Tough path
Champion Nadal could face Thiem in last four at Roland Garros event
PARIS: Rafael Nadal, who is seeking a record-extending 13th French Open title and a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam singles crown, was handed a relatively tough path to this year’s final at Roland Garros when the draw was made on Thursday.
The Spaniard will take on Bulgaria’s Egor Gerasimov in the first round and faces a potential last-eight clash with US Open runner-up Alexander Zverev.
Zverev reached the US Open final this month although the German has never made it past the quarter-finals at the claycourt Grand Slam.
World No.2 Nadal, 34, could have a semi-final clash against third-ranked Dominic Thiem who lost to the Spaniard in the last two finals at Roland Garros.
The Austrian won his maiden major crown at the 2020 US Open final after he rallied from two sets down to beat Zverev in the title match.
Three-time defending French Open champion Nadal is one Slam shy of equalling Roger Federer’s all-time record of 20. Federer is not taking part in this year’s French Open as he continues to recover from a knee surgery.
Top seed and world No.1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia will face Sweden’s Mikael Ymer in the first round.
Djokovic, who was ejected from the US Open after he inadvertently hit a line judge in the throat with a ball after a point, has an easier route to the final than Nadal after being drawn in the same half as Russian fourth seed Daniil Medvedev.
Djokovic is bidding for his second Roland Garros victory after his 2016 success and collect an 18th major.
The 33-year-old Serb claimed the Italian Open title on Monday after defeating Diego Schwartzman, who upset Nadal in the quarter-finals in Rome.
Former champion Stan Wawrinka will take on Briton Andy Murray in the hottest opener. In 2017, Murray and 2015 French Open winner Wawrinka fought out a gruelling and thrilling five-set semi-final which saw the veteran Swiss triumph from 2-1 sets down.
Both Murray and Wawrinka are three-time major winners.
Meanwhile Canadian Milos Raonic, the world No.20, pulled out, organisers said.
Serena Williams, hoping to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, will start her campaign against fellow American Kristie Ahn.
The sixth seed, who was drawn in the same half as top seed Simona Halep, faces a potential fourth-round clash with US Open runner-up Victoria Azarenka.
Azarenka stunned Williams in the semi-finals on her way to the title showdown in New York.
World No.1 and defending champion Ashleigh Barty of Australia has pulled out of the tournament citing the coronavirus pandemic and a troubled preparation.
US Open champion Naomi Osaka has also withdrawn from the tournament.
With Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic a late withdrawal, only six of the top 10 in the WTA rankings will start the tournament.
World No.2 Halep, the 2018 French Open winner, is seen as hot favourite to win her second Roland Garros title.
The Romanian, who is seeking her third major triumph, won the Italian Open on Monday.
The tournament was rescheduled from May 24-June 7 to Sept 27-Oct. 11 amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This year’s French Open will already go down in history because of the circumstances,” French federation president Bernard Giudicelli said.
“The key words of Roland Garros 2020 are resilience and responsibility.”
A maximum of only 1,000 spectators will be allowed each day at Roland Garros after the French government insisted on Thursday on tougher restrictions to counter the resurgence of the coronavirus.
It will be the first year with a retractable roof at the French Open.