Roland Garros, built in 1928 to enable the famous Musketeers of French tennis Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet and Rene Lacoste to defend the Davis Cup, is now under renovation with a roof and an expansion of the grounds included.
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A week after defeating the hard-hitting outsider in Geneva on the way to his third title of the season, third-seeded Wawrinka was forced to work in a match where the protagonists combined for more than 100 winners.
Interviewed on court by former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, the top-ranked Serb pleased the fans on Court Philippe Chatrier with a few words in French. He’s now looking to make it back-to-back French Open titles.
Second seed Andy Murray in white is in action against Czech veteran Radek Stepanek.
The qualifier takes first set 6-3, and Murray nets forehand to give Stepanek break of serve in the next frame, as he will lead 2-sets to love. The champ takes the frame 6-1.
Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber has lost in the first round at the French Open.
Garbine Muguruza, the No. 4 seed on the women’s side, had to go three sets to beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Yet Stepanek will return on Tuesday believing he can become the oldest man to win a round at Roland Garros since Jimmy Connors (aged 38) in 1991.
“I came back to play a match, not to enjoy and think about what I did past year”, Wawrinka said after the match.
The second-seeded Murray twice was two points from losing while serving and trailing 5-4 in the fifth. Each player has held serve and Djokovic nearly has the Chinese Taipei player at break point – and concedes!
Andy Murray says his sometimes fiery on-court behavior wasn’t the cause of his split from coach Amelie Mauresmo. “I don’t expect to be doing that myself at that age”. She then allowed her 37th-ranked opponent, who has won just one match all year, to claw her way back from 0-4 down to 3-4 before the Spaniard settled herself to see out the win.
Also advancing were seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych, No. 13 Dominic Thiem, No. 15 John Isner and No. 20 Bernard Tomic.
The Swiss, decked out in an eye-straining fluorescent yellow shirt, was left in the shade by the world No. 59 and twice trailed by a set before his opponent exhausted and he scratched out a 4-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Wawrinka carried his momentum into the fifth, breaking in the third game and going on to close out the win.
Kerber arrived in Paris on the back of early losses in both Madrid and Rome.
It was a day to grind it out, though, and last year’s Wimbledon runner-up proved she has the tenacity and the power to have a deep run, winning 3-6 6-3 6-3.
“It’s getting worse and worse, but I hope it’s not too bad”, Kerber said.
Defending champion Stan Wawrinka dazzled the moment he walked on to a gloomy Philippe Chatrier Court wearing a fluorescent yellow shirt but it was a while before his play matched his attire as he flirted with a humbling first-round exit on Monday.
Schiavone was surprised to receive a standing ovation after her loss, and was annoyed at tournament organizers for prematurely announcing this was her last French Open.
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Schiavone told reporters: “Roland Garros announced my retirement, but I didn’t”.
