonged his profitable run on clay to 5 matches after clinching the title in Lyon final week, was in bother within the opening set in an empty courtroom Philippe Chatrier after spectators had been despatched residence beneath a 9 p.m. native time curfew earlier than making his superiority rely.
Tsitsipas, who misplaced to 13-times Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal within the last in Barcelona, steamrolled previous a helpless Chardy within the different two units. He ended Chardy’s problem after simply over two hours with a forehand winner for a no-nonsense victory.
He will subsequent face both American Sebastian Korda or Spain’s Pedro Martinez.
Alexander Zverev turns round two-set deficit towards qualifier Otte
Sixth seed Alexander Zverev rallied from two units down to beat qualifier Oscar Otte 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 in his opening round of the French Open. The 24-year-old appeared to be heading for an early exit like Austrian Dominic Thiem, who beat him within the 2020 US Open last, when he misplaced the primary two units on the Suzanne Lenglen Court however he discovered a unique gear to flip across the contest.
For the remainder of the match, it was one-way visitors towards the 152nd-ranked Otte within the first assembly between the 2 Germans as Zverev’s motion on the purple clay improved and he discovered extra energy in his pictures and extra sting in his serves. “It’s the first time I played Oscar so I didn`t know what to expect much but he didn’t give me any rhythm,” Zverev mentioned in his on-court interview.
“And to be honest I feel like, to beat a top player in a Grand Slam, especially in the first few rounds, this is exactly how you should play. I couldn’t find my rhythm. In the third set I decided to hit the ball a little harder, hit the forehand a little heavier as well and managed to turn it around. Maybe he was a little bit more tired than me. Maybe he is not used to these kind of intense matches. But he played incredible and I hope he will continue playing this way.”
Two-time runner-up Thiem earlier turned the primary main upset on the opening day as he was knocked out by Spanish journeyman Pablo Andujar 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. For the primary two units, the 27-year-old Otte didn’t play like somebody making solely his third Grand Slam main-draw look – his earlier two coming at Roland Garros as a fortunate loser – and in addition taking part in his first tour-level match of 2021. But Zverev, who sealed victory along with his fiftieth winner, had expertise to fall again on and has now received all seven of his five-set contests at Roland Garros.
“I have done it before, this is what helps me the most,” mentioned Zverev, who will subsequent meet one other qualifier in both Russian Roman Safiullin or Carlos Taberner of Spain. “In the first two sets he was killing me. I am happy with the turnaround win, I am happy to be through and most happy that I have two days off now instead of one. In the end it will also help me.”
