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Dominic Thiem survived a bumpy opening match on Day 2 in Paris, but he'll need to be better to give himself a chance for the ultimate prize.

By: Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday May 28, 2019

Photo Source: (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

To contend or to pretend—that is the question.

Dominic Thiem‘s first-round victory over Tommy Paul out on Court Suzanne Lenglen left a bit to be desired on Monday. It wasn’t the fans that were disappointed, they appreciated the ebbs and flows of an unexpected struggle and lapped up the looming specter of an upset, as American wild card Tommy Paul got into the kitchen of the No.4 seed and threatened to take a two sets to one lead.

Paul lead 4-0 in the third-set breaker and it was hard to tell whether the charged up spectators on Roland Garros’ second-biggest showcourt where chanting “Domi, Domi” or “Tommy, Tommy.”

Surely they were energized by the unheralded American’s exploits as he staked himself to a can't-miss type of lead in the breaker but Thiem quickly answered back and took seven of eight points to win the set and effectively seal the match.

Paul had life, but Thiem had the weapons to end his struggle quickly and efficiently. It was a classic bloodletting in the fourth, and it will–hopefully–serve to remind Thiem of how well he needs to play in Paris to come away with anything but disappointment.

“I wasn't playing my best today, that's for sure,” Thiem later explained. “We all could see what happens if I don't play my best tennis. He was playing amazing then. It was very, very close. And of course the key moment of the match was the tiebreak in the third set.”

The third set was most certainly the key to the match but what remains to be seen is whether or not it will be the key to unlocking Thiem’s biggest ever achievement.

If Rafael Nadal is favorite 1a and Novak Djokovic 1b in Paris, then Thiem is very likely a 2 in a men’s field crowded with mega stars. Or is he 2b behind the surprisingly effective Roger Federer in Paris?

2b or not to be? Never mind, it doesn’t matter…

What does matter is the fact that the Austrian has the potential to make a significant impact on this tournament, if he can only find his most succinct and sublime tennis when it matters.

On Monday he was anything but sublime for the better part of three sets. He didn’t seem to be quite lucid out there and his shotmaking was hit or miss. On one point his imprecise footwork left him out of position on the backhand side, the perfect opportunity to take a measured approach and hit a defensive ball; instead he went for broke and sent a shanked backhand somewhere in the direction of the quinzième arrondisement.

On another point he closed at the net and artfully placed a perfect backhand volley into a far corner of the forecourt where Paul didn’t even try to track it down. Parfait.

But the helter-skelter struggle for consistency continued for far too long and it was only a courageous and transcendent moment that saved Thiem from falling two sets to one down.

He would have been staring at a loss in a worst case scenario or in the best, a fifth set suspended due to darkness.

Neither would have been ideal in a tournament where every ounce of energy will eventually matter. If he is to progress to the semi-finals and have any shot of ending Novak Djokovic’s quest to hold all four majors, he’ll have to be better in Paris—and quickly.

“I was really looking forward to the match,” Thiem explained in press. “It was taking long until I could step on court today, and then I didn't feel really good. Didn't play my best tennis.”

It needs to be said that there were moments of drop-dead gorgeous tennis from the Austrian, the kind of crush-your-face-into-the-terre-battue physicality that has become legend. He tapped the accelerator after winning the third set and played like a beast unleashed.

“The most positive thing I am taking from the match today is the fourth set, because I freed myself,” Thiem said. “I played way faster, way tougher for him. I moved him around way more. That's what I tried to build up on this fourth set.”

Thiem finding some boom boom off the backhand.

(@Eurosport_UK)#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/zP7vB2AiJV

— Matthew Willis (@MattRacquet) May 27, 2019

There’s no doubt that this was the case. Thiem’s unrelenting physicality, when viewed in person, can raise the hair on your neck. He plays like an electric wire gone rogue, striking sizzling ground strokes and sending the ball from corner to corner with naïve malice.

You can see the poor tennis ball morphing into an egg-shaped whirl of fuzz. Woe is the opponent when Thiem does what he does with efficiency and clarity. Gone are his legs and lungs when Theim is all there, settling into a comfort zone, teeing off and every so often throttling back just to ensure that he doesn’t become his own worst enemy.

But it was Thiem who was nearly gone on Day 2. That’s far too soon for a player of his caliber, for a No.2 favorite who is hoping to take the next step closer to the trophy he covets the most.

It’s not unacceptable and it can be fixed. Dominic Thiem will win this tournament someday. But if he is going to do the unthinkable and win it next week, he’ll need to be better, and quickly.

The 37-year-old still packs magic in that racquet.

Dave Winter/Icon Sport via Getty Images

Nicolas Mahut was worried that he wouldn’t be able to play at Roland Garros. But those worries faded on Day 1 as last year’s doubles champion created one of the magic moments of Day 1.

The Frenchman helped to create a special atmosphere in the new Court Simonne-Mathieu on Sunday when he rallied from two sets down to defeat Marco Cecchinato 2-6 6-7(6) 6-4 6-2 6-4.

The victory was extra special because of the pressure Mahut felt when he received a wild card from tournament organizers.

“It's rather complicated,” Mahut told the press. “First of all, some people took some risk by giving me this wildcard. I know that the captain, Thierry Champion, and the national technical manager also, and the president [of the FFT], as well. It wasn't obvious, because I hadn't been playing well, and I had been hurt over the past few weeks, and they trusted me.”

Mahut ( 🎥@Eurosport_RU ) pic.twitter.com/ZphBr593Wd

— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) May 26, 2019

An extremely grateful Mahut was quick to give thanks to those who trusted him. And he went on to explain just how close he was to rejecting the wild card in the lead-up to the tournament.

“I would like to seize this opportunity to thank them, because it wasn't a given. And for the anecdote last Friday, a week ago—well, before the qualifications we were training. It didn't go well. My back was still hurting. And I felt like giving back the wildcard and saying, ‘I won't be ready.’ Then my staff said, ‘Look, you have until Sunday. Take some time, take some rest.’ I felt better and better. Saturday and Sunday I was feeling better. And I had a week of preparation with coaches, with Jean-Michel. They didn't let go.”

Mahut gave credit to his wife for telling him to relax and play it by ear.

“My wife every evening would tell me, Relax, don't put any pressure on yourself. Things will go well. And I trusted them and this was my payback today.”

He was overwhelmed with joy when it was all said and done.

“It is by far my best victory in Roland Garros, in a French tournament, I hadn't had many,” said Mahut, who entered the tournament with a 6-16 lifetime record at Roland Garros. “And playing on this extraordinary court, I felt that if there was a possibility of playing on this court, it would be incredible and there would be an incredible atmosphere.

“And this is what happened today. He was winning two sets, and then I made an effort in the third, fourth, and in the fifth it's no longer the 20th seeded against my rank of 250. And it's also an advantage of being French when you play Roland Garros. And this victory will rank very high in my memories.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas has been paying attention to the game's legends. Here's what he sees.

What’s the difference between the ATP’s BIG 3 and the “rest” of the ATP? Stefanos Tsitsipas was asked that question after his Day 1 victory in Paris over Maximilian Marterer of Germany.

The Greek, no surprisingly, had a thoughtful answer:

“I know that with them I have to be twice more focused and not give points away,” he said. “They control the court so well. They know what they're doing. They know where they're playing, so everything is actually counted on these small details.”

Tsitsipas owns wins over Federer and Nadal in 2019—he knocked off Djokovic in Canada last season.

“I have seen the difference when I play the rest of the guys and them,” he said. “They don't overplay, don't do crazy things. But they play so right, and they always actually are confident with themselves, with anything they are doing. I think that's the difference that I have seen.”

The Tower of Tandil is not focused on results just yet as Paris looms.

By: Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild

Juan Martin del Potro has only seven matches under his belt this season, and he’s coming off a serious knee injury that for a spell in 2019 caused him to have to consider yet another season-ending surgery. And yet today the Argentine is back on the tour and he looked more than ready for prime time in Rome, where he won two rounds and then pushed Novak Djokovic to three sets and three hours in an epic quarterfinal.

So where exactly is Del Potro in terms of his best tennis?

Not quite there he says.

“I played great tennis for almost three hours in very high intensity with the No.1 of the world, which is a very good signal looking to the future,” Del Potro told reporters on Saturday at Roland Garros. “But I know how is my present at the moment, I know how far is my best level.”

The Tower of Tandil may say that he’s not quite there in terms of form and fitness, but those who witnessed that hair-raising encounter with Djokovic would surely disagree. He struck has backhand ferociously and kept Djokovic on his back foot for large portions of the match.

It was the old Del Potro, the lion-hearted purveyor of mighty groundstrokes and striker of fear in opponents' hearts.

“I’m getting back to my old backhand and that helped me for my whole game,” he said. “I played a lot of backhands down the line, making a lot of winners [against Djokovic in Rome]. Now I can mix it up with the slices, different shots that improved a few years ago, and if my wrist still helps me I will be playing harder backhands as well as my forehands and I will have a complete game for this year.”

Del Potro knows that it’s early, and he also has the wisdom of years and tears behind him. This is a man that has endured four wrist surgeries and one who last year had his patience rewarded when he reached his second career Grand Slam final and his first since 2009. Del Potro broke the record for most Grand Slam singles appearances between finals last year in New York—he had played 21 majors between his trip to the 2009 U.S. Open final and the 2018 U.S. Open final.

He surely looks primed to reproduce that level and potentially return to that stage of a major sometime soon, but he’s unwilling to compromise what he believes will be a strong second half of the season by rushing his still-not-quite-perfect knee here in Paris.

Today Del Potro spoke of the period after the Delray Beach Open in February and his next appearance on the clay at Madrid in May. After suffering a setback in Florida, many suggested surgery as a potential option for Del Potro but he told this reporter that he knew deep down it wouldn’t be the right move.

He spent another three months away from the tour and today Del Potro feels he benefitted greatly from the decision.

“Of course I had experience with these tough moments of my career and also I had the support from my family and friends and the people who helped me to keep trying and keep going because for the sport it’s the worst part of the show when you get injured and you cannot do what you want,” he said. “I took some experience with my wrist to feel the same things with the knee. I spoke a lot with my doctor and basically after Delray Beach when all the people around me recommended surgery I heard very deep in my heart to try a different way for the last time and then we found Angel Cotorro, the Spanish doctor. He tried a different treatment and it helped me at the moment and now I’m playing without surgery on the knee and I think that is because I had a different experience with my wrist and I took a good decision for the moment.”

As a two-time Roland Garros semi-finalist that is rounding into form, it seems easy to assume that Del Potro is ready for the next step here in Paris. But it's not such a simple equation. The 30-year-old is still very much in trial mode with his knee as he prepares to play his first best-of-five tennis since the rupturing of his right patella occurred last October in Shanghai.

If the knee feels good and the body gives him the proper sensations, he’ll be a force, but if it doesn’t, that’s okay—there’s still plenty of time and now that the knee is responding to treatment the future looks bright.

“I have high expectations in the future but not now because I want to be calm. … I will try to play as best as I can but I am going slowly.”

The American talks about her new relationship with Sven Groenevel and how it's just what she needed.
Sloane Stephens is thrilled to not be coachless anymore.

The No.7 seed talked to reporters for 15 minutes on Saturday in Paris, telling them that she has been in Paris a little bit longer than expected thanks to her second-round loss to Johanna Konta in Rome last week.

“I have been practicing,” she told reporters. “This is the longest I have been at a slam ever. It's been actually quite nice. Got a lot of shopping done, got to hang out.”

She later added: “I mean, yeah, I like—being in Paris extra is not—who's complaining? Definitely not me.”

Another thing that the 2018 Roland Garros runner-up is not complaining about is having a coach. She hired Sven Groeneveld, former coach of Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, Monica Seles and many others, and is happy to have structure and planning playing a critical role in her life.

“I'm not gonna lie,” Stephens said of the three month period between parting ways with Kamau Murray and hiring Groeneveld. “It sucked. It was not enjoyable. A lot of the time it was—I mean, it was just all over the show. We don't need to go back there. We are totally moving forward.”

Media day at @rolandgarros has a pretty nice view 🌿🌺😍 pic.twitter.com/vltTIIugFe

— Sloane Stephens (@SloaneStephens) May 24, 2019

Some players that co coachless seem to really relish the experience as a chance to step of the treadmill and relax about things, but Stephens seems to have missed the professional guidance of a world class coach, and she’s not shy about admitting that.

“It just wasn't as fun,” she said “I wasn't having fun on the court. Just a lot of things were not where they should have been, and I think now with Sven having some structure and having someone who is, ‘This is what we are trying to get, this is what we need to do,’ like, everything is in order. … In my life, I think that's just what I needed at that moment, and he's been great so far.”

Stephens will open her eighth career Roland Garros appearance with a first-round tilt against Misaki Doi of Japan. The American is slated to face Elina Svitolina in the round of 16 and could potentially face Kiki Bertens in what would be a blockbuster quarter-final if the seeds hold.

It seems that she is approaching the tournament with renewed confidence and vigor. At 26, there is still lots to accomplish for Stephens.

“I think for myself there is only a few things in tennis that I really, really, really wanted to do, and I'm kind of just putting my mind to it now so I can get there and do it, and I can leave the game how I want to on my terms,” she said, before adding with a smile: “I'm not leaving the game any time soon, don't worry…”

The Laver Cup will be a part of the ATP's official calendar going forward.

The Laver Cup and the ATP are partners now.

The news broke on Friday as the men’s tour has announced that it will make the annual event a part of its calendar in addition to providing logistical and operational support such as marketing, social media, officials and physios.

Laver Cup will be held for the third time this September in Geneva, and Roger Federer voiced his support for the move in a statement, saying "As I come closer to the end of my playing career, it's wonderful to know that the Laver Cup will be part of the tour that I've dedicated more than 20 years of my life to. This partnership is a wonderful example of how the tennis family can unite to promote and grow the sport we all love."

Founded by Federer’s agency, TEAM 8, the Laver Cup has been a major success in its first two seasons in Prague and Chicago.

Joining forces: #LaverCup becomes an official part of the @ATP_Tour calendar. #ATPxLAVERCUP #TennisUnrivaledhttps://t.co/h1TZYY0f8y

— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) May 24, 2019

World No.1 Novak Djokovic, who played the event in Chicago last September, also voiced his support. "The Laver Cup is a true celebration of tennis that is loved by the fans and embraced by the players. I experienced it first hand as a player, and as President of the ATP Player Council I'm proud to support this collaboration.”

The event showcases the best talent in men’s tennis in a unique format that in its first two seasons has seen Federer, Nadal and Djokovic join forces on the court. It has been embraced by the fans, who are eager to get a glimpse of the game’s greats in a less formal competition.

"The Laver Cup has struck a chord with fans worldwide in a very short time," said ATP CEO Chris Kermode. "It's been great to see the passionate participation of the players and the response from the fans at the sold-out events in Prague and Chicago. This event has great potential to reach new fans around the world, and all of us at the ATP are excited to include the Laver Cup as an official part of the ATP Tour calendar and have it featured alongside other tournaments on all our platforms."

The 15-year-old American made her first foray into the world of Grand Slam tennis…

The youngest player in the Roland Garros qualifying event—and last year’s Girls Singles’ champion—was handed a convincing loss in her second qualifying match on Thursday in Paris to Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan.

That “young player” would be Coco Gauff, the promising young American whose name you should definitely know by now and probably do.

Watching Gauff up close and personal for the first time since Wimbledon Juniors last summer, I was struck once again by the promise of her game. She strikes the ball clean and mean, plays an aggressive style of tennis that at times can make jaws drop, and appears to be improving at a rapid clip.

Aged 15 years and 2 months, 2018 Roland-Garros junior champion Coco Gauff becomes the youngest female player to win a Grand Slam match (qualies or main draw) since Martina Hingis at the 1995 Australian Open.

She's one of a kind, definitely.#RG19

— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) May 21, 2019

Don’t let yesterday’s loss to Juvan fool you—Gauff is very much on the way to making a big splash on the tour but we must remember that she’s barely turned 15 and even an 18-year-old like Juvan, who proved to be a savvy clay-courter and a relentless presence from the baseline, can seem rather mature and experienced when juxtaposed against Gauff.

That should and likely will change in a few years as Gauff, a wildly athletic and graceful athlete that cuts a sleek, menacing figure on court not all that different than the one Venus Williams' cut in her younger years, continues to grow into her body and evolves into a more mature physical presence.

But we digress…

Juvan was the better player from start to finish over the course of her 80-minute 6-3 6-3 victory over Gauff on Thursday and it was still quite interesting to watch Gauff try to deal with Juvan’s made-for-clay game. There were plenty of middle-length rallies and the young American was forced to strike a lot of head-high balls on the forehand side. This is where Gauff struggled to control the rallies. With her lean, sinewy physique, Gauff showed an ability to muscle those high forehands and get them back over the net, but many times ineffectually, and it was during these types of rallies where she was at the mercy of Juvan.

Over time Gauff will likely improve in this regard. Against Juvan she showed plenty of good tennis—deep, penetrating groundstrokes that barely cleared the net (she plays with very low margin and it’s natural to think she might end up being more lethal on grass and hard courts as she develops), booming serves and a fantastic feel for the net. But she wasn’t able to take Juvan off her game often and certainly not often enough.

This caused frustration and it showed on Gauff’s face. She seemed to have a good idea of what she was up against and how much it would take for her to win this match if Juvan kept playing at such a high level (she did). As the contest wore on Gauff never ever got close to melting down (credit’s due here), but she did toss a racquet (gently) in frustration and generally exhibited the body language of a player unable to find the necessary solutions.

Even if it's not ideal there’s no shame in that. Gauff’s future is bright, and as I mentioned, she showed so much potential in winning a match at her first Grand Slam qualifying event, over 26-year-old Ankita Raina of India, and playing bravely against Juvan.

15 years old.

Last time she’ll ever need a Roland-Garros wildcard? 🙏@CocoGauff | #RG19 pic.twitter.com/8Og0ehSmAU

— Mouratoglou Tennis Academy 🎾 (@MouratoglouAcad) May 23, 2019

Midway through the second set Patrick Mouratoglou came to sit with Gauff’s team and urged her on. He’s taken a vested interest in her game and that also bodes well for Gauff’s future. You better believe that in the 20 minutes he sat courtside the mastermind that has helped guide Serena Williams to a plethora of milestones in the latter portion of her career saw enough to plan more than a few productive practice sessions for the next time the American visits the Mouratoglou Academy in the sunny South of France.

The bottom line is this: At 320 in the world and coming off her first Grand Slam qualifying win, Coco Gauff is well on her way to fulfilling her promise as a professional. Will she reach the lofty expectations that have already been set by many pundits? It doesn’t matter right now.

All that matters is that she keeps logging the hard yards, and that every tough loss is treated as an opportunity for growth.

Gauff was dealt a difficult loss on Thursday and watching courtside it was easy to see and feel how disappointed she was by her performance and the result. Already, at 15 years and two months, she expects to win matches—no matter the level, no matter the venue. That, more than anything, was what impressed me most about Gauff. You could see her burning up as she left the court. Most kids would be thrilled to have made the trip to Paris and become the youngest player to even win a Roland Garros qualifying match.

Not Gauff. She wants it all, and if I am reading the tea leaves correctly, she is likely on the practice court today with a scowl on her face.

Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori will sport decidedly different looks.
Roger Federer is bringing beige back in his return to Roland Garros.

Uniqlo, Federer's clothing sponsor, unveiled images of the apparel Federer and Japanese No. 1 Kei Nishikori will sport in Paris.

Federer: Kyrgios Doesn't Deserve Suspension

The 23-time Grand Slam champion consulted with Uniqlo designers while they created his Roland Garros kit.

"I had frequent consultations with the development team, and I'm extremely pleased with the game wear they've created," Federer said in a statement to Esquire. "This will be my first appearance at Roland-Garros since 2015, and I'm looking forward to playing in Uniqlo game wear."

 

 

 

 

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Uniqlo practice 👍

A post shared by Kei Nishikori (@keinishikori) on

May 5, 2019 at 4:02am PDT

In contrast to Federer's understated beige-and-white clothes, Nishikori will be a colorful presence on the red clay of Paris.

"I am really looking forward to competing in the French Open wearing the game wear created together with Christophe Lemaire and the Paris design team," Nishikori said. "The vivid colors to match the Paris season will inspire me to achieve my best result."

Photo credit: Uniqlo

The Tower of Tandil is backing the King of Clay despite his recent struggles.
Juan Martin del Potro says that Rafael Nadal is still a “big favorite” to win Roland Garros, despite the fact that the King of Clay has entered Rome without a title to his name for the first time since 2004.

Del Potro, who made his return to the clay at Madrid last week and fell to Laslo Djere in his first match, has been drawn to meet the winner of the Stan Wawrinka – David Goffin match in the second round at this week's Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome.

Del Potro says it’s still too early to worry about Nadal.

“I don't think it's weird that Rafa doesn't win a tournament on clay yet,” Nadal said. “Many players are playing good on clay.”

Del Potro says that there’s a massive difference between notching a win over Nadal in a three-set match on the Road to Roland Garros than actually defeating him in a best-of-five format on Court Philippe Chatrier.

“But I think to my point of view, he's still a big favorite to win Roland Garros once again,” Del Potro said. “What I say all the time: you can beat Rafa once, but to beat Rafa in Grand Slam, in Paris, is another big challenge for us. We will see what happen.”

Nadal, who has dropped semi-finals in each of his first three clay-court events of 2019, is slated to face wither Richard Gasquet or Jeremy Chardy in the second round. He has been drawn into the same quarter as Dominic Thiem.

Nadal himself has shown signs of concern about his form thus far on clay, but he says that he has made strides, even if he isn’t exactly where he wants to be at this stage of the season.

“I think I have done a few steps forward, maybe not enough, but I have improved some things and we will see until when I can be able to play at a high level and I think I will be able to continue,” he said. “And if I'm not able to do these things properly, that is the end of the situation, period. We don't have to make any drama or over-think when things are going bad. It is a sport and in a sport it's a matter of winning and sometimes losing and accepting both as naturally as possible.”

The World No.1 is not feeling any pain from her recent abdominal injury. By Chris Oddo, May 6, 2019

After pulling out of her first clay-court event of the season with an ab strain, Naomi Osaka is feeling fit and enjoying this grueling section of the WTA season more than ever before.

The World No.1 battled past Dominika Cibulkova on Sunday in Madrid and suffered no setbacks on the injury front.

“I didn't feel my ab during the match,” Osaka told reporters. “I still have to, like, do treatment after, but I think it's really positive because if I did feel something during the match, of course I would have continued, but it wouldn't have looked good. But for now, I feel fine, so I think it's good. … all in all it was a good match and I didn't feel my ab flare up, so that is a positive note.”

The worry-free state allows Osaka time to appreciate her opportunity to improve her clay-court game. She enters Madrid with a 12-11 lifetime record on the surface, but already she has reached a semi-final this season in Stuttgart—she had never reached a quarter-final on clay prior to 2019.

That’s a great sign for Osaka, and it’s further proof that her willingness to embrace the clay is paying off this season.

“I think last year I was set on liking hard more than clay instead of embracing clay-court,” Osaka told reporters. “It's not like I can avoid this season, you know what I mean? So, I think this year I just sort of put on my energy into training and learning how to move better than I did before and yeah, I know what my goal is and I know what I'm trying to play for, so I'm doing whatever it takes to get there.”

It's a win for @Naomi_Osaka_ at the #MMOpen!
She claimed the match over Cibulkova 6-2, 7-6(6) 💪 pic.twitter.com/PxyalAVNGa

— WTA (@WTA) May 5, 2019

Osaka’s next challenge will be a second-round tilt against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo.

If her health holds up, Osaka could be a very pleasant surprise this spring on clay. She wouldn’t be the first heavy hitter that embraced the clay and learned how to dominate on the surface. Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Kiki Bertens, Petra Kvitova and so many others have used the slowness of the surface and the fact that it gives them more time to set up and connect with big strikes to their advantage.

Maybe Osaka will prove to be the next on that list.

For now, she’s keeping it fun and enjoying—rather than fearing—the red stuff.

“Well, for me it's fun now,” she said before making fun of her sliding technique with a laugh. “I mean, I feel like there's, like, an adjustment period for me and it took a few years. But now I'm more comfortable on it. I'm not sure if it's because I had a really long training block before I came to start the season, but yeah, it feels good.”