Simple dames
Strange match between Diane Parry and Naomi Osaka. The latter played dream tennis during a set, folded 6-1 in 22 minutes. The Frenchwoman did not exist on the court against the former world number one, back at Wimbledon for the first time since 2019. Then the fight changed soul, Parry took things in hand, helped by a suddenly very fragile Osaka who started to chain the errors.
Diane Parry seemed set to sign a major victory since she led 3-1 in the third and final set. But she suffered the full force of the Japanese comeback, once again in her match. But the young Frenchwoman can still have big regrets. At 4-4, she benefited from a break point that would have allowed her to serve to win the game in the process. Failing to succeed, she served to stay alive. But this game, the last, turned into a nightmare with no less than… three double faults, to offer qualification on a platter to Naomi Osaka.
As calm as Gracheva
Like last year, when she played her very first Grand Slam tournament under her new French colours, Varvara Gracheva reached the second round at Wimbledon, logically losing to Aryna Sabalenka. She will do at least as well this year since she easily passed the first round on Monday, against Lesia Tsurenka (6-3, 6-1).
The Russian-born player, who was a crowd favorite at Roland Garros last month with her round of 16, had started her match badly. But after being down 3-1, she quickly recovered before taking off, winning 11 of the last 12 games against a Tsurenka who was hampered by blisters on her hand and who quickly gave up. Gracheva will face another Ukrainian in the next round, Dayana Yastremska, seeded number 28.
Clara Burel assumed her rank. Opposed to the German qualifier Eva Lys, the Frenchwoman, 45th in the world, showed a lot of authority to win clearly in two sets (6-2, 6-4) in just over an hour (1h02 precisely). To do this, she was able to count on a good quality of service, although not really her strong point, with 81% of points won behind her first serve and 9 aces. She will face the Romanian Sorana Cirstea or the British qualifier Sonay Kartal in the 2nd round.
Jacquemot did not push his luck any further
She didn’t have much time to prepare. After failing in qualifying, Elsa Jacquemot learned late on Monday that she was the beneficiary of Victoria Azarenka’s withdrawal due to a shoulder injury. She therefore showed up on court number 2 but was unable to upset Sloane Stephens, who won the US Open in 2017. The American won in two sets (6-3, 6-3) and 1h11 of play in this first round and will face Diana Schnaider in her next match.
Men’s Singles
He scared himself. But Ugo Humbert ultimately did not fall into the trap set for him by Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko, world number 57. On alternating current, the French number 1 did himself violence to have the last word in five sets (6-1, 4-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-1) and 3h18 on court 15 in the first round of Wimbledon. In the second round, he will face Botic van de Zandschulp.
Overall, Humbert more than deserved his victory. In all the statistics, he finished ahead: 54 winners to 35, 45 unforced errors to 52 and there was a 25-point gap (160 to 135) between the two players. But lacking confidence recently, he made life difficult for himself, especially when, after conceding the second set, he was a break behind in the third. Or when he let the tie-break of the fourth slip away when it was time to conclude. But at the start of the fifth set, when he was trailing 0/40 on his serve, he knew how to react to finish like a cannonball. This victory could be a turning point for him.
Cazaux at the end of himself
He was discovering the big draw at Wimbledon. And for a first, Arthur Cazaux was served. Against the Belgian Zizou Bergs, 84th in the world, it was tense until the end, a bit like the French football team who were playing at the same time in the eighth finals of the Euro. The Hérault player went through all the emotions but ended up winning in five sets at the end of the suspense (6-1, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 7-6) in 4h34 of play. In the 2nd round, he will face the eccentric Alexander Bublik, himself the winner in five sets of Jakub Mensik.
In total control to start, Cazaux seemed to be heading for a straightforward victory in three sets. But things got complicated when he saw Bergs win the next two tie-breaks. At 5-5 in the final set, the Frenchman found himself in an ideal position at 0/40 on the restart but he was unable to convert. And this match could have turned into a tragedy for him when, after leading 7 points to 0 in the final tie-break, he saw his rival come back to level at 8-8, like a summary of their fight so far. Fortunately, Cazaux controlled his tension to slam a winning forehand return then a great first and raise his arms to the sky. What character!
Monfils sinks Mannarino
It seems like nothing, but it was quite a performance for him. In the duel between French veterans that pitted him against Adrian Mannarino, Gaël Monfils had the last word on Monday in the first round. While we know his lack of appetite for grass, unlike his opponent of the day, he maintained the momentum that had allowed him to reach the semi-finals in Majorca last week. He thus won in four sets (6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4) and a little less than three hours of play (2h55 exactly).
The turning point of the game came in the third act. While “Manna” clearly had the wind in his sails and dominated the rallies, Monfils held on thanks to his quality of service (65% first, 81% points won behind and 16 aces), before making the difference at the end of the set. Reinvigorated, he logically broke at 3-3 in the fourth set. And if his opponent saved 4 match points on his serve, “La Monf” concluded on the fifth on serve. In the 2nd round, he will meet an old acquaintance, Stan Wawrinka.
Van Assche, a little tour and then he leaves
Lucky loser after being drafted from the qualifiers, Luca Van Assche did not take advantage of this second chance. The young Frenchman was copiously dominated by the veteran Fabio Fognini, 37 years old and with peroxide blond hair. The Italian, involved, calm and serious, delivered a great match unlike Van Assche, in great difficulty especially on serve like his eight double faults. A break (his only break point converted in 11 attempts) in the third set had given rise to a bit of hope but this was quickly doused. Beaten 6-1, 6-3, 7-5, he almost did not exist. Fabio Fognini could now challenge Jannik Sinner in a 100% Italian duel.
January only lasted one set
Maxime Janvier, who came out of qualifying, is now also out of the main draw. The Frenchman stalled in the first round on Monday against the Chinese Zhizhen Zhang. A defeat in three sets (7-6, 6-3, 6-2) and a little over two hours of play. After a very tight first set, Janvier gave in after losing the deciding game. From then on, everything happened very quickly. At 27, it was the Creil native’s first Grand Slam match since Roland-Garros 2020.
Müller stronger than Gaston
In addition to the expected duel between Gaël Monfils and Adrian Mannarino, two other French players faced each other this Monday in the first round of Wimbledon. And Alexandre Müller, in form in recent weeks on clay, confirmed on grass against his compatriot Hugo Gaston, whom he dominated in three sets (6-4, 7-6, 7-6) and 2h19 of play. For the second consecutive year in the second round of the British Major, Müller will have the formidable honor of challenging Daniil Medvedev. In 2023, he had already come up against a big name in the person of Carlos Alcaraz, the future winner.
