World quantity two Daniil Medvedev was knocked out of the French Open within the first spherical on Tuesday, dropping in 5 units to 172nd-ranked Thiago Seyboth Wild of Brazil as Roland Garros tried to maneuver on from Novak Djokovic’s Kosovo controversy.
Seyboth Wild, who got here by means of the qualifiers and had by no means beforehand received 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 within the opening spherical at Roland Garros in seven appearances.
“I’ve watched Daniil play in my junior years. It is a dream come true to beat these sorts of gamers on this courtroom,” mentioned the 23-year-old Brazilian who unleashed 69 winners.
“I used to be cramping within the second set and could not actually serve the way in which I needed to however I attempted to play my finest tennis.”
Seyboth Wild, and not using a win on the primary tour since February 2022, held his nerve within the conclusion of the four-hour 15-minute match on Court docket Philippe Chatrier.
He twice noticed breaks retrieved by Medvedev within the deciding set earlier than lastly backing up a 3rd break with a maintain for 5-3. Two big forehands secured victory.
He’ll face both Guido Pella or Quentin Halys for a spot within the final 32.
Medvedev arrived in Paris buoyed by successful his first ever clay courtroom title on the prestigious Italian Open final week for his fifth trophy of 2023.
“Each time the clay courtroom season finishes, I am joyful,” mentioned Medvedev.
– ‘Vandals’ destroy picture –
Djokovic will return to Court docket Philippe Chatrier on Wednesday evening for his second spherical match with controversy over his “Kosovo is the center of Serbia” message nonetheless raging.
The Belgrade-born celebrity, chasing a report twenty third Grand Slam title in Paris, wrote the message in Serbian after his opening spherical victory over Aleksandar Kovacevic on Monday.
“Kosovo is our cradle, our stronghold, centre of a very powerful issues for our nation,” 36-year-old Djokovic instructed Serb media.
His feedback got here amid heightened ethnic tensions in northern Kosovo the place demonstrators and NATO troopers have been injured.
Serb TV reported Tuesday that “vandals” had destroyed a mural bearing the picture of Djokovic on a constructing in Orahovac, a small city in south-western Kosovo the place a small variety of Serbs reside amongst the bulk Albanians.
Defending champion Iga Swiatek overcame an early wobble to succeed in the second spherical with a straight units win over Cristina Bucsa of Spain.
The world primary, bidding to grow to be the primary lady to efficiently defend the title at Roland Garros since Justine Henin in 2007, got here by means of 6-4, 6-0.
“I do know this courtroom fairly properly and I’m specializing in the longer term,” mentioned Swiatek, who may lose the highest rating to Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina at Roland Garros.
Russian qualifier Mirra Andreeva, 16, marked her Grand Slam debut with a quickfire 6-2, 6-1 victory over Alison Riske-Amritraj of the USA.
Andreeva, the youngest participant within the event, has reached 143 on the planet from 312 in April and hit the headlines on the Madrid Open earlier this month the place she reached the final 16.
Wimbledon and US Open runner-up Ons Jabeur eased previous Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti, who received her maiden WTA title in Rabat on Saturday, 6-4, 6-1.
– 5-hour marathon –
Coco Gauff, the 2022 runner-up, battled to a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 success over Rebecca Masarova of Spain however Barbora Krejcikova, the 2021 champion, was knocked out within the first spherical for a second successive yr, dropping 6-2, 6-4 to Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine.
Wimbledon champion and fourth-ranked Elena Rybakina disregarded a gradual begin to dispatch Czech teenager Brenda Fruhvirtova 6-4, 6-2.
Fourth seed Casper Ruud, the runner-up to Rafael Nadal final yr, eased previous Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
Alexander Zverev, who suffered a season-ending ankle ligament harm in his 2022 semi-final loss to Nadal, secured a fourth win in 4 matches towards Lloyd Harris of South Africa. German twenty second seed Zverev got here by means of 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/0), 6-1.
Danish teenager Holger Rune, seeded six, got here by means of a troublesome take a look at towards American Christopher Eubanks, successful 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2.
“It was tremendous troublesome. There are all the time nerves coming into the primary spherical and Chris was enjoying very freely,” mentioned Rune who made the last-eight in 2022.
Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori saved 5 match factors to knock out Serb thirty first seed Miomir Kecmanovic in a five-hour 10-minute epic.
Vavassori hit a colossal 106 winners in his 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (11/9) win.
dj/jc
