With the debut of a new stadium, the return of a legend, several epic fightbacks, and an immediate upset, it’s safe to say Roland Garros 2019 is off to a good start.
Indeed, Sunday in Paris gave us exactly the sort of excitement that makes grand slam tennis so special. The fact that we’ve got fourteen more days of it, well, that’s even better.
Here’s your three-to-see on day 2 in Paris.
Dayana Yastremska (UKR) v Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) [28] – Fourth on Court 13
Enjoying a meteoric rise in 2019 that has seen her go from being a qualifier in Brisbane to champ in Strasbourg and world number 32, the 19-year-old Yasremska has proven very quickly to be much more than the “chick who bawled in front of Serena Williams”, and with Angie Kerber already out of her quarter, might be primed for a surprise run here. First up though she gets a massive test in 28th seed Suarez Navarro, whom the young Ukrainian beat in three sets in Melbourne this year, after which the Spaniard returned the favour in Rome. A fascinating contrast in styles, Yastremska will look to overwhelm Suarez Navarro while the Spaniard attempts to string her along the baseline, and that should give us another see-saw three-set encounter.
Kyle Edmund (GBR) [28] v Jeremy Chardy (FRA) – Fourth on Court 1
Let’s be honest: Roland Garros doesn’t have the best reputation for crowd enthusiasm, but when there’s a Frenchman playing? Against a Brit no less? Well, that’s a different story, and exactly what we’ve got when Kyle Edmund squares off against Jeremy Chardy. Setting aside the fact Edmund is really South African, a chance to reignite the old cross-channel rivalry should have the French faithful rocking like it’s 1453, and if it’s anything like their first two encounters, they should be treated to a healthy mix of blasted forehands, deft drop shots and angled winners. Should be a good time all round.
Denis Shapovalov (CAN) [20] v Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) – Fifth on Court 7
No longer a teenager, Denis Shapovalov finds himself at something of a crossroads in his brief career – his out-and-out aggressive game has got him inside the top 20, and yet his recent losses to Roger Federer, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Novak Djokovic suggest he might need to make some tweaks if he is to eventually join the sport’s elite. Against Jan-Lennard Struff, he gets a tough test first up, the big German having won their three-set affair a month ago in Monte Carlo, and continuing to show some surprisingly decent form on clay with wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Nick Kyrgios, Grigor Dimitrov and Marin Cilic more recently. If “El Shapo” is to come through this one, he’ll need to temper his approach and try to out-position Struff more than out-hit him, but don’t be surprised if he’s in for a long afternoon.
