Staff Reporter.
(AFP) – Danish teenager Holger Rune swept aside 14th seed Denis Shapovalov in straight sets at Roland Garros on Tuesday to earn his first win in a Grand Slam tournament and confirm his status as one of the sport’s brightest prospects.
The 19-year-old, who won his maiden tour title in Munich this month, powered past the Canadian world number 15 with ease, winning 6-3 6-1 7-6(4) and showing no nerves.
“I’m really positive and working hard every day to get better. This is what you work for every day, to be able to play the biggest tournaments,” the baby-faced teenager with a bright smile told a news conference.
“You know, I’m super happy and pleased to be in this position right now, to be able to have chances against these guys, to be able to, you know, win my first title in Munich was a huge step forward in my career.”
A former Roland Garros junior champion at 16, Rune looked extremely comfortable on the red clay on the outside Court 12, cruising through the first two sets in less than an hour with Shapovalov having no answer to his power and serial drop shots.
“I just really like playing it (drop shot), especially on the backhand side,” Rune said.
“It’s very natural for me and I think it’s good, especially here on clay when opponents are far behind the baseline, to mix it up. It’s also more fun to watch,” he said.
Rune had the chance to finish the contest with his first match point at 5-4 but sent an easy forehand into the net and gifted Shapovalov a set point two games later.
Another superb drop shot restored order and forced a tiebreak which Rune won when Shapovalov fired a forehand wide.
The teenager shot up from the 400s in the rankings in 2021 to the top 100 early this year.
He has already improved his ranking to world number 40, a major accomplishment considering he played for the first time in the main draw of an ATP tournament just over a year ago.
“I’m improving every day. I’m trying to improve 1 per cent every day to get, you know, always to do things a little better than the day before,” he said.
SECOND SEED MEDVEDEV WINS OPENER
World number two Daniil Medvedev coasted into the second round, beating Argentina’s 103rd-ranked Facundo Bagnis 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
The second seed hit 35 winners and broke eight times against Bagnis, who suffered a nasty slip while serving in the second set and sported a heavily strapped right calf.
“I love Roland Garros, especially since last year,” said Medvedev, who had lost in the opening round on his first four trips to Paris before reaching the quarterfinals in 2021.
“I hope this year I can go further.”
Medvedev, in the opposite half of the draw to Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, ruled himself out as a Roland Garros title contender last week after losing his only match on clay this year in Geneva on his return from a hernia operation.
The Russian underwent surgery at the start of April after losing in the quarterfinals in Miami.
“Honestly it’s going really well because when I went under the operation I didn’t think I was going to play on clay, but I managed with the doctor and physio to get back and play last week,” said Medvedev.
“Physically I feel 100 per cent, So I hope to play well.”
Medvedev, who briefly rose to world number one earlier this year, will next play Serbia’s Laslo Djere or Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania.
PAIRE IMPLODES WITH 24 DOUBLE FAULTS
Benoit Paire was the architect of his own downfall as he served 24 double faults in a 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 loss to Ilya Ivashka.
Frenchman Paire fell at the first hurdle in Paris for the second year running after blowing three set points in the fourth set against the world number 50.
The mercurial Paire has won just once on the ATP tour this year since his run to the last 32 at the Australian Open in January.
He had lost in the opening round at 10 consecutive tournaments before beating Emil Ruusuvuori at the Geneva Open last week.
TSONGA SAYS TEARFUL FAREWELL AFTER DEFEAT
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a former Australian Open runner-up and world number five, bid an emotional goodbye to tennis after losing in the first round to Casper Ruud.
The 37-year-old Tsonga, who announced last month he would retire following the French Open, was beaten 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 7-6 (7/0) by the Norwegian eighth seed.
“I hope the world can soon find as much peace I found today. Thank you Roland Garros. Thank you Mister Tennis. I love you,” said Tsonga.
With a brass band blasting out ‘La Marseillaise’ at intervals, Tsonga delighted the crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier by taking the opening set, but Ruud, who won the Geneva title last week, hit back to claim the next two sets.
The Frenchman broke for a 6-5 lead in the fourth set but was unable to serve out, immediately calling for the trainer before the tie-break and taking a medical timeout for treatment to his right shoulder.
Ruud comfortably sealed victory against a visibly ailing Tsonga, who fought back tears before the final point of his 18-year career.
A video tribute of Tsonga’s career highlights played inside the stadium as friends, family and fellow players gathered on court for his retirement ceremony.
Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer — all players Tsonga beat at Grand Slams — sent their well-wishes in a series of video messages.
Tsonga, unseeded, lost the 2008 Australian Open final to Djokovic as the Serb claimed the first of his 20 Grand Slam titles.
He made it to the semifinals twice at both the French Open and Wimbledon and finished runner-up to Federer at the ATP Finals in 2011.
Tsonga earned Olympic silver in the men’s doubles alongside Michael Llodra at London 2012 and was part of France’s Davis Cup triumph in 2017.
He also won two Masters titles — in Paris in 2008 and Toronto in 2014.
However, his struggles with a number of different injuries in recent years has seen his ranking tumble to 297.