Thirty years ago, Andres Gomez lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires at Roland Garros. On Thursday his son, Emilio Gomez, guaranteed that he will play in a Grand Slam main draw for the first time at the same venue.

The 28-year-old Gomez rallied past Kazakhstani Dmitry Popko 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(1). The Ecuadorian trailed 0-3, 30/40 in the deciding set and faced two match points while serving at 4-5, before recovering to triumph after two hours and 31 minutes.

“It was a roller-coaster of ups and downs… It was crazy,” Gomez said. “It was the first time I was in a situation like that, [with] that much nervousness during a match. It was really a big deal for me to get through it.”

This was Gomez’s eighth attempt to qualify for a Grand Slam. He had only previously reached the final round of qualifying once (2014 US Open). The 2019 Tallahassee ATP Challenger Tour champion beat top-seeded Thiago Seyboth Wild in the first qualifying round, but not everything went according to plan on Thursday in Paris.

“I’m going to be honest, I was not feeling 100 per cent physically today. I had a sore back in the warm-up and I was not expecting that because I felt great during the whole week,” Gomez said. “Every time we stopped because of the rain [after the first set and the second set] it was bad for me… I think the will to win was stronger than all the pain I was feeling in that third set. It was well played by me. I played super aggressive and kind of forgot about everything [and] where I was. I was looking for my first main draw appearance at a Grand Slam, [which is] especially [important] here at the French Open.

“It took a lot of running and a lot of guts to pull it out after having two match points against me.”

Seven other players advanced to the main draw on Thursday, led by second seed Pedro Martinez. The Spaniard beat American Ulises Blanch 6-2, 6-3. Entertaining shotmaker Dustin Brown fell one step short when Italian Lorenzo Giustino beat him 6-3, 7-5.

Brit Liam Broady, who was supported by Andy Murray, advanced through qualifying at a major for the first time when he ousted Aussie 12th seed Marc Polmans 7-6(5), 6-4. The lefty will play a Grand Slam main draw for the fourth time, having competed at Wimbledon on three occasions as a wild card.

The other players to make it through Slam qualifying for the first time are Steven Diez, Aleksandar Vukic and Daniel Altmaier. Diez defeated Enzo Couacaud 6-3, 6-4, Vukic beat 15th seed Jason Jung 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 and Daniel Altmaier eliminated Ruben Bemelmans 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. For Diez, it was his 16th major qualifying attempt.

Austrian Sebastian Ofner also moved on, ousting Swede Elias Ymer 7-6(4), 7-6(5).

Sometimes it’s what doesn’t happen that catches the eye.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Rafael Nadal saving break points at Grand Slam and ATP Masters 1000 tournaments throughout his career uncovers that Roland Garros is one of only two events where he has saved more than 70 per cent of break points.

Nadal has saved an impressive 70.3 per cent (416/592) of break points from 95 matches at Roland Garros, heavily contributing to his record haul of 12 titles on the Parisian terre battue. The most break points Nadal has saved is 71.3 per cent (67/94) across 24 matches at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Nadal’s Roland Garros metrics are particularly impressive when you stack them up against other Grand Slam and clay-court events he participates in.

Rafael Nadal: Saving Break Points (Grand Slams)

Four clay-court tournaments on Nadal’s schedule are Masters 1000 events in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome and the ATP 500 event in Barcelona. Combined, Nadal has saved 65.6 per cent of break points at those four events, which is around five percentage points lower than the lofty heights he has achieved at Roland Garros.

Nadal has won all 12 finals he has played on Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris, saving break points at an even higher rate than normal. Nadal has saved a head-turning 73.4 per cent (80/109) of break points in Roland Garros finals, with the 2007 final against Roger Federer being the most memorable. During that match, Nadal saved a mind-bending 16 of 17 break points to win 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, while also breaking Federer six times from 10 opportunities.

The most break points Nadal has faced in a Roland Garros match was 20 in the 2018 quarter-finals against Diego Schwartzman. Nadal saved 75 per cent (15/20) of them.

Nadal has been broken seven times in a match twice at Roland Garros. On both occasions, he was facing arch-rival Novak Djokovic. The Serb converted seven of 10 break points in the 2012 final, losing 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. Djokovic also broke seven times (7/18) to defeat Nadal in the 2015 quarter-finals 7-5, 6-3, 6-1.

In Nadal’s only other Roland Garros defeat, Robin Soderling converted five of six break point opportunities to beat the Spaniard 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-4, 7-6(2) in the Round of 16 in 2009.

Nadal has surprisingly not faced a break point in just four of his 95 matches at Roland Garros. Impressively, he has not been broken in 23 per cent (22/95) of his encounters at the event.

In the 2011 semi-final against Andy Murray, he saved 15 of 18 break points to prevail 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. The final score line looks somewhat routine but, like a lot of things about Nadal in Paris, there is a lot going on right beneath the surface that tells a more important story.

Rafael Nadal: Saving Break Points

In the early to mid-2000s, Guillermo Coria was a force on the ATP Tour. One of the best defenders in the game and a strong baseliner, the Argentine used his superior agility to soar as high as No. 3 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Also a finalist at Roland Garros in 2004 and a two-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, Coria was a fixture inside the Top 100 for many years. ‘El Mago’ was the clay-court king during his tenure on the professional scene, dominating on the surface throughout his career.

Now, more than a decade later, the Coria legacy continues. On Monday, Guillermo’s brother Federico Coria cracked the Top 100 for the first time, entering the fray after an impressive week at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. The 28-year-old rose to a career-high No. 98 after earning his first win over a Top 50 opponent (Struff) in his ATP Masters 1000 debut.

“It makes me really happy,” said Coria. “Monday was an incredible day in my life. I looked at my phone and just stared at the number. I couldn’t believe it. It’s a dream realised and one that I’ve been fighting for, for a long time.

“I was actually anxious for this to happen. It was supposed to come earlier in the year, but the pandemic arrived and I had to wait. But this was very special, after winning my first Masters 1000 match in Rome and beating the No. 30 in the world. It ended up being better than I imagined.”

The Corias are one of just four sets of brothers to feature inside the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings since 2000. They join Jurgen Melzer and Gerald Melzer, as well as Olivier Rochus and Christophe Rochus, and most recently Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev.

In fact, the Rochus brothers were both in the Top 100 at the same time, in each year from 2000 to 2010. The Zverevs also resided in the Top 100 concurrently, from 2016 to 2019.

For both Federico and Guillermo, it is a special accomplishment. The brothers have a close relationship and Guillermo relishes his sibling’s achievements like they are his own.

“My first dream was to get an ATP point,” Federico added. “I remember when it happened, Guillermo printed the rankings page and posted it at home. Today, after 10 years of traveling all over the world, with many highs and lows, to be Top 100 gives me a great desire to continue climbing.”

“I am very proud and happy for Fede, that he has entered the Top 100,” said Guillermo. “He is fulfilling his dreams and that gives me great happiness as a brother. At one point he thought it was too far away and almost impossible. But he never gave up, he fought and kept on going to play tournaments and gain confidence. He was lonely a lot, but this is the reward for all those results and that sacrifice.”

When Coria says he has been fighting for this moment for a long time, that is not hyperbole. The Argentine has battled on the ATP Challenger Tour since 2016 and was competing in ITF events for nearly five years before that. Now, the grind is paying off. Last year, he lifted his maiden Challenger trophy in Savannah and reached three more finals as the year rolled along.

And in 2020, he made his mark at the tour-level, surging to his first ATP Tour quarter-final in Rio de Janeiro and claiming his first Grand Slam match win at the US Open last month. His breakthrough in Rome was the icing on the cake.

For Federico, the road to this moment started more than 20 years ago, when he instantly became inspired by his brother. Guillermo was his idol. Ever since he was a child, he would watch him compete on TV. The Corias are from a very small town in Argentina, named Rosario, and Guillermo was always on the road either competing on the ATP Tour or training in Buenos Aires and Miami.

Federico explains that he was very shy when he was younger. He became so nervous when his brother would call home that he would run and hide.

“It was very difficult for me. I couldn’t speak to him when he called. I looked up to him so much. And now, it hasn’t been easy to follow in his footsteps. Whenever I would travel to a tournament, he had already won it when he was two years younger than me. I couldn’t manage it. I struggled a lot with that, because I wanted to be a normal kid. I wanted to be a boy that did not attract attention. I didn’t want to arrive at a tournament and everyone expects me to achieve the same as my brother. I’ve never been as talented as him and this was a big mental challenge for me.”

When Federico won his lone ATP Challenger Tour title in Savannah, he paid tribute to his older brother. In what was the biggest moment of his career, he dropped to one knee and pointed to sky. It was just like Guillermo used to do in his Challenger days.

“On the other hand, coming from Argentina, there is pressure – sometimes even greater than what I experienced – on all the other players. It’s not unique to me. So if I could go back, I wouldn’t change anything. For me, looking back, it was incredible to have a brother that was No. 3 in the world and could help guide me through my career. His support means everything to me.”

When asked what has been the best advice he’s ever received, Coria recalled a special moment with Rafael Nadal at the ATP 250 event in Buenos Aires. The pair were sitting in the locker room one afternoon and Nadal turned to a young Federico to discuss the next steps in his career.

“There were no cameras, just the two of us in the changing room. He asked me where I was playing next and started talking about my position [in the FedEx ATP Rankings]. He explained that many years ago he was in the same position as I was, and that I need to work every day and leave it all on the court. Your ranking is a consequence of how hard you work and the results you have. You earn everything you receive. He didn’t have to do that. He didn’t have to take an interest in me and give me advice, but he did and I’m very grateful.”

Coria will make his Roland Garros debut next week, opening against a qualifier. He could face 23rd-seed Benoit Paire or Soonwoo Kwon in the second round.

Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic went on a memorable run to the final of the US Open. The Dutch-Croatian duo has not let slip their moment on clay.

The unseeded pair beat reigning Roland Garros champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies 6-3, 7-5 on Thursday to reach the semi-finals of the Hamburg European Open. They also defeated second seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in the first round, marking wins over two consecutive tandems that competed in the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals.

Koolhof and Mektic needed just 74 minutes against the home favourites, breaking serve three times to advance. In the last four they will play Croatians Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic, who eliminated qualifiers Radu Albot and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 6-4, 6-2. Pavic won the US Open alongside Bruno Soares.

In the top half of the draw, John Peers and Michael Venus ousted third seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 6-1, 6-2 in 59 minutes. They won 57 per cent of their return points against the Polish-Brazilian team.

Peers and Venus will play veteran tandem Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau for a spot in the final. The Dutch-Romanian pair beat Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut and Fabrice Martin 6-3, 7-5.

Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka will play in a battle of three-time Grand Slam champions in the first round at Roland Garros.

The stars have met 20 times in their ATP Head2Head series, with Murray claiming 12 of those matches. They clashed in both the 2016 and 2017 Paris semi-finals, with the latter of those battles proving a pivotal moment for both players.

“Been a long journey to get back on Court Philipe Chatrier. Three-and-a-half years since I played @stanwawrinka85 in a brutal five-set semi-final, which turned out to be the end of my hip,” Murray wrote on Instagram Tuesday. “It was a pleasure to be back @rolandgarros and a huge thank you to the @fftennis for giving me the opportunity to play here again ?.”

 

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Been a long journey to get back on Court Philipe Chatrier. 3 and half years since I played @stanwawrinka85 in a brutal 5 set semi final which turned out to be the end of my hip. It was a pleasure to be back @rolandgarros and a huge thank you to the @fftennis for giving me the opportunity to play here again ? The new stadium with the roof looks amazing and all the changes and improvements they have made for the players is much appreciated? @castore_sportswear @headtennis_official #tennis #paris

A post shared by Andy Murray (@andymurray) on Sep 21, 2020 at 11:14am PDT

Wawrinka won that 2017 semi-final after a thrilling four hours and 34 minutes, but it took a toll on both of them. The Swiss underwent two left knee surgeries in August 2017, and Murray would have right hip surgery in January 2018 and January 2019.

Draw Preview: Nadal, Thiem Face Tough Paths In Paris

Their most recent match came in last year’s Antwerp final, in which Murray rallied to win his first ATP Tour singles title since 2017 Dubai.

“It means a lot. The past few years have been extremely difficult. Both me and Stan have had a lot of injury problems in the past couple of years,” Murray said at the time. “Amazing to be back playing against him in a final like that.”

The winner of their Roland Garros battle will play in-form home German Dominik Koepfer or Frenchman Antoine Hoang in the second round.

Another tantalising first-round match pits recent US Open champion Dominic Thiem against former World No. 3 Marin Cilic. The third seed has won each of their three meetings, but the Croatian showed in Flushing Meadows just weeks ago that he is still capable of pushing the Austrian when he is firing. Thiem battled past Cilic in that match 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. That third set was the only set he lost en route to the final.

David Goffin, the 11th seed, will have his hands full against reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Jannik Sinner. The 19-year-old Italian won their only previous match 7-6(7), 7-5 earlier this year in Rotterdam. Their encounter promises to provide thrilling baseline rallies, with both players looking to take charge of the baseline on the terre batture.

One of the most entertaining first-round clashes might be between eighth seed Gael Monfils and Kazakhstani Alexander Bublik. They are two of the biggest showmen on the ATP Tour. Monfils is arguably the quickest player on Tour and he has the ability to unleash incredible power when necessary. Bublik enjoys using his underarm serve and drop shot, which should create exciting rallies.

Home favourite Richard Gasquet will try to spring a surprise against rock-solid 10th seed Roberto Bautista Agut. The favoured Spaniard has won six of their eight meetings, but this will be their first clay-court clash. Will the French magician be able to find the level that took him as high as World No. 7 to upset Bautista Agut?

Stefanos Tsitsipas is living proof that you learn something new every day.

After the second seed won his second-round match at the Hamburg European Open on Thursday, the on-court reporter called the Greek’s opponent, Pablo Cuveas, a ‘tough cookie’.

“Tough cookie?” Tsitsipas wondered. “First time I heard this.”

It didn’t take long for the reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion to realise what the phrase means, and he agreed.

“I understand, I understand,” Tsitsipas said, cracking a laugh. “Never heard it before.

The World No. 6 now leads their ATP Head2Head series 3-0 following his 7-5, 6-4 victory, but he needed to save all five break points he faced to do so. Tsitsipas converted both break points he earned.

“I have a lot of respect for him. He is a very difficult opponent to face, particularly on this surface,” Tsitsipas said. “He is a good friend and one of my idols growing up. It was a great match and I enjoyed it. There was a certain point during the match when I forgot that I had to win. I was just enjoying the game, enjoying the crowd and playing with the most positive vibes, the most positive energy.”

Learning the meaning of ‘tough cookie’ was not the only highlight of the 22-year-old’s on-court interview. He was challenged to speak a few words of German to the Hamburg crowd. Up to 2,300 socially distanced fans are allowed inside centre court.

“I received a little bit of help from someone sitting in the crowd. My German is alright,” Tsitsipas said. “I’ll make a promise. If things go well here, I’ll come back next year speaking maybe not fluent, but good enough to give a speech.”

Tsitsipas will hope to continue winning at the ATP 500 when he plays 2019 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters finalist Dusan Lajovic in the quarter-finals. They have split their two ATP Head2Head meetings.

“He’s going to be a ‘tough cookie’,” Tsitsipas said. “He’s had great results on clay, so I’m expecting a good game and I hope to bring a good fight against him tomorrow.”

Casper Ruud was rock solid on Thursday as he knocked out sixth seed Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-3 in 67 minutes for a place in the Hamburg European Open semi-finals.

During an extraordinary run of seven straight games — from 3-3 in the first set to 4-0 in the second set — Ruud won 18 points in a row, from 5-3, 0/15 in the opener to 3-0, 30/0 in the second set.

The 21-year-old Norwegian, who advanced to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final last week at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia (l. to Djokovic), is now 19-8 on the season, which includes winning the Argentina Open crown in February. He will now prepare to face France’s Ugo Humbert on Friday.

Ruud, competing at a career-high No. 30 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, got Fognini on the run throughout the first set, which turned in the eighth game when Fognini make two forehand errors in a row. Ruud completed the 29-minute set when his Italian opponent hit a backhand return into the net and the Norwegian immediately dominated the first four games of the second set.

Fognini sparked into life and recovered to 3-4, but Ruud tightened up his service placement to maintain a single-break cushion. The match ended when Fognini hit his first double fault.

Ruud, who won 25 of 28 first-service points, also beat Fognini 6-2, 6-2 at the ATP Cup in January.

Ugo Humbert” />

Earlier in the day, Humbert proved that his first-round victory over Daniil Medvedev was no fluke, when the Frenchman backed it up with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over qualifier Jiri Vesely.

Humbert, who is currently at a career-high World No. 41, struck 24 winners in the one-hour and 45-minute encounter at the AM Rothenbaum and now has a 5-3 record since the resumption of the ATP Tour last month.

After an early exchange of breaks, little separated Humbert and Vesely, who ultimately faded in the final three points of the 50-minute first set, which ended with the Czech striking a backhand in the net.

Humbert, who hit 14 winners in the opener, saved two break points in the first game of the second set, then defended valiantly in the next game, only to break for a 2-0 advantage with a crosscourt forehand winner. From 4-4 in the first set, Humbert stepped up and won five straight games.

Pumped up, Humbert came within a point of a 5-1 lead, but errors proved costly and Vesely found his way back to 3-4. Humbert broke for a third time, in the next game, when Vesely twice had the opportunity to strike a clean winner at 30/40. Humbert needed no second invitation and closed out his 15th victory of 2020, which began in January with his first ATP Tour title at the ASB Classic in Auckland (d. Paire).

This year, Humbert has also reached the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com semi-finals (l. to Nishioka), the New York Open quarter-finals and last week’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia third round (l. to Shapovalov). Humbert beat Fognini 7-5, 7-6(4) in the Rome second round.