Reigning French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova said she physically “hit the wall” as she crashed out in the first round at Roland Garros on Monday, losing 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 to French teenager Diane Parry.
The Czech world No. 2 was playing her first match since February after having been sidelined with an elbow injury.
She looked to be in control up a set and a break, but dropped six games in a row to the 19-year-old Parry before again blowing an early lead in the deciding set.
Photo: AFP
“I think set and 2-0, that was where I hit the wall,” said Krejcikova, who had yet to play on clay this season. “I just think I just collapsed physically, and, I mean, it was tough because I didn’t play the matches.”
Krejcikova was booed when she returned from a bathroom break between the second and third sets, as the crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier got behind Parry.
Krejcikova said she had no regrets about making her comeback at a Grand Slam.
“For sure, I didn’t want to miss this one,” said Krejcikova, who last year became the first player since Mary Pierce in 2000 to win the singles and doubles at Roland Garros.
Four-time Grand Slam winner Osaka was knocked out 7-5, 6-4 by Amanda Anisimova — the same player who ended the Japanese star’s title defense at the Australian Open this year.
Osaka served eight double faults and committed 29 unforced errors on her return to Roland Garros, after withdrawing last year when she refused to honor mandatory media commitments before revealing that she had been depressed.
“I thought I tried really hard, and I just feel like it was a bit unfortunate because I wasn’t able to play as many matches leading into this tournament,” said Osaka, unseeded at a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2018 Australian Open.
Fifth-seeded Anett Kontaveit became the fourth top-10 player to fall before the end of the second day, going down 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic.
Iga Swiatek stretched her winning streak to 29 by dispatching Ukrainian qualifier Lesia Tsurenko 6-2, 6-0 in 54 minutes.
The 20-year-old Swiatek, who took over as world No. 1 following Ashleigh Barty’s shock retirement, has won her past five tournaments and is bidding for a second French Open in three attempts.
“I’m pretty sure that it can end, but I just want to keep going,” Swiatek said. “I’m sure someday my streak will stop.”
Reigning champion Novak Djokovic defeated Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-1, 6-0 in the first night session at full capacity in Paris.
“I’m happy to be back. Roland Garros is one of the biggest tournaments in the world, and the memories from last year still are fresh in my head, in my mind,” Djokovic said.
The world No. 1 converted eight of 18 break points against Nishioka under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier on a rain-interrupted day.
“I have to be pleased overall. I always expect highest from myself, so I can always do better,” he added.
Thirteen-time Roland Garros winner Rafael Nadal brushed aside Australia’s Jordan Thompson 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 to improve his French Open record to 106 wins and just three losses since his 2005 title-winning debut.
“It’s a good start, of course, straight sets,” said Nadal, seeded fifth. “I played good for a while. Then things that I could do better and I need to do better. But it’s a positive start.”
Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday fought through a second-set slump to post a roller-coaster 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Damir Dzumhur in his opening match at the Cincinnati Open. The Spaniard, playing his first tournament since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final, raced through the first set, but completely lost his way in the second, dropping his serve twice against the 33-year-old Bosnian. Alcaraz regained his intensity and cut down his errors in the third set as a seventh ace took him to a match point that was converted when Dzumhur fired wide. “It was just a roller coaster,” said the second
Defending champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka on Wednesday led the way into the Cincinnati Open quarter-finals, with Carlos Alcaraz hot on their heels after a straight-sets victory of his own. Sinner shrugged off a mid-match weather delay lasting nearly three hours as he advanced 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) over Adrian Mannarino. Alcaraz, the second seed who has reached the final in his past six tournaments, hammered Italian lucky loser Luca Nardi 6-1, 6-4. After sweeping the opening set in 28 minutes, Alcaraz hit a speed bump, dropping his serve to trail 2-4. He promptly regained the break, then fought through a marathon ninth game
Taiwan’s men’s basketball team on Monday clinched a spot in the FIBA Asia Cup quarter-finals with a 78-64 win over Jordan in Saudi Arabia, securing their best finish in the tournament since placing fourth in 2013. The win was sweet revenge for Taiwan, who were denied a quarter-final spot by Jordan at the same stage of the previous Asia Cup in 2022 after blowing a nine-point lead in the final minute and losing 97-96 on a half-court buzzer-beater. “History is part of the journey,” Taiwan head coach Gianluca Tucci said when asked about the 2022 collapse of the team, who he did
Leicester City on Sunday launched their quest for an immediate return to the English Premier League with a 2-1 win at home to crisis club Sheffield Wednesday after the visitors’ supporters protested against Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri. Wednesday are under several English Football League embargoes for a range of financial breaches, with payments of wages to players and staff delayed for the past three months. Owls fans made their feelings toward Thai businessman Chansiri clear by delaying their entry to their seats and the away end was empty as the players came onto the pitch at the King Power Stadium, with a
RSS