The conditions that the players experience this year at Roland Garros and that Rafa Nadal described as “extreme”, have already wreaked havoc on the first day of the tournament. Victoria Azarenka, finalist of the last US Open and seed number 10 of the French Grand Slam, left the track this Sunday from the Suzanne Lenglen Stadium, outraged by the cold, wind and rain she was enduring during a break from the game she played against Montenegrin Kovinic when she led 2-1 on the scoreboard.
Azarenka argued with the chair umpire and the supervisor, because she did not understand why she had to wait for the game to resume sitting outside instead of in the locker room. The Belarusian took out her own umbrella to protect herself from the rain, wrapped up a tracksuit with the top (she was already playing with tights) and then put on a feather. “I'm not going to sit here. I'm not going to wait a couple of minutes because I'm cold. It's 8 degrees, I live in Florida where it's usually hot.”said the tennis player. “Do you want to wait on the track?” He asked Kovinic, who answered “no.” “It's ridiculous, it's very cold, what's going on here, sitting here like I don't know what,” added Vika.
Azarenka's action could have cost him dear, because he could not leave the track unilaterally, but The game continued without problems for her, who resolved the ballot with a clear 6-1 and 6-2. The player who lives in the United States, came out wearing the tracksuit, has become a kind of leader on the circuit. During the Western & Southern Open he harshly criticized colleagues who left bottles and other objects lying around after training. In the second round in Paris she will meet the Slovakian Schmiedlova, who brought down the 40-year-old American Venus Williams (double 6-4) in the first round.
Garcia makes the French proud
Caroline Garcia brought joy to the privileged French spectators who were able to follow the day at Roland Garros by beating the 17th seed Anett Kontaveit 6-4, 3-6 and 6-4, who had beaten him just a few days ago in Rome. Garcia, a quarter-finalist in Paris in 2017, will cross the Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich. One of the favorites that did not fail was Elise Mertens (16th), who could with the Russian Gasparyan (6-2 and 6-3), whom she had already beaten last year in Australia. The Belgian is the second most successful player this year (27). Her next opponent will be the Estonian Kaia Kanepi. Ekaterina Alexandrova (27th) had no problems to beat the Australian Inglis (double 6-3) and will face another Aussie, the repechage Astra Sharma. And Maria Sakkari, who analysts like Mats Wilander see with options to win the title, Nor did she suffer too much to beat Australia's Tomljanovic 6-0, 7-5 and thus be able to face the Russian from the 19-year-old Kamila Rakhimova in the second round. Yulia Putintseva (23rd) swept veteran Kirsten Flipkens (6-1 and 6-2) and will collide with Argentina's Nadia Podoroska, who continues ahead in the tournament after qualifying for the main draw in the previous one.
Coco Gauff dwarfs Konta
Coco Gauff, who at only 16 years old made her debut at Roland Garros (last year she could not go beyond the previous one), defeated with impressive authority the British and ninth seeded Johanna Konta, who seemed to have taken flight in recent times and found a double 6-3 from the American in 1h: 41. Konta, who was a semi-finalist in Paris last year, had no response against the 2018 junior champion. Her 41 mistakes weighed her down. Coco will be measured now to the Italian of the qualy Martina Trevisan, which surprised her compatriot Camila Giorgi. Barbora Strycova (32nd), meanwhile, beat the American Varvara Lepchenko (7-5 and 6-2) and her Czech compatriot Krejcikova will face them.
Results and schedule.