FRENCH REVOLUTION
‘Ridiculous’ cold sparks Roland Garros revolt as Wawrinka downs Murray
ROLAND Garros got underway in the “ridiculous” chill and damp of Paris on Sunday with Victoria Azarenka walking off court, complaining that it was “too cold” to play, before Stan Wawrinka brushed aside fellow three-time major winner Andy Murray in the day’s marquee clash.
The French Open, which was pushed back from its traditional May-June slot due to the coronavirus, began in steady drizzle and temperatures struggling to reach 10 degrees (50F).
It was all too much for Victoria, 31, who left the almost deserted Court Suzanne Lenglen after just three games.
She returned to complete a 6-1, 6-2 win, playing in black leggings and a tracksuit top.
“Does it increase the risk of players getting injured? Absolutely, I think that it does,” she added ahead of a week in which the cold, wet conditions are forecast to continue.
That echoed fears expressed by 12-time champion Rafael Nadal who said the conditions combined with a new heavier ball could cause elbow and shoulder problems for players.
On court, Simonne Mathieu, Belgian 16th seed Elise Mertens and Russia’s Margarita Gasparyan twice left the arena after also halting play due to the slippery conditions.
At least the rain had cleared by the time 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray walked out on to Court Philippe Chatrier with the retractable roof opened for the first time in the day.
Murray, playing his first clay court match since losing a fiveset semi-final to the Swiss star in 2017, may have wished it had remained shut as 16th seed Wawrinka swept to a 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 win.
The 35-year-old fired 42 winners past wildcard Murray, now ranked at 111 in the world after being pushed to the brink of retirement by his lengthy battle with a hip injury.
On a grim day for Britain, ninth seed and 2019 semi-finalist Johanna Konta was knocked out by teenage sensation Coco Gauff having committed 41 unforced errors.
The 16-year-old American, making her debut in the main draw having been the junior champion just two years ago, eased to a 6-3, 6-3 win despite serving up 12 double faults.
Top seed and 2018 champion Simona Halep swept into the second round with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Spanish world number 70 Sara Sorribes Tormo.
Italian teenager Jannik Sinner had the honour of claiming the first ever win under the roof, demolishing Belgian 11th seed David Goffin 7-5, 6-0, 6-3.
Another rookie winner was Sebastian Korda, the son of 1992 Roland Garros runner-up and 1998 Australian Open champion Petr, who saw off Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Venus Williams, now 40, saved two match points but not the third as she fell to a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia who hadn’t won a match at a Slam in five years.
Anna will face Victoria in the second round.
Nadal, bidding to win a 13th Roland Garros and move level with the absent Roger Federer on a record 20 majors, played yesterday against Egor Gerasimov, the 83rd-ranked Belarusian.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic, chasing an 18th major, will get underway today boasting a record in 2020 of 31 wins and just one loss due to his US Open default.
The 33-year-old Serb faces Sweden’s Mikael Ymer.
Three-time champion Serena Williams, pursuing an elusive 24th major, played against fellow American Kristie Ahn yesterday.