As this year’s French Open in Stade Roland Garros, Paris, kicked off on May 30, tennis fans from all over the world were expecting tightly fought contests between some of the most seasoned veterans and numerous rising stars of the sport. With the qualifiers ending on May 28, both defending champions Rafael Nadal and Iga Świątek were ready to have another finals run as the 125th edition of the French Open and the second Grand Slam event of 2021 winds down.
Meanwhile, American tennis veteran Serena Williams added another first in her colorful career with a night session match against Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania on June 1 which Williams wrapped up in two sets 7-6(6), 6-2.
Here are other notable matches in this year’s Grand Slam leading up to the finals:
Iga Świątek vs. Kaja Juvan
Defending women’s champ and WTA No. 9 Świątek faced Slovenian player Kaja Juvan on May 31, securing a victory in two sets 6-0, 7-5. The polish superstar, who recently turned 20, won the previous French Open without dropping a set and went on to defeat former No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in the Italian Open.
Świątek displayed her aggressive form of play, showering her opponents with topspin-heavy lobs similar to Nadal’s form to win the short match against her best friend. Świątek also defeated the Roland-Garros winner, Juvan, earlier in Melbourne as she shared with the press how difficult it is to face her best friend in matches knowing that one has to lose eventually. The pair capped their match with a hug, showing everyone the positive sportsmanship present in today’s tennis.
Juvan, who is also 20 years old, is currently ranked at 101 and to date has had her best tournament finish at the third round of the Australian Open last February with her impressive drop shots, but failed to overcome Świątek’s excellent form on the clay court.
Świątek advanced to the next round against Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson, which the defending champion also won 6-1, 6-1.
Daniil Medvedev vs. Alexander Bublik
Two-time Grand Slam finalist and WTA No. 2 Daniil Medvedev of Russia faced Kazakh star Alexander Bublik who was ranked No. 37 after his round of quarterfinal matches at the Madrid Open in May.
The 25-year old Russian beat the 23-year old Russian-born Kazakh player in three sets 6-3, 6-3, 5-7 in a match where both struggled on the clay court. Medvedev had earlier told the press that he did not like playing on clay courts after losing most of his first round Roland-Garros matches in previous years.
Bublik shared this sentiment saying that he preferred hard and grass surfaces which was evident in his last two second round finishes at the French Open. Bublik, however, went into the match against Medvedev with a recent string of big wins yet fell short against the No. 2 who had a 1-3 clay record this year going into his first French Open tournament win for 2021 after defeating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the Mutua Madrid Open.
Showing consistent form and confidence, Medvedev broke Bublik’s serves to pull a 4-2 lead and won 10 of 12 points on the Kazakh’s second serves in the first set. Bublik seemed to be off his game with 19 unforced errors, eventually suffering a 4-0 lopsided lead in the second set with poor serves. Medvedev then relied on his strong cross-court forehand to move within a set to victory.
Sofia Kenin vs. Jelena Ostapenko
No. 5 Sofia Kenin was another exciting player to come out of a great 2020 season. With a title win at the Australian Open and a finals spot at the French Open last year, the American faced Latvian No. 44 Jelena Ostapenko in this year’s tournament.
Unfortunately, Kenin’s 2021 has yet to show signs of hope after losing her last four matches and after announcing that her father will no longer serve as her coach. Despite her excellent performances on clay courts, the American had some level of difficulty playing against 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko who herself struggled making it past any third round of a major tournament since Wimbledon 2018. Having reached the quarterfinals of the Italian Open, the Latvian star muscled her way through the match to give Kenin a real challenge. However, Kenin emerged as the winner in three sets 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 after coming from a break down twice in the first set then securing a decisive break for 5-4.
During the third set, Kenin maintained her form and broke Ostapenko five times even while losing a couple of serves to secure her first win on the French Open clay court after three years. Kenin went on to face fellow American qualifier Hailey Baptiste, ranked 164, in her next match which she won in two sets, 7-5, 6-3.
Roger Federer vs. Denis Istomin
Perhaps one of the most anticipated matches in this year’s French Open was between 20-time major tournament champion Roger Federer and Russian-born Denis Itomin, who now represents Uzbekistan.
With Federer having nursed two prior surgeries on his left knee, the Swiss champion shared how he wasn’t keeping his hopes up for the French Open the way he does for the grass courts of Wimbledon. With Istomin sharing the same difficulties on the clay courts of the French Open, it was still a match worth watching despite having no question of Federer’s career advantage against the 204-ranked player.
Returning from his stint at the 2020 Australian Open, Federer saw minimal opposition against Istomin to gain control of the entire match which he won in three straight sets, 6-2 6-4 6-3, to advance to the second round. The champion displayed a wide variety of drop shots, moved confidently near the net, and volleyed with his exceptional forehand to secure the win in the 93-minute match.
Looking forward, Federer has set his sights on the grass courts of Wimbledon this month with many asking how his knee injuries will affect his movement. Based on his impressive showing against Istomin, Federer’s swift mobility and agility seem to have brought back his winning rhythms on the court.
If you want to learn more about the world of tennis and Marc Pulisci please click here.
Comments