51 unforced errors and a broken racket: Medvedev lost in the first round to Roland Garros

The soil curse of Medvedev

The fifth racket of the world Daniil Medvedev finished the fight in the first round of Roland Garros.

The Russian lost four sets to the Hungarian Marton Fuchovic, whom he had previously beaten at tournaments in Monte Carlo and Sofia.

This defeat on the ground was the sixth in a row for the domestic athlete.

On this surface, he has not won a single match since April 2019, when he defeated Japan's Kei Nishikori in the semifinals of the competition in Barcelona. 

This time Medvedev made too many mistakes (51 unforced errors) at key moments of the match, which predetermined the outcome of the meeting.

Daniel especially often made mistakes in his own serve.

He converted five break points with his opponent's six.

Fuchovic made the first break at the end of the starting set with the score 4: 4.

Going forward, the Hungarian easily brought the matter to victory - 6: 4.

In the second game, the rivals began literally giving each other their serve.

Fuchovic already made two breaks at the start, but Medvedev managed to win back - 3: 3.

As a result, the fate of the set was decided in a tie-break, where the Hungarian was stronger (7: 3).

Moreover, Marton earned the decisive point thanks to a penalty point awarded after the Russian broke his racket out of anger. 

However, negative emotions helped Medvedev to recover.

In the third game, he looked much stronger than his opponent and acted as confidently as possible.

As a result - 6: 2.

It seemed that Daniel would continue to demonstrate the same tennis in the fourth set, but this did not happen.

The Russian again began to make a large number of mistakes and immediately allowed Fuchovic to make a bake.

When Marton took another serve of the fifth racket of the world with the score 4: 1, the fate of the confrontation was a foregone conclusion.

Marton calmly brought the matter to victory and went to the second round, where he will meet with the Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vignolas. 

Kuznetsova's victory in the Russian derby

Already in the first round of the French Open, the draw brought together the Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The meeting took place in difficult conditions: lately cool weather has set in Paris, which some tennis players have already complained about.

The second and third rackets of Russia came to the Paris "bubble" after defeats in the early stages of the "warm-up" tournaments: Svetlana lost in Rome, and Anastasia - in Strasbourg.

Judging by the publications of the athletes on Instagram, they approached Roland Garros in different moods.

So, Pavlyuchenkova told subscribers that she liked herself in a protective mask.

And Kuznetsova, on the contrary, made it clear that she was burdened by the situation associated with the pandemic.

View this post on Instagram

Posted by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (@nastia_pav) Sep 24, 2020 3:44 am PDT

“I sit and wait for the end of COVID-19, I dream of living without a mask and fear,” she admitted.

View this post on Instagram

Publication from Svetlana Kuznetsova / Kuznetsova (@ svetlanak27) Sep 27, 2020 8:01 am PDT

Perhaps the emotions also affected the game of the Russians.

Pavlyuchenkova won quite easily in the first set with a score of 6: 1, although in the second Kuznetsova took an equally convincing revenge - 6: 2.

In the third game, however, there was no serious struggle again - 6: 1 in favor of Anastasia.

The match lasted 1 hour 34 minutes.

Kuznetsova once filed right through with three double mistakes and made four breaks.

Pavlyuchenkova's indicators are two aces, three doubles and seven realized break points.

Nevertheless, the score in their personal confrontation is still in favor of Svetlana - 6: 4.

“I'm glad that I beat Kuznetsova.

Of course, it is more difficult to resist Russian women, especially if they are my friends.

Sveta is good on clay, but in the first and third sets I showed myself as it should.

It's great that I was able to seize the initiative.

Further it is necessary to add, because this level is not enough, "- summed up the winner.

In the second round, Pavlyuchenkova will face Czech Katezhina Sinyakova.

The defeat of 20-year-old Gracheva from Svitolina

The 20-year-old representative of Russia Varvara Gracheva was very unlucky with her opponent in the starting round.

At the same time, she looked very dignified in the match against the third seeded Roland Garros Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.

The Russian woman managed to impose a stubborn struggle in the first game.

Varvara won back from the score 0: 4, but still lost in a tie-break - 2: 7.

In the second set, the Russian woman was leading 4: 2, and in the seventh game she had five attempts to take Svitolina's serve.

And yet, luck turned out to be on the side of the experienced Ukrainian, who brought the matter to victory - 6: 4.

Nevertheless, Gracheva can add this meeting to her asset.

She lasted longer in the tournament than Kuznetsova - 1 hour 37 minutes.

Serena Williams, a three-time winner of the Paris competitions, did not avoid problems in a duel with her compatriot Christie Ahn, who occupies 102nd line in the world ranking.

She lost twice during the first set, but had a powerful tie-break - 7: 2.

In the second game, tired An could not oppose anything to her formidable opponent and could not take a single game - 0: 6.

3x champion @serenawilliams survives a tricky test to reach the second round of #RolandGarros.

Defeats Ahn 7-6 (2) 6-0.

pic.twitter.com/vW2eXQ3U8z

- Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) September 28, 2020

In the second round, the titled American will have to fight the much more dangerous Tsvetana Pironkova from Bulgaria.

According to Williams, their match will be long and will be replete with protracted rallies.

The match between the Czech Marketa Vondrousova and the Polish Iga Sventek ended unexpectedly.

The finalist of last year's Roland Garros finished her singles performance 63 minutes after the start - 1: 6, 2: 6.

“I don’t know what I could have done better.

It seems to me that in this fight my opponent was too good.

She left me no chance, ”Vondrousova commented on her misfire.

Confident start Khachanov

In the men's grid, Karen Khachanov celebrated success.

One of the best tennis players in Russia convincingly dealt with the 100th number of the ATP rating Kamil Mayhzhak from Poland - 7: 6 (7: 3), 6: 3, 6: 3.

Both made two double mistakes, while the Russian made six aces against the opponent's eight.

The match lasted 1 hour 56 minutes.

In the second round, the Czech is waiting for Khachanov

Jiri Vesely.

The current champion of Roland Garros Rafael Nadal began his title defense with a victory over the Belarusian Yegor Gerasimov.

This was the first meeting of the rivals.

To get to the next round, the Spaniard took 2 hours 5 minutes (6: 4, 6: 4, 6: 2).

At the press conference, Nadal could not get around the weather theme.

According to him, there have never been such clay tournaments in his career, because he had to play at ten degrees of heat.

As the second seeding number emphasized, such conditions do not suit him, although he does not complain.

“A very strange tournament, completely different from what we are used to.

But, of course, from this he does not lose value.

In any case, I will give my best.

I'm glad I was able to get into the second round.

Now we need to return to the hotel, relax, train and prepare for the next match, ”Nadal said.

In the next round, he will play with the American Mackenzie MacDonald.