LIVE – Roland-Garros: very tense start to the match, the first set for Nadal

What a defense from Casper Ruud who turns the tide in the exchange with an incredible forehand late in the run when he was in trouble. 15-15

Nadal gives up his white service, the Spaniard gives worrying signs for the future, he is clearly physically affected.

Casper Ruud is clearly gaining momentum, the Norwegian playing very well in this return game and scoring three break points. 0-40.

Nadal had attempted the volley serve but was bothered by Casper Ruud’s ball, which dug into his legs. 0-30.

Game easily won by Casper Ruud, who concludes with a sequence of serves and volleys. Enough to get his confidence back, he is still leading the race in this second race.

Although he had the opportunity to come back from 15-15 and put pressure on the Spaniard after a very good forehand without crossing, Ruud missed his sequence at the net with a volley that was too soft. From behind, the Norwegian catches up a bit admiring his touch, applauded by Rafael Nadal, but the gap was already made in this game. And Nadal calmly concluded without difficulty.

Solid, Casper Ruud held his commitment very well and won an essential service game. The Norwegian seeks total relaxation.

Very good sequence behind his first ball to clear a new break point.

Amazing new exchange where Ruud is cornered from the baseline, backhand. Nadal has a good short ball to play, but his forehand attack escapes down the hall. 40-40.

Casper Ruud tries tirelessly to turn around his backhand, the Norwegian completely frustrates him. He does well on the first break point.

Ruud errs again by forcing the forehand exchange, giving Nadal plenty of time to calmly attack along the line. The Norwegian is already in danger.

Battered in the exchange in this match, Nadal is doing well thanks to his serve, which offers him three free points and the set at once. However, he beware because Ruud did more than rebalance the debates at the end of the first round.

Nadal gets rid of the danger with two very good and well-worked serves. 40-30

Ruud directs Nadal towards his forehand, and in fact, the Mallorcan turns on this side, but it is the Norwegian who manages to repel his rival. Behind, Ruud hits a forehand winner down the line. The Norwegian confirms his rise to power. 15-30

Very good service game by Casper Ruud, more impressive than at the beginning of the match.

Very difficult volley for Ruud, almost at ground level, but the Norwegian managed to move towards the ball at the moment of impact to hold this pass from Nadal and allow himself two game points.

Like what he showed against Zverev in particular, Nadal seems to be struggling physically, his shots hurt less today. The Spaniard still won his service game and came closer to winning the first set.

Casper Ruud accepts the fight at the long line, and it is Nadal who misses with a backhand off the court. Ruud returns to 2-4, Nadal continues with a break advantage.

Rafael Nadal’s first vocalizations are heard as he attacks his opponent with two big forehand claps. But we feel that Spanish is not entirely free despite everything. They both look for the right carburetion. Start of the game a bit disjointed.

Rafael Nadal finds a lot of depth and begins to release his shots. Casper Ruud reacts with a very good first serve. 15-15

Casper Ruud does not seem in his normal state, without a doubt the tension of a first final in a Grand Slam tournament invades him, all the more difficult to apprehend as the dispute in front of a monument. But still, the Norwegian is not at all so inspired. Without being brilliant, Nadal flies away in this first round.

Casper Ruud’s terrible ending. The ball didn’t come off the racket at all on this last forehand which he probably envisioned as a short cross. It’s missed. And Nadal takes off again.

First row:

Anne Hidalgo, Amélie Oudéa Catsera, Billie Jean King, Gilles Morretton (psdt FFT) and the King of Spain Felipe, the Prince of Norway

Other personalities present: Gustavo Kuerten, Stefan Edberg, Marco Verratti, Javier Pastore, Robert Lewandowski, Teddy Riner, Amandine Henry, Nolwenn Leroy, Cyril Hanouna, Muriel Robin, Pascal Obispo, Raymond Domenech, Denis Brognart, Gilles Lellouche, Guillaume Canet, Michael Douglass.

Another huge foul by Casper Ruud that puts himself in danger. Rafael Nadal makes a very surprising mistake on his turn with a short ball. A very strange start to the match. 30-30

A little fever in Nadal whose forehand catches the band of the net. Casper Ruud will serve to level two parties on all sides.

Two double faults from Rafael Nadal give Ruud a chance to erase the late break. 15-40.

Casper Ruud pushes his opponent into the free kick with his backhand, which he gave way too often since the start of the match. First confrontation won by the Norwegian. 15-15 with Nadal’s serve.

The first pass of this match for Rafael Nadal who breaks the entrance.

Casper Ruud tries as much as possible to find the right deflection, but when his shot is too average, the punishment is immediate. 15-30.

Ruud is completely outmatched at this point. A good first ball allows him to come back from 15-15.

First match without incident for the Mallorcan, very well into this final. Obvious tactical choices with a willingness to work his forehand over his opponent’s backhand to create the opening and maneuver as he pleases. The Norwegian tries to answer with his right hand but was dominated in the rally in this first game.

The first point is for Nadal. Please note that the roof is open at the moment.

18:08 for Nadal, 18:02 for Ruud.

This is the longest time he has been on the court.

Many Spaniards are present, while Rafael Nadal will serve first, after a few minutes of warm-up.

As expected, the Manacor bull is very well received by the public, who has already won the Porte d’Auteuil 13 times.

Player input is imminent!

The former president of the French Tennis Federation, Christian Bîmes, does not believe that Rafael Nadal will play his last match at Roland-Garros this Sunday in the final against Casper Ruud

Meanwhile, a little memory of the 13 works of Rafael Nadal in images.

Having started poorly, the French turned everything around to win in three sets (2-6, 6-3, 6-2) over the American duo Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff, in 1h44 of play. This is the second title in Roland-Garros for the García/Mladenovic couple, after 2016.

Garcia and Mladenovic return to serve for the Americans and lead 3-0 in the 3rd set. Serves to lead 4-0.

Despite the pressure from the Gauff/Pegula couple, Caroline García and Kristina Mladenovic held on and won the second set (6-3). There will be a decisive final set.

Facing Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in the doubles final, Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic started their match poorly, losing 6-2 in the first set. But the French reacted perfectly and defeated the Americans (4-0) in the second set.

In an interview with France Télévisions, which will be broadcast before the final, Rafael Nadal admits that he knows nothing about the rest of his career.

“I don’t know, I would like to be able to give a clearer answer, but at the moment I don’t know. There is one thing that is clear and that is that I would very much like to return here to Roland-Garros for a few years but I have a foot problem that It allows me to train a lot. My goal is to come back here, but there is a possibility that I won’t be able to, he continues. After this tournament, we will try to find solutions for my foot. There are very difficult days but I will do my best to continue playing. I will give myself all the means to get back here.

Asked about a possible withdrawal of Rafael Nadal, which would be announced at the end of the final, during his press conference this Sunday, Amélie Mauresmo, director of Roland-Garros, remained vague: “There is always enormous interest in the final. I don’t know what’s going to happen. We don’t have any particular information from Rafa. The history he has with the tournament, the 14th coronation, that’s enough to go on. I prefer not to think about it and say myself that we are going to enjoy this play”.

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