TENNIS – FRENCH Open dark horse Alexander Zverev started his Roland Garros campaign with a meticulous 6-3 6-4 6-2 first-round demolition of France’s Benjamin Bonzi in searing heat yesterday.
The 2024 runner-up and three-time semi-finalist, who is chasing his maiden Grand Slam title, never allowed the world number 95 into the contest on court Philippe Chatrier as he set up a second-round meeting with Tomas Machac of Czech Republic.
“Very good start to the tournament, it’s always good to start with a win in straight sets especially against Benjamin who can be a tricky opponent,” the German second seed said.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic began his latest bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title by crossing a milestone and a tricky hurdle with a 5-7 7-5 6-1 6-4 victory over local hope Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
The Serb went past Roger Federer for the most Grand Slam men’s singles appearances, taking his tally to 82, but he was far from his dominant best early on Court Philippe Chatrier having played only one previous match on clay this season.
That rust briefly showed and Mpetshi Perricard broke for a 6-5 lead in the opening set, which he claimed with a big ace in the next game to become the first man in 17 years to take a set off Djokovic in the first round of Roland Garros.
Third seed Djokovic weathered more of Mpetshi Perricard’s power from the baseline and converted his 10th break point of the second set to level the contest and the 39-year-old steadily dialled up the intensity to cruise through the third set.
Mpetshi Perricard received treatment for a wrist and arm issue and recovered an early break in the next set, but Djokovic edged in front again at 4-3 and paved the way for an opening win on his 22nd straight appearance at the Grand Slam.
With temperatures expected to exceed 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), Russian Karen Khachanov, seeded 13, dispatched French hope Arthur Gea on Court Suzanne Lenglen before 11th-seeded Swiss Belinda Bencic downed Sinja Kraus of Austria.
The claycourt Grand Slam suffered two major withdrawals as twice champion Carlos Alcaraz pulled out last month with a wrist injury and much-hyped local favourite Arthur Fils also withdrew injured on Saturday.
Eighth seed Mirra Andreeva dished out a barrage of baseline winners as she made light work of France’s Fiona Ferro 6-3 6-3 to advance to the second round.
The 19-year-old Russian was never in trouble on a sun-drenched court Philippe Chatrier and sealed victory on her first match point when Ferro made her 24th unforced error.
Hours after a Russian missile landed near her family home in Kyiv in Ukraine, Marta Kostyuk took to the court to dispatch Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2 6-3.
Seventh seed Taylor Fritz was stunned 7-6(5) 7-6(5) 6-7(9) 6-1 by fellow American Nishesh Basavareddy in the first round of the French Open on Sunday as his injury-disrupted claycourt season ended with a whimper.
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