Medvedev knocked out by qualifier; Gauff survives scare; Rudd advances

PARIS: World number two Daniil Medvedev was knocked out of the French Open in the first round on Tuesday, losing in five sets to 172nd-ranked Thiago Seyboth Wild of Brazil.

Seyboth Wild, who came through the qualifiers and had never previously won a Grand Slam match, triumphed 7-6(5), 6-7(6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

It was Medvedev’s fifth loss in the opening round at Roland Garros in seven appearances.

Seyboth Wild, without a win on the main tour since February 2022, had squandered two set points which would have given him a two-sets lead.

Medvedev made him pay, levelling the tie and then claiming a double break in the third set.

But the Brazilian hit back, a double break of his own in the fourth set levelling the clash as a fractious Medvedev bickered with the crowd.

In the final set, Seyboth Wild twice saw breaks retrieved by the Russian before he finally backed up a third break with a hold for 5-3.

He held his nerve to clinch the four-hour 15-minute match courtesy of two giant forehands and will face either Guido Pella or Quentin Halys for a place in the last 32.

Women’s top seed Iga Swiatek started her journey by defeating Cristina Bucsa 6-4, 6-0 on Tuesday.

The No.7 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia kicked off her French Open 2023 campaign with a comfortable 6-4, 6-1 success over Bronzetti in just 70 minutes.

The Tunisian, who reached the Wimbledon and US Open finals last year, was broken while serving for the opening set at 5-2 but closed it out at the second time of asking to secure a one-set advantage in 40 minutes.

Jabeur went back to basics in the second set. A straightforward series of big serves captured the set at the second time of asking, and Jabeur did not attempt another drop shot for several games as she took a 5-0 second-set lead.

The artist in her couldn't resist bringing it back out for another flourish, though. She conjured two more drop-shot winners in the final game, taking her total to 16 overall, en route to breaking Bronzetti for the victory.

Since the start of the 2022 season, Jabeur has won 24 matches on clay -- only Iga Swiatek (30) has won more.

In other action, playing the first Grand Slam main-draw match of her career, teenage qualifier Mirra Andreeva goes through to the second round with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Alison Riske-Amritraj.

The 16-year-old Andreeva came through qualifying without dropping a set, and will now face French wildcard Diane Parry who stunned No.25 seed Anhelina Kalinina 6-2, 6-3 shortly after on Court Simonne-Mathieu.

American sixth seed Coco Gauff recovered from an error-strewn start to begin her French Open quest with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Spain's Rebeka Masarova.

Gauff, runner-up a year ago, looked uncomfortable early on with her troublesome forehand frequently letting her down.

World number 71 Masarova, a former French Open junior champion, took full advantage to dominate the opening set and looked on course for a shock victory.

But 19-year-old Gauff settled down on a sunlit Court Suzanne Lenglen and reeled off seven games in a row from 1-1 in the second set to take command.

With her confidence restored, Gauff made no mistake as she moved 5-2 ahead in the decider and wrapped up victory with a hold to love as Masarova sent an attempted lob long.

Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva began her Grand Slam career with a straight-sets win over USA’s Alison Riske-Amritraj. She defeated world number 85 Riske-Amritraj 6-2, 6-1 in just 56 minutes on Court 10 at Roland Garros.

In men’s section, Fourth seed Casper Ruud coasted into the second round with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer .

Alexander Zverev made a winning return to Roland-Garros with a straight-sets win over Lloyd Harris. The former US Open finalist had enough to beat the South African 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/0), 6-1.

Zverev will next face Slovakia’s Alex Molcan as he tries to reach the third round for the sixth straight year.

Moreover, Giulio Zeppieri beat Alexander Bublik 6-0, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, Alex Molcan beat Hugo Gaston 6-1, 7-6, 6-4, Yoshihito Nishioka beat J.J.Wolf 1-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, Max Purcell beat Jordan Thompson 7-5, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, Genaro Alberto Olivieri beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6, 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, Tommy Paul beat Dominic Stephan Stricker 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, Francisco Cerundolo beat Jaume Munar 6-1, 2-6, 7-6, 6-1.

In women’s first round matches, 4th seed Elena Rybakina beat Brenda Fruhvirtova 6-4, 6-2, Jasmine Paolini beat Sorana Cîrstea 7-5, 2-6, 6-2, Lesia Tsurenko beat 13th seed Barbora Krejcíkova 6-2, 6-4, Sara Sorribes Tormo beat Clara Burel 7-6, 6-2, Julia Grabher beat Arantxa Rus 6-2, 6-3, Océane Dodin beat Selena Janicijevic 0-6, 6-2, 6-1, Olga Danilovic beat Kateryna Baindl 6-3, 6-2, Rebecca Peterson beat Fiona Ferro 6-2, 6-0, Wang Xinyu beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 7-6, Diane Parry beat Anhelina Kalinina 6-2, 6-3. Agencies

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