The second-ranked player in the world, Daniil Medvedev, was eliminated from the French Open in the first round on Tuesday. He fell to Brazil's Thiago Seyboth Wild, who is rated 172nd, in five sets.
Seyboth Wild won 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (6/8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 despite entering the tournament via the qualifiers and having never before won a Grand Slam match.
In his previous seven visits at Roland Garros, Medvedev has lost five opening-round matches.
The 23-year-old Brazilian who rained down 69 wins on Court Philippe Chatrier described beating these kind of players as “a dream come true.”
“I tried to play my best tennis, but I was cramping in the second set and couldn't really serve the way I wanted.”
One of a Grand Slam record 21 first round matches that required five sets, Seyboth Wild, who hasn't won on the main circuit since February 2022, maintained composure in the match's final set, which lasted four hours and 15 minutes.
In the decisive set, he twice had breaks rescued by Medvedev before following up a third break with a hold for 5-3. The winning forehand was two enormous ones.
After winning his first-ever clay court championship at the Italian Open last week to earn his fifth trophy of 2023, Medvedev came in Paris feeling upbeat.
I'm pleased every time the clay court season is over, remarked Medvedev.
“VANDALS” DESTRUCT THE IMAGE
The debate over Djokovic's statement that “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia” is still blazing when he returns to Court Philippe Chatrier on Wednesday night for his second-round showdown.
After defeating Aleksandar Kovacevic in the first round of the Paris Open on Monday, the superstar from Belgrade, who is going for a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam championship, scribbled the statement in Serbian.
The 36-year-old Djokovic told Serb media that Kosovo is “our cradle, our stronghold, and the center of the most important things for our country.”
His remarks came at a time when ethnic tensions in northern Kosovo were at an all-time high and protesters and NATO forces were suffering injuries.
In Orahovac, a town in south-western Kosovo where a small number of Serbs dwell amid the majority Albanian population, it was claimed by Serb TV that “vandals” had defaced a mural depicting Djokovic on a building.
Gael Monfils, a semi-finalist 15 years ago but now rated 394, defeated Argentine Sebastian Baez by the scores of 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, and 7-5 in an after-midnight encounter.
Before suffering a catastrophic foot injury that kept him out of action until March, Monfils, 36, battled cramps to earn his first victory since August of previous year.
Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, overcame an early hiccup to defeat Cristina Bucsa of Spain in straight sets and advance to the second round.
The world number one won 6-4, 6-0 in her attempt to become the first female champion to successfully defend since Justine Henin in 2007.
At Roland Garros, Swiatek can lose her top position to Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina.
Rybakina, the Wimbledon winner, maintained the pressure by defeating Brenda Fruhvirtova, a young Czech girl, 6-4, 6-2.
Mirra Andreeva, a 16-year-old Russian qualifier, beat American Alison Riske-Amritraj 6-2, 6-1 in 56 minutes to win her first Grand Slam match.
Andreeva, who is rated 143rd and the youngest participant in the competition, made headlines earlier this month when she advanced to the round of 16 in the Madrid Open.
Italian Lucia Bronzetti, who won her first WTA championship in Rabat on Saturday, was defeated by Wimbledon and US Open runner-up Ons Jabeur with ease, 6-4, 6-1.
SEVEN-MILE RACE
Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 winner, was eliminated in the first round for the second consecutive year after losing 6-2, 6-4 to Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko. Coco Gauff, the 2022 finalist, fought to a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory against Rebecca Masarova.
Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer was easily defeated by fourth seed Casper Ruud, who finished second to Rafael Nadal last year, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
After losing to Nadal in the 2022 semifinals, Alexander Zverev, who had sustained a season-ending ankle ligament damage, easily defeated South African Lloyd Harris with scores of 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/0), and 6-1.
The sixth-seeded Holger Rune beat American Christopher Eubanks by scores of 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), and 6-2.
In a five-hour, ten-minute marathon, Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori defeated Serb Miomir Kecmanovic, the 31st seed, after saving five match points.
Vavassori defeated the opponent with the following scores: 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/3), and 7-6 (11/9).
