Ah the Australian Open! Its crazy temperatures, its prehistoric animals that interrupt matches, its electric atmosphere… The first Grand Slam tournament of the season is always a little special. But, this year, the weather gods have decided to be merciful at the start of the fortnight. And that benefits our tricolors, who have never shone so brightly in a first round in a long time. From Gaël Monfils to Luca Van Assche, we were thrilled this Monday.
French Aussies
You have to know how to take advantage of the moment. After a complicated year, seeing a Frenchman qualify for the second round of a Grand Slam tournament can almost be celebrated with great fanfare. So when there are several, like this Monday in Melbourne, we are ready to go down the Champs-Elysées. Seven tricolors passed the first round: Gaël Monfils, Adrian Mannarino, Hugo Gaston, Ugo Humbert, Lucas Van Assche, Hugo Grenier, Varvara Gracheva and Caroline Garcia.
Loudly supported by a French colony from the Antipodes, Monfils, well helped by his fifteen aces and his forty winning moves, controlled the match from start to finish against the German Hanfmann and won in less than two hours and half (6-4, 6-3, 7-5). “It’s always good to win in three sets, I had a solid match, I hoped to stay on the court as short as possible, that’s what I managed,” he appreciated.
Varvara Gracheva (39th) also qualified quickly for the second round of the Australian Open at the expense of Belgian Yanina Wickmayer (79th) 6-3, 6-4. It was a little longer for Adrian Mannarino and Lucas Van Assche, who each needed five sets, and more than three and a half hours of play, to qualify for the second round.
The heat stroke on the noggin
Andy Murray may be indestructible, but after returning from several operations, the Scot is starting to feel the weight of the years. This Monday, the five-time finalist of the Australian Open, a tournament he has never won, disappeared in the first round, severely beaten in three sets (6-4, 6-2, 6-2) by the Argentinian Tomas Etcheverry. A dry defeat which should be his last in Melbourne.
“It’s very likely that this will be the last time I play here,” Murray said at the end of the match. I think it’s probably because of the way the match went and everything. Compared to the matches I played here last year, it’s a completely opposite feeling coming off the court. I would have liked to involve the public more. I’m disappointed with the way I played. It’s hard, hard to end like this. When you’re one point away from the end, you say to yourself, “I can’t believe it’s over so quickly, and like this.” I’m just disappointed with the way I played. Today’s match did not allow me to think that at some point I will start playing well again, winning tournaments or reaching the final stages of major competitions.
The point in the air
The face of Zizou (yes, yes, that’s his first name) Bergs said it all. The Belgian, hand over his mouth, wondered for several seconds if the point scored by his opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas was really valid. The Greek had then just won a ball in the opposite camp after a magnificent retro volley from Bergs. And, yes, Zizou, it is indeed authorized.
The declaration
It depends on her. I always want to shake my opponent’s hand, it’s just a sign of respect. I have good relationships with everyone on the circuit, no enemies. »
As she prepares to face the Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska in the second round, the Frenchwoman of Russian origin Varvara Gracheva was questioned about the possible handshake between the two players. If Yastremska were to not shake his hand at the end of the match – as Ukrainian players have done against Russian opponents since Russia invaded their country – “because she knows my origin, it is not no big deal,” she replied.