At an unusual time, but already on Sunday, another Grand Slam tennis tournament, the French Open, will start in Paris. A very short break after the US Open, another cover (now clay), but even in this unusual pandemic year, three of the four Grand Slam tournaments will be played.
In Paris, moreover, with spectators, although their number will be very limited. The pandemic wave is returning across Europe, and the total number of visitors a day will not exceed 1,000 per day. It was decided on Thursday evening by the French government and its health minister, Olivier Veran.
Initially, it was planned that the Roland Garros complex would be open to 20 thousand spectators a day, in August this number was reduced to 11.5 thousand, in mid-September – to five thousand. Well, new restrictions, and this thousand now includes accredited people, journalists and TV producers.
Formally, however, the new restrictions are allowed to admit five thousand from Monday, September 28, Sunday. Tournament director Guy Forge is in turmoil with the new order, and we can partially agree with him: “We could calmly accommodate five thousand spectators a day in this complex of eight acres, the equivalent of eight football fields.” Even the French Prime Minister Jean-Claude, who took office only this summer, has intervened in the dispute. According to him, everyone should have the same conditions and the French Open will not be an exception. Paris, unlike New York, will also host youth tournaments.
Latvia will be represented in the adult competition only by Alona Ostapenko. Ernest Gulbis failed to qualify for the tournament – a loss already in the first qualifying round. Anastasia Sevastova has not regained her sports form after the pandemic, she also has such health problems, and she withdrew her participation in Paris a few days ago.
The draw has taken place, and Alona Ostapenko has also found out her first opponent – it will be an American Madison Brengle, who has never been above the 35th place in her career (currently in her 77th position). Not a bad option, but in the second round, most likely, the winner against the Czech Karolina Pliškov, who was posted here with the second number.
This year has not been successful for our ladies in individual tournaments.
The two best tennis players could not regain the rhythm of the game, Sevastova’s only very bright flash was in the Federation Cup in the winter, when she sensationally beat Serena Williams. Another victory in the US Open in the first round against the promising Koko Gauf, and all this in the official games. There is no sports form now, and we will not see Sevastov in Paris. Our best tennis players are now in the top ten in the ranking, they are already well ahead of Estonian Anete Kontaveita (21st place).
Ostapenko’s last victory before the Strasbourg tournament was in February, fortunately she did better, at least in France, and Kiki Bertens, the world’s top 10 tennis player, was beaten in the eighth final. Almost lost in the match, but Alona escaped at the top of the second set, and already in the third set, the opponent’s leg injury prevented him from finishing the match. Ostapenko would have hoisted the white flag in the second set, nothing like that would have happened, she could never be blamed for not fighting. Unfortunately, due to abdominal pain, she was later unable to show her best performance in the quarterfinals against the Japanese Hibino, although in the second set after the game Alona had to win. Did not meet.
You can remember the athlete’s triumph in 2017 in Paris, there was nothing great in the games until the French Open, until Alona shook the whole world of tennis. Her potential in the field is huge, the problem is to be able to use it and not make too many mistakes. The famous Swedish coach Thomas Hogstedt has already collaborated with him in the Strasbourg tournament.
A good advisor to Alona is worth its weight in gold – history shows that she has not worked with any specialists for too long, but many times the beginning has been very successful.
Alona has a strong character, and she needs a counselor, even more authoritative than herself. If Hogstedt worked successfully even with Sharapov, then maybe the new tandem will succeed. In any case, as a tennis player, 57-year-old Hogstedt was good, he once reached the 38th place in the world ranking. The biggest victories of his career are definitely two – against his compatriots Mats Vilanders and Stefans Edbergs, two great champions and once world ranking leaders. The question is how hungry Hogsted himself is now after tennis, after all, he has been around since he was a child, first as a player and later as a coach. As it will be, time will tell, but this Swedish specialist does not lack knowledge of tennis, especially when working with women athletes.
The favorite of women this time is the Romanian Simona Halepa. Her favorite cover, in addition to winning only Halepai in the last 14 consecutive games, has won three titles in a row – in Dubai, Prague and just in Rome, the last loss in the Australian Open semi-final against Garvinji Muguruz.
In terms of women, Paris will beat New York, where many of the best did not play, including Halep, Ashley Barthy, Elin Switolyn, Biank Andres, Kiki Bertens and Belind Benchic, ie there were not six players in the top ten in the world. However, not everyone will play in Paris either, including stars such as Australian Barthy, Japanese Naomi Osaka and Canadian Andresco, so in the first, third and seventh world rankings.
The men’s main favorite is and will remain Rafael Nadal, although he just lost to Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the quarterfinals of the Rome Masters tournament. Even Nadal failed, and Schwarzmann had a better career at the time, and finally managed to beat Nadal in the tenth run, and on a clay surface.
Dominik Tim also gained confidence in the first Grand Slam title, having already played twice in the French Open final against Nadal. Of course, Novak Djokovic should also be mentioned. Disqualification for unsportsmanlike conduct in New York, followed by a title in Rome and still self-confidence. Currently, the relationship with Nadal is also quite tense. Djokovic is one of those who, on behalf of the players’ association, insists on better conditions for tennis players in negotiations with the ATP management, Nadal is of the opposite opinion.
Rafa believes that the time of the pandemic is already difficult for everyone and now we should not insist on any new demands, especially for the leaders.
By the way, this year, the participants of the qualification receive 27 percent more money than last year, for the participation in the first round of the main tournament alone now costs 60 thousand euros, which is 30 percent more than before. However, the champion, including the finalist and semi-finalists, will receive less money, Djokovic does not like it, until Nadal perceives it as a problem.
Celebrities also don’t live hand in hand.
If we look at it from the players’ point of view, then in general Nadal is more popular than Djokovic, because he is true, even without psychological performances on the field, which so much influences the opponent. The time of the pandemic was more difficult for those further away from the world’s elite, and right now these players will get more (and already received from the relief fund also idle).
A step closer to the elite is Aleksandrs Zverevs, but he is unlikely to be so dangerous in clay fields, rather Daniils Medvedevs or even Andrejs Rubļevs, who is always unpredictable and can beat virtually everyone in his best games, we must also remember about Meteo Beretini.
Ernest Gulbis does not have a good game after the pandemic break. He had good results in the winter, but now than a big loss, much more than a victory, absolutely all failures in two sets, usually even more hopeless in the second set. The failure in the Paris qualifier against the Italian Marko Chekinato was not surprising, as Chekinato was still 16th in the world in last year’s ranking, but in 2018 he beat Djokovic himself in the quarterfinals and lost to Dominic Tim only in the semi-finals.
There will definitely be surprises in the tournament this year as well, but they are more in the first rounds. The champion must, as always, win seven games in a row, and it is not possible to do so by accident.
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