Novak Djokovic's quest for a record-equalling 2nd Grand Slam sweep started at 2019 Roland Garros with a comfortable straight 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win over Polish's Hubert Hurkacz in the round of 128. The 32-year-old Serb had won the immediate past 3 Grand Slam; the 2018 Wimbledon and US Open and 2019 Australian Open respectively. A French Open triumph would make Djokovic only the 2nd man after Rod Laver to hold all 4 Open titles at the same time. Djokovic came into the French Open with a mixed fortune, winning the Madrid Masters and then lost the Rome Masters to Rafael Nadal in a back-to-back ATP Masters tournament finals. However, the Rome Masters' loss perhaps might be a good omen for the Serb, who's 2016 French Open triumph came at the back of a Rome Masters' defeat to Andy Murray. If Djokovic can pull a French Open final triumph, it would be his 2nd ever and his 16th Grand Slam total.
The Rome Masters win over Djokovic couldn't have come at the right time for French Open defending champion, Rafael Nadal, the Spaniard had had a torrid season battling with injuries and form, the Rome Masters win over 1 of French Open favourite is a much-needed confidence booster going into his round of 128 ties. Nadal's dominance over clay court has no equal, having 11 French Open titles to his name compared to Djokovic and Federer's 1 apiece. However, Djokovic still holds Nadal's biggest threat, with the likes of Dominic Thiem also prowling the clay court. The 32-year-old Spaniard raced to a comfortable 1st round victory, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 over Germany's Yannick Hanfmann in just about 2 hours and will next play another German, Yannick Maden in round 2.
It is no news that the clay court is the least favoured surface by the Swiss Maestro, Roger Federer, his solitary 2009 French Open title out of a total of 20 Grand Slams speak volume, and it's worthy of note that it was in the absence of Nadal who withdrew in the quarterfinals due to injury. Nevertheless, the 37-year-old Swiss can never be underestimated, not by a whisker. This year's tournament is Federer's 1st since his injury-self imposed exile from the clay court after 2015 tournament, and he began on an encouraging note, as if he was never away, a straight 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 win over Italia's Lorenzo Sonego in less than 2 hours in the 1st round was a good start, and the Swiss said afterwards,
I really don't know how far I can go in this event and I am very happy with my 1st round
Other men's top 10 seeds players that made it past the round of 128 includes;
4th seed, Dominic Thiem(Austrian) dropped a set in his 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(7-5), 6-2 victory over Tommy Paul of the United State of America. 5th seed and German, Alexander Zverev began his French Open campaign in a 5-set thriller win over Australia's John Millman, Zverev raised to a 2-sets 7-6(7-4), 6-3 lead, but Millman levelled 6-2, 7-6(7-5). However, Zverev showed resilience to take the deciding set 6-3. Number 6 seed, Greek's Stefanos Tsitsipas saw off Germany's Maximilian Marterer, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(7-4). Japanese Kei Nishikori also made it, the 7th seed defeated France's Quentin Halys 6-2, 6-3, 6-4. Argentine and 8th seed Juan Martin Del Potro beat Nicolas Jarry (Chi) 3-6, 6-2,6-1, 6-4. 9th seed Fabio Fognini defeated fellow countryman, Italy's Andreas Seppi, 6-3, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3. Russian and 10th seed, Karen Khachanov made it past German, Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, 6-1, 6-1, 6-4.
Women's Draw:
World No 1 & Japanese finest, Naomi Osaka's breakthrough to stardom can be describe as swift, fast and furious, a back-to-back Grand Slam titles, having followed the 2018 surprising victory over Serena Williams in the US Open with 2019 Australian Open triumph, the 24-year-old is surely one of the next generation force to reckon with. However, she came into the French Open in poor form, losing out of both Madrid and Rome Masters in the quarterfinals. She had to dig deep to overcame Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. Schmiedlova took the 1st set 6-0, but Osaka fought back to win the next 2 sets 7-6(7-4), 6-1 and advanced into the next round.
Serena Williams, arguably the best women tennis players of all time, definitely the best in Open era, with 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in women ranks and 8 runners up in 31 singles finals. However, Serena's last Grand Slam title win was in 2017 Australian Open, as she struggled to combine motherhood with the asking nature of tennis and recent ankle injury. The 37-year-old American began her French Open campaign on a shaking note, dropping the 1st set, but she rallied to win the next 2 sets, 2-6, 6-1, 6-0 over Russia's Vitalia Diatchenko.
Defending French Open Champion, Simona Halep began her title defence with against Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic. The Romania, 27, has not had the best of preparation coming into French Open, losing the Madrid Masters final to Kiki Bertens and then exciting the Rome Masters in the round of 32. She was stretched into 3 sets too by Tomljanovic, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 she won and will now face Polish, Magda Linette in the round of 64.
There has been a major upset in the women's draw though, as former Grand Slam winners; Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams exited the 1st round already.
5th seed Kerber, recently returns from an ankle injury, obviously, the German has not yet rediscovered the form that saw her win 3 Grand Slam titles. Her 4-6, 2-6 straight sets loss to Russian, Anastasia Potapova meant she will not be adding the only Grand Slam missing in her cabinet. Just like Kerber, Venus Williams has been plagued with injuries in recent time and came into French Open unseeded which unavoidably paired her with a tough 1st round tie with 9th seed Elina Svitolina. Venus lost to Svitolina 3-6, 3-6. Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki was also booted out in the 1st round by Russian's Kudermetova Veronika, the former Australian Open champion was defeated 6-0, 3-6, 3-6.
That will be all for now, thank you all for your time.
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