Serbia’s Novak Djokovic trains ahead of the
2016 Roland Garros French Tennis Open in
Paris on May 21, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Eric
FEFERBERG
World number one Novak Djokovic, record
nine-time champion Rafael Nadal and
women’s title-holder Serena Williams begin
their French Open campaigns on Tuesday
with the forecast far more promising after a
rain-hit first two days at Roland Garros.
Three-time Roland Garros finalist Djokovic
will embark on another quest to complete a
career Grand Slam with Taiwan’s Lu Yen-
Hsun, the world number 95, his first-round
opponent on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The Serb has won four of the last five
majors with his only failure in that
timeframe a four-set defeat to an inspired
Stan Wawrinka in last year’s Paris final.
“I got ten matches out of two weeks, which
is maximum I could get out of Madrid and
Rome, and it was a perfect way of getting
the match play that I needed before French
Open,” said Djokovic, who warmed up for
the tournament by winning a record 29th
Masters title in Spain a fortnight ago.
“Of course the expectations are big not just
from my side but from people around
knowing that this is the only Grand Slam I
never won.
“I still feel like I have plenty of more years
ahead of me, which gives me more comfort
in terms of opportunities I’m going to have
at the title of Roland Garros, which releases
more pressure for me this year.”
Nadal suffered just a second ever defeat in
Paris when he lost to Djokovic in the 2015
quarter-finals, but the Spanish fourth seed
remains as committed as ever in the hunt
for a 10th French Open crown.
His first round encounter against Sam Groth
on Court Suzanne Lenglen appears a total
mismatch, with the 100th-ranked Australian
still looking for his first main draw win at
Roland Garros.
However, the Australian boasts one of the
game’s most powerful serves and Nadal is
wary of facing Groth for the first time.
“Well, he has a huge serve. He’s
uncomfortable first round. He’s a difficult
one,” said Nadal.
“You need to be ready to suffer a little bit
during the match, because I know it’s going
to be difficult to have breaks.”
– Murray fights back –
Andy Murray will resume his first-round tie
against 37-year-old Radek Stepanek after
recovering from two sets down to move
within two games of forcing a decider on
Monday before play was suspended due to
darkness.
The world number two will resume on
Tuesday trailing 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 4-2 after
fighting back against the oldest player in the
draw.
Women’s defending champion Serena
Williams will hope it’s third time lucky as
she tries to successfully retain the title,
having seen two previous attempts in 2003
and 2014 end prematurely.
The world number one, who lifted her first
trophy for nine months at the Italian Open
last weekend, gets underway against 77th-
ranked Magdalena Rybarikova.
“I think now it’s different because I want to
win more than I think most people ever, but
also I think it’s different now because I
don’t have anything to prove and I don’t
have anything — it’s just a different
feeling,” said Williams of her mindset when
approaching a tournament as the defending
champion.
“Whereas five, ten years ago, oh, I’m
defending and I feel that pressure. Now it’s
like I’m defending, I’m in Paris, it’s cool,
and I’m having, you know, the time of my
life. I’m just happy to be here.”
Williams, whose bid for a calendar Grand
Slam was shattered by Roberta Vinci at last
year’s US Open, remains one major title shy
of Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22.
Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open
champion, will start against Dutchwoman
Kiki Bertens, but the third seed’s
preparations have been far from ideal.
Kerber suffered successive opening match
defeats in Madrid and Rome before
withdrawing from last week’s Nuremberg
Open with a shoulder injury.
Two-time Australian Open winner Victoria
Azarenka, the fifth seed, faces Karin Knapp
of Italy.
Former champions Ana Ivanovic (2008) and
Francesca Schiavone (2010) are both in
first-round action, while seven-time Grand
Slam winner Venus Williams, a 2002
runner-up in Paris, opens against Estonia’s
Anett Kontaveit.
