Nadal in his element as temperature rises
PARIS >> After last year’s autumnal French Open had players grabbing extra layers and shivering at changeovers, the good news is that warm sunshine has greeted this year’s edition.
The bad news for anyone trying to stop Rafa Nadal claiming a recordextending 14th title at Roland Garros, is that the conditions are exactly how the Mallorcan likes them.
Warm air and bouncy claycourts, combined with Nadal’s unique spin, have made him all but unplayable here since he won the tournament on his debut in 2005 — as illustrated by a win-loss record that, after Tuesday’s first-round win over Alexei Popyrin, now stands at 101-2 on the red clay.
As he pointed out after his 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (3) win over the young Australian, he did not do too bad last year on the damp courts, taking the title without dropping a set, including a pulverizing defeat of Novak Djokovic in the final.
But Nadal, who on his 35th birthday on Thursday will play Frenchman Richard Gasquet, prefers it when it is warm and his forehand rears up like a kicking horse.
“Of course the conditions of last year for me at the end have been good because I won, no?” Nadal said.
“But it is not the ideal situation to play tennis with three or four degrees (Celsius) or sometimes two degrees (Celsius) like some night matches that I played. I feel like I was a little bit scared to get injured. But that’s past. This year, we are back to a normal.”
“I think for everybody is much more comfortable to play under these conditions than in the other ones.”
Perhaps not for his opponents though.
To his credit, Popyrin made Nadal sweat on Tuesday, especially in the third set when the powerful Australian 21-year-old squandered two set points at 5-3 — one with a double-fault, the other with a fluffed overhead.
Nadal extricated himself from a tight spot, as he usually does, to close out the match in the tiebreak and take his winning run of sets to 26 at Roland Garros.
“He was hitting really hard and I was a little lucky to come back,” Nadal said.
Popyrin was playing Nadal for the second time during the claycourt swing, having also lost to him in Madrid.
His description of facing the Spaniard, chasing a record 21st Grand Slam title, was wonderfully understated.
“The guy is solid. What can I say,” he told reporters, before adding: “I think it’s his court. It will always be his court. I think it’s his favorite court to play on.”
On the two set points that went begging, Popyrin did not beat about the bush.
“I think I’m experienced enough to not choke at 5-3, 40-30. I’m disappointed with that.
“I think the moment got to my head a little bit. Taking a set off Nadal, especially in French Open, is not the easiest thing to do.” ANKLE INJURY ENDS KVITOVA’S FRENCH OPEN >> Petra Kvitova has withdrawn from the French Open after injuring her ankle in a freak fall while performing her post-match media duties on Sunday, the 11th seeded Czech player said in a statement.
Kvitova, who reached the semifinals at Roland Garros in 2020 and 2012, beat Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen in her opening match of the tournament and hurt her ankle shortly afterwards.
GRAND SLAMS PLEDGE TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS >> The leaders of the Grand Slam tournaments pledged to address players’ concerns about mental health, one day after Naomi Osaka’s stunning withdrawal at Roland Garros.
Executives from the French Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Australian Open issued a joint statement.
“On behalf of the Grand Slams, we wish to offer Naomi Osaka our support and assistance in any way possible as she takes time away from the court. She is an exceptional athlete and we look forward to her return as soon as she deems appropriate,” the statement read.
“Mental health is a very challenging issue, which deserves our utmost attention. It is both complex and personal, as what affects one individual does not necessarily affect another. We commend Naomi for sharing in her own words the pressures and anxieties she is feeling and we empathize with the unique pressures tennis players may face.”
GAUFF STARTS WITH WIN >> American teenager Coco Gauff has won her first match as a seeded player at any Grand Slam tournament. The 17-year-old Gauff erased set points before pulling out the opening tiebreaker and went on to beat Aleksandra Krunic 7-6 (11), 6-4.
VENUS DEPARTS >> Venus Williams was runner-up at Roland Garros against her sister 19 years ago but has now lost her opening match at the clay-court major for the fourth year in a row. The American veteran’s 24th appearance at the French Open ended in a 6-3, 6-1 defeat against Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia.