Key occasions
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Norrie beats Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5
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Zverev beats Tien 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
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Gauff defeats Gadecki 6-2, 6-2
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Medvedev wins the fourth set against Norrie 6-1
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De Minaur defeats Djere 6-3, 6-4, 7-6; Medvedev wins third set against Norrie 6-4
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Baptiste stuns No 23 seed Haddad Maia 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
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Norrie wins the second set 6-3 against Medvedev
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Andreeva advances 6-4, 6-3
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Norrie wins the first set 7-5 against Medvedev
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Today’s order of play on the main courts
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Preamble
On Court docket 14, Mensik is serving at 7-5 5-6, and Calvin Betton, our resident coach, messages on this match as follows: “You’d should think about Mensik comes by that. Muller is stable however Mensik has bought the weapons, serve and forehand – he’s gonna be a top-10 participant earlier than lengthy. Oh, and Muller is sponsored by Solely Followers, which I discover humorous.”
Perhaps he likes the articles.
Righto, Djokovic and McDonald have begun, whereas Pegula has damaged Todoni in recreation one. She’s a humorous one, actually, in that method worse gamers than her have received Slams, but it surely’s onerous to see her taking one herself, partly as a result of Swiatek, Gauff and Sabalenka are round now however partly as a result of she lacks a serious weapon. She’ll stick at it, although.
And we’ve bought so, a lot to return it’s faintly ridiculous. On Chatrier, Mackenzie McDonald and Novak Djokovic will quickly get going; Anca Todoni and Jessica Pegula have simply begun; and Magdalena Frech and Ons Jabeur quickly will.
I’m going to observe the primary two matches, as a result of I ponder if Todoni can provide Pegula grief, together with Alexandre Muller 5-7 5-4 Jakub Mensik.
Thanks Katy and bon après-midi tout le monde. What a morning dig!
Proper, after almost 4 hours of that, I’m off to lie down. Right here’s Daniel Harris to take you thru the subsequent hour of play …
“It was a loopy match,” says Norrie as he’s requested on court docket about his inconceivable victory. “Unreal. I deserve a diploma for beating Medvedev after shedding to him 4 instances.” Norrie provides that enjoying Djokovic in Geneva final week helped him to organize for this. “Merci beaucoup,” he says as he waves to the group and walks off court docket. And subsequent he has a really winnable match in opposition to the fortunate loser Federico Gomez.
Norrie beats Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5
What an enormous level at 30-all on Medvedev’s serve. Will it’s recreation level Medvedev or match level Norrie? Sport level Medvedev, as he pulls off a gutsy winner for 40-30. However Norrie, seemingly out of court docket, comes straight again at him for deuce! And right here’s a match level! A sentence I by no means thought I’d be typing just a few video games in the past. An absorbing rally performs out, which Norrie ultimately wins when Medvedev hoiks lengthy! Someway Norrie has come from 5-3 down within the ultimate set to take it 7-5 and take out the eleventh seed, who suffers a sixth first-round exit at Roland Garros.
Zverev beats Tien 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
Norrie holds to edge in entrance on this deciding set, for the primary time for the reason that opening recreation. It’s 6-5. Simply as Zverev, along with his neon yellow highlighter look, completes a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Tien. A convincing opening win from final yr’s runner-up.
“I feel I performed nearly as good as I may within the circumstances,” Gauff says. “I’m from Florida, so I’m used to the wind, but it surely was robust. Actually it felt like two completely different matches relying on the facet of the court docket.”
She’s then requested about her rackets. “So long as I’ve been on tour my coaches put my rackets in my bag. I am going on the court docket and realise I’ve no rackets. I’m blaming it on my coach!”
Gauff defeats Gadecki 6-2, 6-2
Gauff, although, has bought the job accomplished, with an environment friendly, business-like 6-2, 6-2 victory over Australia’s Gadecki. The previous finalist handled the windy circumstances properly; the largest mis-step was her forgetting her rackets at the beginning of the match.
Loads of ooohs and aaahs and Norrie is waving his arms within the air after a recreation of cat and mouse on the primary level, with Medvedev serving for a spot in spherical two at 5-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 5-4. 0-15 turns into 0-30 and right here’s a glimmer for Norrie. Which turns into an enormous alternative at 0-40! And Norrie breaks again on the second break level!
Zverev and Gauff are near ending too, with Gauff 6-2, 5-1 up on Gadecki and Zverev 6-3, 6-3, 5-4 forward, with the break, in opposition to Tien. Norrie, in the meantime, decides now’s the time to throw in his second underarm serve of the match, however once more it doesn’t come off. He does, not less than, maintain although, forcing Medvedev to serve this out.
That is the top recreation for Norrie, with Medvedev 4-3 and 30-0 up within the decider. Which is quickly 40-0 after one other winner. Although the Russian does throw in an terrible first serve that just about landed on the baseline. It doesn’t matter, although, he holds to like from the second serve and it’s 5-3. Norrie should serve to remain within the match.
James Duckworth is out, overwhelmed 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 by Alexander Bublik, so there received’t be an all-Aussie battle with Alex de Minaur in spherical two.
Tomorrow’s order of play is out. Emma Raducanu v Iga Swiatek is third on Philippe Chatrier.
After that 11-minute maintain for Norrie, Medvedev places the stress straight again on the Brit with a maintain to like in 80 seconds. After which breaks to 30 with a passing winner after a prolonged rally. One other ridiculous winner from Medvedev and it’s 3-1. This seems to be like the start of the top for Norrie.
Unhappy information on Court docket 6, the place Dimitrov has been pressured to retire with a leg harm when main Quinn, the younger American qualifier, 6-2, 6-3, 2-6. It’s the 34-year-old’s fourth mid-match retirement already this yr, however for Quinn he now has an excellent likelihood of reaching spherical three on his debut, as a result of up subsequent is the fortunate loser Alexander Shevchenko.
In the meantime on Philippe Chatrier, Gauff takes the primary set 6-2 in opposition to Gadecki in what feels just like the time it took Norrie to win simply that one recreation. The second seed was delayed at the beginning although when she by some means managed to neglect her rackets. Perhaps Kenin’s speedy victory within the match earlier than caught her off guard.
Because the clock ticks over eight minutes for the primary recreation of the fifth set, Medvedev fires groundstroke after groundstroke at Norrie, earlier than altering it up with a deft drop shot that has Norrie scrambling in useless on the purple clay. Break level Medvedev. Norrie saves it. One other break level Medvedev, his fourth of the sport, and this time Norrie will get in on the drop shot act too. Deuce No 7. And Norrie holds after an 11-minute battle of attrition! I ponder how essential that would show to be.
Make that 6-3, 6-3 to Zverev, because the third seed finishes off an 11-shot rally on set level with a booming forehand.
As for Zverev and Gauff: Zverev, who was a set away from successful the title final yr and is regaining confidence after additionally falling brief within the Australian Open ultimate this yr, leads Tien 6-3, 5-3, whereas Gauff, a former finalist at Roland Garros too, has grabbed an early break in opposition to Gadecki and is 4-2 forward within the opening set.
Medvedev wins the fourth set in opposition to Norrie 6-1
Norrie, serving to remain within the fourth set at 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 0-5, does not less than cease the rot by holding from deuce. Nevertheless it’s most likely solely delaying the inevitable. A couple of British followers within the crowd are utilizing their flags as blankets given how chilly it’s in Paris. Sensible, given they haven’t bought a lot motive to wave them. Medvedev will get away with a dodgy drop shot for 30-all, then brings up set level, and Norrie can’t get the serve on set level again into play. They’re going to 5.
Ouch. Norrie is damaged to like. And Medvedev holds once more to like. That’s 13 factors in a row for the Russian. That is getting away from Norrie horribly rapidly. Medvedev leads 5-0 within the fourth set.
Make that 3-0 to Medvedev, along with his second successive maintain to like. Norrie has by no means overwhelmed Medvedev, and I ponder if that’s on his thoughts proper now. Does the Brit have the idea to tug this off? Each have been in their very own slumps – Medvedev, the previous US Open champion, hasn’t received a event in additional than two years, whereas Norrie has dropped down the rankings from a excessive of world No 8 to a present place of No 81. Dropping from two units to like up right here can be one other huge blow to the Brit’s brittle confidence.
An inauspicious begin from Norrie within the fourth set, as he double faults and is quickly damaged. It’s Norrie 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 0-2 Medvedev.
De Minaur defeats Djere 6-3, 6-4, 7-6; Medvedev wins third set in opposition to Norrie 6-4
De Minaur, main 6-3, 6-4, is making an attempt to wrap up victory in opposition to Djere in a third-set tie-break. However listed here are two set factors for Djere at 6-4 within the breaker after the Serb chases down the drop shot! And right here’s a set level for Medvedev as Norrie fluffs his serving traces at 4-5 … the place to look? … and Norrie’s shot whistles broad! Medvedev takes the third set 6-4 having misplaced the primary two, simply as De Minaur does what De Minaur does, battling, scrapping, and from 6-4 down he wins the breaker 8-6 and the match 6-3, 6-4, 7-6.
Baptiste stuns No 23 seed Haddad Maia 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
Whereas Quinn is on the ropes, the US has an sudden winner in Hailey Baptiste. The 23-year-old world No 70 has overwhelmed Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, a semi-finalist right here two years in the past, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. So a shock victory for the Individuals after Taylor Fritz’s and Emma Navarro’s shock losses yesterday.
The fortunate loser Alexander Shevchenko has received, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 in opposition to Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic, and he’ll face most certainly Grigor Dimitrov, who’s almost two units to the great in opposition to Quinn, main 6-2, 5-2.
Look right here, Medvedev has two break factors at 3-2 within the third set. The umpire is out of his chair after the second – the French Open is now the one slam that doesn’t use digital line calling – and confirms Norrie’s shot did land on the road, so it’s deuce. From there Norrie holds for 7-5, 6-3, 3-3. The umpire is once more known as to court docket to verify a name at the start of the subsequent recreation – he’s getting as a lot of a exercise as Medvedev, who’s pulled everywhere as Norrie grabs two break factors of his personal – however Medvedev holds agency and it’s 4-4.
Kenin, the 2020 runner-up, is taking the applause of the smattering of spectators on Philippe Chatrier, as she wraps up a convincing 6-3, 6-1 victory over Gracheva. Subsequent up there may be Coco Gauff v Australia’s Olivia Gadecki.
A short pause in Medvedev’s chattering and chuntering as he takes a medical timeout to get his finger bandaged up. It’s 2-2 within the third set, which the Russian should win to keep away from a sixth first-round exit at Roland Garros.
Might Azarenka be a contender right here? The 35-year-old is now down at No 75 on this planet, and hasn’t reached a slam ultimate since 2020, however can nonetheless be harmful on the correct day. She’ll probably subsequent face Kenin, who’s now 6-3, 4-1 forward, however then it might be Madison Keys, the Australian Open champion, in spherical three. Keys performs Britain’s Katie Boulter in spherical two, who continues to be very a lot discovering her toes on clay.
Enjoyable reality: Azarenka’s 6-0, 6-0 walloping of Wickmayer earlier means she’s the primary participant to safe a double bagel win at a grand slam in three completely different a long time this century (2000s, 2010s, 2020s).
