Aurélien Canot, Media365, published on Monday January 13, 2025 at 8:50 a.m.
The night was not kind to our French in Melbourne competing this Monday. Arthur Rinderknech, despite a superb match against Frances Tiafoe, Alexandre Muller and Leolia Jeanjean were all disillusioned. World number 1 Jannik Sinner made his debut, unlike Stefanos Tsitsipas, who was already eliminated.
Change of atmosphere in the French camp. If the first day of the Australian Open, Sunday, had rather smiled on the Tricolores, who had only lost Lucas Pouille en route, but against Alexander Zverev, as well as Diane Parry and Chloé Paquet, while Arthur Fils, Ugo Humbert, Hugo Gaston and Quentin Halys had validated their ticket for the next round, this is not at all the case for the moment this Monday. All our representatives competing in Melbourne during this 2nd day were indeed successful. Arthur Rinderknech, one of the three French eliminations of the day, nevertheless gave everything to try to create the feat against Frances Tiafoe. Led two sets to nothing by the American, the Varois managed to get back to two sets everywhere against the American even though he had started the fourth set very badly (3-0 then 4-1) for Tiafoe. The 61st in the ranking, however, no longer had enough energy to fight on equal terms in the last round, which the 13th in the world, who will face the Hungarian Marozsan, won easily (final score: 7-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7, 6-3). Alexandre Muller also fought well against Nuno Borges. The recent winner of the Hong Kong tournament – his first title on the circuit – even won the first set (7-2 in the tiebreak) before completely collapsing and losing the next three sets (6-7, 6- 3, 6-2, 7-5) against the 33rd in the world.
Still no victory for the Blues
At the same time, the massacre continues among the women for our Blues, who still have no one qualified for the 2nd round. Léolia Jeanjean, the only Habs to have managed to cross the qualifying threshold, in fact lost heavily (6-2, 6-4) against the British Burrage, although less well ranked than her and also from the qualifications. On the favorites' side, Jannik Sinner passed the Nicolas Jarry obstacle without too many problems (7-6, 7-6, 6-1), even if the world number 1 had to wait for the third set, which he overcame , to achieve his first break of the match against the immense Chilean server. The tournament is, however, already over for Stefanos Tsitsipas. The finalist of the 2023 edition and four-time semi-finalist of the event fell in four sets (7-5, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4) against one of the rising players: the American Alex Michelsen (20 years old).
