A straight sets victory (7-5, 6-4-, 6-3) sees him through to the second round on his return
In a bid to shift focus away from Novak Djokovic’s Kosovo controversy, Daniil Medvedev, the world number two, suffered a surprising first-round exit at the French Open. He was defeated in a grueling five-set match by Thiago Seyboth Wild of Brazil, ranked 172nd in the world. Seyboth Wild, who advanced through the qualifiers and had never previously won a Grand Slam match, emerged victorious with a score of 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (6/8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
This defeat marked Medvedev’s fifth first-round loss at Roland Garros in his seven appearances at the tournament.
Thiago Seyboth Wild, the 23-year-old Brazilian, expressed his elation after defeating such formidable opponents on the prestigious Court Philippe Chatrier. With an impressive display that included 69 winners, he described the victory as a dream come true. Despite experiencing cramps during the second set, Seyboth Wild persevered and gave his best effort to showcase his top-quality tennis.
Thiago Seyboth Wild, who had not secured a victory on the main tour since February 2022, demonstrated remarkable composure in the gripping conclusion of a marathon four-hour and fifteen-minute match. The encounter marked one of a Grand Slam record of 21 first-round matches that went the distance to five sets.
Despite witnessing his breaks being neutralized by Medvedev in the deciding set, Seyboth Wild remained resolute. Eventually, he managed to consolidate a crucial third break with a solid hold, establishing a 5-3 lead. With two powerful forehands, he sealed the victory.
For Medvedev, his arrival in Paris was accompanied by the confidence gained from clinching his maiden clay court title at the Italian Open just a week prior. The triumph marked his fifth trophy of 2023. Reflecting on his clay court season, Medvedev expressed his contentment, stating, “Every time the clay court season finishes, I’m happy.”
‘Vandals’ destroy image
Novak Djokovic is set to return to Court Philippe Chatrier on Wednesday night for his second-round match amidst ongoing controversy surrounding his “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia” message. The Serbian tennis superstar, aiming for a record 23rd Grand Slam title in Paris, wrote the message in Serbian following his first-round victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic on Monday.
In interviews with Serbian media, the 36-year-old Djokovic emphasized the significance of Kosovo as the cradle and stronghold of their country, amidst escalating ethnic tensions in northern Kosovo, where clashes between demonstrators and NATO soldiers have resulted in injuries. Serb TV also reported an act of vandalism, with a mural featuring Djokovic being destroyed in Orahovac, a town in southwestern Kosovo where a small Serb population resides alongside the majority Albanians.
In other matches, French veteran Gael Monfils, ranked 394th, mounted a remarkable comeback from a 0-4 deficit in the final set to defeat Sebastian Baez of Argentina in a grueling match that concluded after midnight. Defending champion Iga Swiatek overcame an early challenge to secure a straight-sets victory over Cristina Bucsa of Spain, as she seeks to become the first woman to successfully defend the French Open title since Justine Henin in 2007.
The top-ranked Swiatek faces potential ranking challenges from Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina at Roland Garros. Wimbledon champion Rybakina continued her strong form by defeating Czech teenager Brenda Fruhvirtova. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Russian qualifier Mirra Andreeva, making her Grand Slam debut, recorded an impressive 6-2, 6-1 victory over Alison Riske-Amritraj of the United States. Andreeva, the youngest player in the tournament and ranked 143rd, gained attention earlier this month when she reached the last 16 at the Madrid Open.
In another match, Ons Jabeur, the runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open, comfortably advanced past Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti, who recently won her first WTA title in Rabat, with a 6-4, 6-1 victory.
Five-hour marathon
Coco Gauff, the finalist in 2022, fought her way to a hard-fought 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Rebecca Masarova. However, defending champion Barbora Krejcikova suffered an early exit in the first round for the second consecutive year, losing 6-2, 6-4 to Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine.
In the men’s draw, fourth seed Casper Ruud, last year’s runner-up to Rafael Nadal, cruised to a comfortable 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win over Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer. Alexander Zverev, who endured a season-ending ankle ligament injury in the 2022 semi-final against Nadal, had a smooth start as he defeated Lloyd Harris of South Africa 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/0), 6-1.
Seeded sixth, Holger Rune faced a tough challenge against American Christopher Eubanks but emerged victorious with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 win.
In a remarkable five-hour and ten-minute epic, Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori saved five match points to eliminate the 31st seed Miomir Kecmanovic. Vavassori’s exceptional performance included a staggering 106 winners in his 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (11/9) triumph.
