French Open 2023 Day 3 Recap: Wild shock for Medvedev; Swiatek, Rybakina ease through

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. In the women’s draw, title contenders Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina progressed with straight set wins.

Seyboth Wild, who came through the qualifying rounds and had never won a Grand Slam match, triumphed 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (6/8), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

It was Medvedev’s fifth loss in the opening round at Roland Garros in seven appearances. But there seemed to be a turn in preference to clay having won his first title on the surface at the Italian Open in Rome.

“It’s a dream come true to beat these kinds of players on this court,” said the 23-year-old Brazilian who unleashed 69 winners.

“I was cramping in the second set and couldn’t really serve the way I wanted but I tried to play my best tennis.”

Seyboth Wild, without a win on the ATP Tour since February 2022, held his nerve in the conclusion of the four-hour 15-minute match.

He twice saw breaks retrieved by Medvedev in the decider before finally backing up a third break with a hold for 5-3. Two giant forehands secured victory.

For Medvedev there was disappointment in not doing better than a first round. But solace that he gave it his all and the clay season is over. “For sure I’m really disappointed. I’m going to be thinking about this match for a week, but for the moment I don’t see anything wrong I did.”

“The match today, my opinion, I played well. I was trying. I was trying. I didn’t feel like before – sometimes I was feeling: ‘Wow, I really cannot do anything [on clay]’.

“Today I felt like I’m doing what I have to do, and he played well, so let’s continue. And, well, the match was over and I didn’t manage to win it.”

“Every time the clay court season finishes, I’m happy,” he added.

Swiatek, Rybakina win

Defending French Open women’s champion Iga Swiatek survived an early wobble to reach the second round with a straight sets win over Cristina Bucsa.

The world number one, bidding to become the first woman to successfully defend the title since Justine Henin in 2007, came through 6-4, 6-0.

Swiatek could lose her top ranking at the French Open with Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina close behind.

Wimbledon champion Rybakina kept up the pressure by downing teenager Brenda Fruhvirtova 6-4, 6-2.

Another bright teenager, Russian qualifier Mirra Andreeva, 16, marked her Grand Slam debut with a 56-minute 6-2, 6-1 victory over Alison Riske-Amritraj.

Andreeva, the youngest player in the tournament, hit the headlines at the Madrid Open earlier this month where she reached the last-16.

Coco Gauff, the 2022 finalist, battled to a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 success over Rebecca Masarova but 2021 winner Barbora Krejcikova was knocked out in the first round for a second successive year, losing 6-2, 6-4 to Lesia Tsurenko.

Wimbledon and US Open runner-up Ons Jabeur eased past Lucia Bronzetti, who won her maiden WTA title in Rabat on Saturday, 6-4, 6-1.

In a clash of former Grand Slam winners, a popcorn first-rounder, Bianca Andreescu came from a set, 3-1 and 15-40 down to beat Victoria Azarenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 and book a second round with Emma Navarro. This was the 2019 US Open champion’s first win on clay this season and first top-20 win at the French Open.

Wins for Ruud, Rune and Zverev

Three title contenders in Casper Ruud, Holger Rune and Alexander Zverev moved into the second round. Fourth seed Ruud, runner-up to Rafael Nadal last year, eased past qualifier Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.

Alexander Zverev, who suffered a season-ending ankle ligament injury in his 2022 semi-final loss to Nadal, eased past Lloyd Harris 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/0), 6-1.

Holger Rune, seeded six, passed a tough test against Christopher Eubanks, winning 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2.

Monfils with a remarkable comeback

French veteran Gael Monfils, a semi-finalist 15 years ago but now ranked at 394, came back from 0-4 down in the fifth and final set to defeat Sebastian Baez 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 in a match which ended after midnight.

The Argentina Baez failed to serve out the match at 5-4, with Monfils breaking, holding and then breaking again for his 11th career fifth-set win at French Open.

Monfils, 36, overcame cramping to secure a first win since August last year before a serious foot injury sidelined him until March.

This was LaMonf’s first win at a major since 2022 Australian Open. He exited the court by writing “Skaï” on the camera lens, an ode to his baby daughter born in October last year with partner and WTA star Elina Svitolina.

In another battle from the brink, Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori saved five match points to knock out 31st seed Miomir Kecmanovic in a five-hour 10-minute epic.

Vavassori hit a jaw-dropping 106 winners in his 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (11/9) victory.

(with inputs from AFP)

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