The French hopes of finding a Habs in the round of 16 now rest only on the young shoulders of Hugo Gaston who faces the Dane Holger Rune in the night session.

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The der of Gillou

The 17th and last Roland-Garros came to an abrupt end for Gilles Simon (158th in the world) on a severe defeat 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 against the Croatian Marin Cilic (23rd).

But for the ex-N.6 who will definitely put away his rackets at the end of the season, reaching the 3rd round was already a success.

"Honestly, I'm very happy. I did and put in everything I had to put in. I can't move my right hip anymore, but that's okay. It should have been like this from the first round . I just feel extremely lucky," Gillou commented.

He who feared the "ridiculous" with a defeat of this type in the first round, is satisfied to have won two matches, to have benefited from the unconditional support of the public and to bow out on the courts of the Porte d'Auteuil. after a loss to Cilic.

Croatian Marin Cilic, during his third round match against Frenchman Gilles Simon, on May 28, 2022 at the Roland-Garros tournament JULIEN DE ROSA AFP

"I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to play three games here. I also feel very lucky to have played my last game against someone I admire a lot. I'm very happy that it was against him," insisted the 37-year-old future retiree.

Disappointed above all not to have done better against an opponent whom he had hitherto beaten six times in seven confrontations, Simon insisted on underlining the quality of the tennis displayed by Cilic.

Frenchman Gilles Simon, poses with a trophy received for his last participation in the Roland-Garros tournament, after his defeat against Croatian Marin Cilic, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2, in the 3rd round, May 28, 2022 JULIEN DE ROSA AFP

"We talk a lot about a last Roland-Garros on the emotional side and very little about the level of play. But he had a hell of a match! I think he made three mistakes! In any case, he didn't make any enough!”, insisted the Frenchman.

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The disappointments

End of course also for Léolia Jeanjean (227th) who had surprised her world during the first two rounds of her very first Roland-Garros but who stumbled against the Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu (63rd).

The Romanian Irinia-Cameélia Begu (g), victorious (6-1, 6-4) from the French Léolia Jeanjean, in the 3rd round of the Roland-Garros tournament, May 28, 2022 Thomas SAMSON AFP

Beaten 6-1, 6-4, the 26-year-old Frenchwoman failed to "disturb" her opponent.

But what she remembers is "the pure happiness of having been able to live this kind of moment".

Alizé Cornet, she had a much more bitter end.

Suffering from a tear in the adductors, she had to give up against the Chinese Qinwen Zheng (74th), when she was trailing 6-0, 3-0, and left the Central under the whistles.

"What hurt me the most was perhaps not the injury, but the fact that some dared to whistle at me when I gave up", regretted the French N.1 with tears in her eyes.

The French Alizé Cornet, before her retirement against the Chinese Qinwen Zheng, when she was trailing 6-0, 3-0, in the 3rd round of the Roland-Garros tournament, May 28, 2022 JULIEN DE ROSA AFP

Big regrets also for Paula Badosa (4th) and Aryna Sabalenka (7th).

The Spaniard gave up while trailing 6-3, 2-1 by Russian Veronika Kudermetova (29th), when Belarus were overthrown by Italian Camila Giorgi (30th), 4-6, 6-1 , 6-0.

Even before the second week of the tournament, the women's draw is thus emptied of its substance: world No.1 Iga Swiatek, big favorite before kick-off, no longer has any rival in the Top 10 and only one in the Top 15, the American Jessica Pegula.

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Tsitsipas and Medvedev too strong

The world No.2 Daniil Medvedev, who has little taste for clay, was nonetheless impressive in this first part of the tournament.

With his express victory against the Serb Miomir Kecmanovic (31st) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 in 1h48, the Russian climbed to the round of 16 without losing a single set and only spent 6h01 on the short in three games.

He was never even broken from the tournament.

Russian Daniil Medvedev, during his victory over Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2, on May 28, 2022 in the 3rd round of the Roland-Garros tournament Thomas SAMSON AFP

"On earth it's unusual (to never lose serve), even Rafa (Nadal), it doesn't happen to him," he joked.

For his part, Tsitsipas, finalist last year, finally had a quiet turn: after getting out of the trap Lorenzo Musetti (66th) in five sets and 3h34, after winning a 4h marathon against Zdenek Kolar (134th) , he swept the Swede Mikael Ymer (95th) 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in 1h32.

The Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, during his victory against the Swede Mikael Ymer, 6-2, 6-2, 6-1, on May 28, 2022 in the 3rd round of the Roland-Garros tournament Thomas SAMSON AFP

"This time, I felt freer (to play my shots), more confident," welcomed the world No.4.

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© 2022 AFP