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A difficult first day for the French, on Sunday May 22, at Roland-Garros. Of the six registered, five were eliminated. Among the ladies, Kristina Mladenovic, Harmony Tan, Carole Monnet and Clara Burel were powerless while Quentin Halys gave American John Isner a hard time, failing to win. The good news came from court n°14, where Gregoire Barrere got his ticket for the second round.
Mladenovic too limited against Fernández
Spectators on Court Suzanne-Lenglen were no doubt scared on Sunday of witnessing a total thrashing by Kristina Mladenovic. Swept 6-0 in the first set, the Frenchwoman couldn’t get into her game against 17th seed Leylah Fernandez. Fortunately, the tie began in the second set with two consecutive breaks by “Kiki” to lead 3-0. But the Canadian, a finalist at the last US Open, slowly caught up, eventually winning 7-5 (when she trailed 5-3) and joining Siniakova in the second round.
Barrere takes down Daniel
He is the only survivor of this first day in the tricolor clan. Led two sets to one by Japan’s Taro Daniel, Gregoire Barrere, recipient of an invitation to the main draw at Roland-Garros, offered a precious win against Japan’s Taro Daniel (3-6, 6-2, 0-6, 6 -3, 6-4), carried by a boiling short n°14.
The 28-year-old Frenchman called on his reserves to score again in the fourth set. More aggressive in the final set, well aided by a powerful first serve (76% of first serves) and significant net presence, Barrere equaled his best result at Porte d’Auteuil.
No feat for Tan and Monnet, Burel outclassed by Sakkari
First Tricolor to play the main draw of the 2022 edition of Roland-Garros, Harmony Tan, 112th in the world, lost to Colombian Camila Osorio (6-4, 6-3). After a disjointed first set, (five breaks in total), the Frenchwoman, holder of an invitation to the Porte d’Auteuil, gave in at the beginning of the second, without ever coming back to score. Osorio, 20 years old and 54 in the world, reached the second round of the Parisian Grand Slam for the first time, in which she will face another Frenchwoman, Diane Parry, or the number 2 seed and current champion, Barbora Krejcikova.
For her first appearance at Roland-Garros, Carole Monnet (253rd), also invited, was not unworthy against the Czech Karolina Muchova (6-3, 6-3). But the French player of Ukrainian origin proved to be less reliable than the 81st in the world, especially in the service (seven double faults against two, 56% of first serves against 67%), to expect anything on Sunday on court no. 7. More offensive (29 winners against 17), Muchova doubled in 1h48 and will challenge Maria Sakkari (4th), Clara Burel’s faller, in the second round.
Nor was there a miracle at Philippe-Chatrier’s court for Clara Burel. Facing the No. 4 seed Maria Sakkari, a semifinalist last year, the Briton lost in two sets (6-2, 6-3), overwhelmed by the power of the Greek. The Frenchwoman (94th in the world) did not know how to take advantage of the numerous unforced errors of her rival in the forehand, especially during the first assault. More showy in the second set, saving six break points, Burel could not stop the progression towards the second round of one of the favorites of the women’s draw.
Halys gives in to Isner
He will have stood up to him for a long time but that will not have been enough. Quentin Halys lost in four sets to 23rd-seeded John Isner (7-6 [3]4-6, 7-6 [1]7-6 [6]). In a close match from start to finish, Halys, a recent top 100 player, matched the American ace machine (27 aces to 22), pushing his opponent into the tiebreaker three times.
Carried away by Suzanne-Lenglen’s crowd, who had reserved their first wave for the day’s top-ranked Frenchwoman (86th), Halys believed in it but eventually relented in the deciding game of the fourth set, despite saving three match points. In the second round, John Isner will face Frenchman Gregoire Barrere, who will try to avenge his compatriot.