Paris (AFP)
The French Gilles Simon, 54th in the world, gave in in the 1st round of Roland Garros against the Canadian Denis Shapovalov, in four sets (6-2, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3) during which he did not stopped expressing his frustration.
The young (21) Shapovalov, seeded N.9, will face in the second round the Spaniard Roberto Carballes, who defeated the American Steve Johnson.
In front of the President of the French Federation (FFT) Bernard Giudicelli and a few spectators who remained at the end of the evening on the Philippe-Chatrier central court, Simon, aged 35, will have put on the show but not necessarily with his racquet.
"I don't want to play a left-hander until the end of the year!", He exclaimed after being broken for an 11th time in total before giving up.
Embarrassed on his service - only 169 km / h average on first ball - by the return of the Canadian left-hander, Simon had already shouted the reason for his frustration at the end of the second set, on a very contested game at 5-5 that he ultimately lost.
"I'm too tense, I can't serve when I'm tense, I can't do it! And I only play left-handed people who force-feed me!"
Serving in stride for the set, Shapovalov saw his ball baseline at the limit of the line validated by the referee.
Simon then protested at length to the referee, further frustration logically followed by the loss of the second set.
His nervousness did not prevent him from hanging on to win the third round after a superb rally.
Best from the baseline - 83 points won against 69 for Shapovalov - but logically trapped in the net - 34 points won for Shapovalov - the former world No. 6 cracked in 3 and a half hours.
"Playing against Gilles is very difficult, especially on this court," responded Shapovalov, who entered the Top 10 a week earlier at just 21 years old.
© 2020 AFP