Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Aljaz Bedene French Open 2020 Preview and Prediction
Stefanos Tsitsipas will look to return to the fourth round of the French Open on Saturday, seeking a victory over Aljaz Bedene…
Stefanos Tsitsipas will look to return to the fourth round of the French Open on Saturday, seeking a victory over Aljaz Bedene…
Novak Djokovic looks to continue his winning streak when he faces Daniel Elahi Galan for a spot in the fourth round. Lucky…
Daniel Elahi Galan lost in straight sets last Friday in the final round of Roland Garros qualifying. But the Colombian lucky loser has certainly made the most of his “luck” in Paris, and now he has the biggest opportunity of his career. On Saturday, he faces World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the third round.
“[I’m] really, really excited. Just looking forward really to playing him and playing on centre court,” Galan said. “I have never practised with him. Just sometimes see him in the locker room and that’s it. I have never even practised with a Top 10 [player].”
The last Colombian who reached the third round at Roland Garros was Santiago Giraldo in 2012. While Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah have won multiple Grand Slam doubles titles and are the top seeds in Paris, Galan and Giraldo are the only Colombians inside the Top 400 of the FedEx ATP Rankings.
This dream run might seem sudden for the 2019 Houston semi-finalist, but Galan has worked his whole life to get to this point. Tennis runs in his blood.
“My dad Santos is a tennis coach. At first, he coached my oldest brother and now we travel together,” Galan said. “Family is very important to me. My mom stayed home and raised all of us. I am the youngest of four children – three brothers and one sister.”
Colombia is more well-known for cyclists like Nairo Quintana — a former Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana champion — and Rigoberto Uran, who finished second at the Tour de France. Galan enjoys cycling, too.
“I try to do it when I’m at home, but I don’t get the chance very often,” Galan said. “It’s not the best thing for a tennis player, because if you fall from the bicycle, it’s not a good thing.”
Galan’s parents, Santos and Doris, became vegetarians in their late 20s, believing it was a healthier lifestyle. They raised all four of their children that way. Galan has never tried meat, fish, chicken or eggs.
“For me, it’s a big thing and it’s difficult when you’re on the road around the world. It’s tough when you’re travelling in some countries. Normally, I’ll try to eat as many grains, beans and chickpeas as possible. Those are rich in protein,” Galan said. “Some places they don’t understand you and they don’t know what a vegetarian is. In the U.S. you have many options, but in a place like Turkey we ate pasta all week because they had no other options. Sometimes it can be very tough.”
In Paris, granola, oatmeal, soy milk and fruits have been on Galan’s breakfast menu. For lunch, he has enjoyed salad and pasta with mushrooms, tofu and pesto. The Bogota resident has eaten rice and grains for dinner.
Galan’s next opponent, Djokovic, famously went gluten-free. The Serbian has won 81 more tour-level titles than Galan, but that doesn’t bother the 2018 San Benedetto Challenger champion.
“I’m kind of quiet, but I’m really, really, really happy,” Galan said. “I’m also focussed on keeping going. I think I just have to focus on my game and that’s it. I know I play Djokovic, but in all matches any player you play, you have to do your game, just try to win and give it all you have. That’s it. At the end of the day, it’s just another match.”
Galan arrived at the clay-court major with four wins at ATP Tour events and none at Grand Slams. But he has steadily built confidence over the past year.
At last November’s Davis Cup Finals in Madrid, Galan took a set off then-World No. 11 David Goffin on a hard court, which is not his preferred surface.
“He was the toughest guy I have ever played and I was really, really nervous because it was Goffin, a guy you see on TV all the time. I just went on the court and I was expecting him to just play unbelievable or maybe he would beat me so easily,” Galan said. “But at the end of the day they are human. They also make mistake… They are trying the best they can. At the end of the day, we are all players.”
Galan reached an ATP Challenger Tour final this February in Newport Beach, also on hard courts. But the COVID-19 pandemic halted his progress. The 24-year-old played two matches before Roland Garros qualifying and lost both.
“During the quarantine I was not able to practise that much. I started practising again in July, but I was just trying to get again in that rhythm that I was playing with before, that confidence,” Galan said. “It was really not easy because when I got to Europe the first matches were really difficult. I just felt weird. Here I felt the same.”
Galan hasn’t shown it since getting into the main draw, beating Cameron Norrie in five sets and cruising past two-time major quarter-finalist Tennys Sandgren in straight sets. Now he faces his greatest challenge yet: Djokovic.
“I have to take this match like all matches,” Galan said. “Just go out, do my game and that’s it. There is no other way.”
– Reporting contributed by Josh Meiseles
On Saturday, Daniel Altmaier will play the biggest match of his young career. A first Top 10 encounter awaits the 22-year-old, as he clashes with World No. 8 Matteo Berrettini at Roland Garros.
When Altmaier steps on Court Philippe-Chatrier, it will undoubtedly be a surreal moment. Just 20 months ago, the German had fallen from the FedEx ATP Rankings as he sat on the sidelines, fighting to merely step on a tennis court again. A long and arduous rehab from chronic abdominal and shoulder injuries left him frustrated and in search of a way back.
What a difference a year makes. This week, making his Grand Slam debut, Altmaier has not dropped a set en route to the third round. In fact, he has only conceded one set in total after winning three matches to qualify for the main draw. And on Thursday, he earned the first Top 50 win of his career with a convincing victory over countryman Jan-Lennard Struff.
It’s been a dominant display for the comeback kid. What does he believe is the formula for his Roland Garros breakthrough? It all comes back to the hard work and preparation on the ATP Challenger Tour.
“I played a lot of matches in the past weeks and that was the most important thing coming here to Roland Garros,” Altmaier said. “I had really tough matches already, beating Musetti after I lost to him the week before. My generation, the young guys, we had very big battles already on the Challenger Tour and that made me already prepared for the matches here.”
Altmaier is not exaggerating. Since the tour restarted following the COVID-19 shutdown, the 22-year-old reached a pair of Challenger semi-finals, facing some of the best clay-court talents on the circuit. Three of those matches came against players who would also go on to win at Roland Garros – Pablo Cuevas, Federico Coria and Lorenzo Giustino – in addition to multiple meetings with surging teenagers Lorenzo Musetti and Carlos Alcaraz.
Playing his first tournament on clay in more than a year and seeking to build momentum in his return to the tour, Altmaier could not have asked for a better preparation.
“We are ready on the Challenger Tour. Carlos [Alcaraz] and Lorenzo [Musetti] are going to the ATP Tour and they are beating guys. We push each other to reach a very good level. That was really important because I think I really learned how to get into those matches and perform well.”
Altmaier, who remains in search of his maiden Challenger crown, is in the midst of an impressive 2020 campaign, even with the five-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He owns the second-most match wins on the circuit, posting a 21-11 record, and has reached semi-finals in Ann Arbor, Launceston, Cordenons and Aix-en-Provence. It is a remarkable comeback to the tour for the German. After not having a ranking in early 2019, he rose to a career-high No. 183 in the FedEx ATP Rankings two weeks ago.
In the lead-up to Roland Garros, he admits that his victory over 18-year-old Musetti had the biggest impact. One week after falling 6-3, 6-2 to Italy’s breakout star, he would rebound with a straight-set win of his own.
“I think we had two really good battles, and even though I lost the first one pretty clear, it was not an easy match for him. I was just struggling a little bit mentally and with myself, but then in Cordenons I was really ready physically and mentally. I was able to perform and beat him at the end. I think this guy has really good potential and he’s definitely a player to watch.”
In 2017, Altmaier broke onto the scene as a budding #NextGenATP prospect himself, reaching the quarter-finals at the ATP 250 event in Antalya as an 18-year-old. But one year later, he would only play a combined nine matches as he struggled to stay healthy. The abdominal and shoulder ailments proved to be too much to overcome.
As he continued to plot his comeback in 2020, Altmaier says he used his time in quarantine to work on fitness and build “a more stable” body structure. Under the tutelage of coach Francisco Yunis, that commitment is paying off.
“We started last year in August when I was roughly No. 480 in the world after my injuries. I grew up in Germany playing on clay, so I feel comfortable on it and with Fran in my corner right now, he’s stabilizing my game a lot.”
While Altmaier has played some big matches in recent weeks, Saturday’s encounter with Berrettini will be his biggest yet. He faces the seventh-seeded Italian first on Court Philippe-Chatrier at 11am.
“I know Berrettini because before my long injury we were both playing on the same level. We were around 300 at the same time, playing the Futures, and we know each other really well. It’s going to be really interesting. I have nothing to lose and I will get the same preparation like I was getting ready for my qualies matches. We’re going to see what is going to happen at the end.”
Top seed Simona Halep underlines why she is considered the French Open favourite after thrashing American teenager Amanda Anisimova.
Either side of a competitive second set, Alexander Zverev made quick progress on Friday to eliminate 2018 semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato 6-1, 7-5, 6-3 at Roland Garros.
The 23-year-old won 85 per cent of first-serve points (40/47) and broke serve on six occasions to reach the fourth round in Paris for the third straight year. With his third-round win, Zverev improves to 15-7 at tour-level this year.
The key moment of the match came in the second set on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Zverev trailed Cecchinato 3-5, but reeled off four straight games to establish a two-set advantage. The German played with aggression on his backhand and moved up to the net well to turn the tables on his opponent and move one set from victory.
Zverev’s second-set escape could prove crucial to his title hopes at Stade Roland Garros. Just two days ago, the 2018 Nitto ATP Finals champion was forced to five sets by Pierre-Hugues Herbert in a match lasting almost four hours. En route to the quarter-finals at this event in 2018 and 2019, Zverev had to survive a combined five five-set matches.
“I am definitely much happier with my game [than against Herbert]. I worked on a few things yesterday. I was very unsatisfied with myself two days ago, but I still won,” said Zverev on court. “So that was more important. I know that with every round I have to play better and better, otherwise I will not have a chance.”
Zverev is aiming to capture his first Grand Slam title in Paris. The World No. 7 is enjoying his most successful year at major championships, having earned his best results at both the Australian Open and the US Open this season.
Zverev advanced to his first major semi-final in Melbourne at the start of the year and finished as runner-up at the US Open earlier this month, with both losses coming at the hands of World No. 3 Dominic Thiem. The 6’6” right-hander owns a 14-2 in Grand Slam matches this year.
Cecchinato entered the contest in fine form, having dropped just one set in five matches from qualifying to reach the third round. In the first round, the Italian upset 25th seed Alex de Minaur in straight sets and backed up the win with a four-set victory against Juan Ignacio Londero of Argentina.
Zverev will need to beat reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Jannik Sinner if he is to reach his third straight quarter-final in the French capital. Sinner booked a spot in the fourth round at a Grand Slam event for the first time with a 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 victory against Federico Coria.
The Italian struck 44 winners to complete a run of three consecutive match wins for the first time since his title run in Milan last November. Zverev and Sinner will be meeting for the first time at tour-level on Sunday.
“[Sinner] is playing incredible. I don’t think he lost a set yet, so he is somebody that is definitely coming up and playing really well right now,” said Zverev. “[He is] somebody who has a lot of power. We will see how the match goes, but I feel like I am playing better and maybe I have a little more experience. But the young guys, they have no fear, no reason to be nervous, so it can go both ways.”
Briton Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram reach the French Open men’s doubles third round by beating Alex De Minaur and Matt Reid.
Rafael Nadal sends another warning to his French Open rivals by dropping five games in a third-round win over Italian Stefano Travaglia.
US Open champion Dominic Thiem reaches the French Open fourth round with a hard-fought 6-4 6-3 6-1 victory over Casper Ruud.
Dominic Thiem extended his winning streak to 10 matches on Friday with an often grueling 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 victory over No. 28 seed Casper Ruud of Norway at Roland Garros.
Third seed Thiem, who captured his first Grand Slam championship title at the US Open (d. Zverev) earlier this month, was forced to recover from 1-3 down in the first set against in-form Ruud for victory in two hours and 15 minutes.
“I’m very happy and it was a great match,” said Thiem, in an on-court interview with Cedric Pioline. “I didn’t make many mistakes, it was a very good match. Casper is a very good player and we had some nice rallies. He has a lot of confidence after semi-final runs in Rome and Hamburg, and has a very good attitude from beginning to the end. I didn’t want to give him any chances in the third set.”
Thiem, who has a 19-5 record in 2020 after reaching the fourth round for the fifth consecutive year, will now prepare to challenge 2015 champion and No. 16 seed Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland or French wild card Hugo Gaston.
“Basically I feel fine,” said Thiem. “Of course I [have] started to feel all the last weeks physically, also emotionally. I really love this tournament, and I would love to go deep [and] play well. I will do everything [for] a good recovery. Today, I had an early match. That is good, so I think I’m going to have more than 48 hours to rest. So [I will] try to [get an] easy, but good practice in tomorrow and [have] two good treatments with my physio. [Some] good food, good sleep. Then, [I will] put everything I have into the match on Sunday.”
Thiem, who saved break points in each of his first four service games, fought his way back into the first set by targeting Ruud’s backhand under a closed roof on the new Court Philippe-Chatrier. While the Austrian couldn’t convert a set point on Ruud’s serve at 5-4, in the next game Thiem struck five consecutive forehands to clinch the 58-minute opener.
“I started well and broke him,” said Ruud. “I guess he didn’t play his best or didn’t find his rhythm in the beginning of the match. So even though you’re up 3-1 in the first set, it doesn’t mean that it will go your way. And I got that, [‘m] not going to say a lesson, but I got that reminder today. He broke me right back and then I had some chances to break him back again. But he played some clutch shots on the clutch points and he showed how good a clay-court player he is and [much of a] fighter he is. It was a tough first set. It was a long first set. It was tough losing it.”
Ruud recovered from 0/40 in the first game of the second set, but Thiem’s persistence reaped dividends on his fifth break point opportunity. Ruud came close to drawing level at 2-2, but on two occasions unforced errors cost the 21-year-old on break points. He could only applaud at 3-5, when Thiem, standing just inside the baseline, struck a half volley backhand winner down the line to clinch a two sets lead.
Thiem’s greater weight of shot proved to be Ruud’s undoing in the third set, when the World No. 3 broke in the fourth game, through sheer consistency. From 1-1, he ran through the final five games, finishing with a second serve ace. Thiem hit 32 winners, including five aces, and converted six of his 15 break point chances in front of almost 1,000 spectators on the main show court.
World No. 25 Ruud, who lifted his first ATP Tour title in February at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires (d. P. Sousa), is now 22-10 on the season. He recently reached the semi-finals at both the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome (l. to Djokovic) and at last week’s Hamburg European Open (l. to Rublev).
“It was another great experience for me to play here on the center court for the first time in my career,” said Ruud. “Hopefully, I will play more times on the Court Chatrier, and [I will] hopefully get some wins on it. It’s been a very good clay-court swing for me this year.”
