Nadal Starts Quest For Roland Garros History

Nadal Starts Quest For Roland Garros History

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French Open: Andy Murray set to get Paris campaign under way

Britain’s Andy Murray says he is ready to challenge for the French Open when he gets his campaign under way on Tuesday, despite a lack of recent form.

The world number one has a relatively modest 16-7 record this year, with just five wins on clay.

He plays Russian Andrey Kuznetsov in the first round at about 11:30 BST, with fellow Britons Johanna Konta and Kyle Edmund also in action on day three.

Murray has a 2-0 record against Kuznetsov, ranked 73rd after reaching the semi-finals in Geneva last week.

• Tuesday’s order of play

‘I need to accept that I’m struggling’

Murray was in good spirits when he faced the media on Friday, despite coughing occasionally.

Another bout of sickness last week brought a brief halt to training, after he suffered with shingles and the flu earlier in the year, as well as an elbow injury.

“The past few months have not been good, obviously. I haven’t played well. I had a few issues as well,” said the Scot.

“I need to accept that I’m struggling and then find a way to get through it.

“I will get through it – I’m sure of that. When that happens, I don’t know. Hopefully it happens in a few days. Hopefully it happens at this event. If it doesn’t, maybe it happens during the grass.”

Lendl return boosts Team Murray

Murray, who turned 30 earlier this month, faces a huge task to hold on to his number one ranking in the coming months, as he defends the large number of points he racked up over the second half of 2017.

At this stage last year he had 22 wins to his name, 12 of them on clay, and he arrived in Paris having just won the Italian Open.

He then went on a run to the final at Roland Garros that included one of his best clay performances against Stan Wawrinka in the semi-finals.

Murray looks far from that level right now, lacking match practice and struggling with his movement.

The statistics show he is winning fewer points on both first serve (72% to 76%) and second serve (50% to 54%) than in 2016, leaving him under pressure more regularly.

Murray remains optimistic, however, and is boosted at the tournament by the return of Ivan Lendl to his coaching set-up for the first time since March.

“I’m very happy with the team I have around me when he isn’t there,” said Murray, who has Jamie Delgado alongside him throughout the year.

“I don’t think the reason why I haven’t been playing well is because [Lendl] hasn’t been around a lot.

“Certainly no-one mentioned that at any stage during the period between Wimbledon and the Tour Finals last year and I did OK.”

Analysis

Boris Becker, six-time Grand Slam champion and former coach of Novak Djokovic:

From somebody that couldn’t lose a match last year to somebody that can’t win a match at the moment – I don’t know what happened.

I’m sure he’s a bit tired, a bit burnt out with all the matches he played last year. Clay is not his best surface, so he always has to play his very best to win on clay.

I don’t think it’s going to take a lot – winning matches helps. Ivan (Lendl) is back in Paris now in his corner – I think that helps as well.

Maybe the break between Melbourne and the French Open was too long – but they know better.

Konta enjoying ‘challenge’ on clay

Konta’s remarkable rise from around the world’s top 150 to inside the top 10 over the past two years has been achieved largely away from clay courts.

The Briton, 26, has picked up a couple of wins on the surface over the past month but has yet to hit the heights of her grass and especially hard-court success.

“I’m lucky enough to have been challenged quite a bit this clay season, so I’m really enjoying that,” Konta told BBC Sport.

“It’s really giving me the opportunity to grow, to improve my game, my competitiveness and generally me as a person.”

She has a chance to claim her first main-draw win at Roland Garros, having twice lost in the first round, when she takes on Taiwanese world number 109 Hsieh Su-wei.

The pair have met twice before – with one win each – but never on clay and not since 2013.

“She’s an incredibly talented player, I do remember that,” added Konta.” She can be quite tricky, so I’ll be trying to take care of things my end and adapt as best as possible.”

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French Open: Aljaz Bedene accuses Ryan Harrison of 'tanking'

Britain’s Aljaz Bedene says his American opponent Ryan Harrison effectively threw away the second set of their first round match at the French Open.

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'I want to play at the Olympics' – Bedene considers switch back to Slovenia

British number three Aljaz Bedene is considering switching his allegiance back to Slovenia in order to compete at the Olympics.

Bedene, 27, became a British citizen in 2015 but has been unable to overturn a ban preventing him from representing Great Britain in the Davis Cup.

To go to the Olympics, a player must have been available for the Davis Cup.

“That’s a dream for every athlete,” said Bedene after beating Ryan Harrison to reach the French Open second round.

Bedene represented Slovenia in three Davis Cup ties before becoming a British citizen – and rules were introduced shortly after his switch barring players from representing more than one nation.

“I’ll have to see what can be done,” he added. “At the moment I’m representing Great Britain, but I do want to play Olympic Games.”

Bedene moved to Britain in 2008 but Dan Evans said earlier this month he still considered himself to be the British number three despite being overtaken by Bedene in the rankings.

“At the moment, for the clay season, I spent quite a lot of time in Slovenia,” Bedene said on Monday.

“My fiancee said she wants to move back. She wants to have her career there.

“I’m travelling a lot, so it’s not easy – but I do want to spend as much time as I can with her.

“I’ve still got a house in England. My home is still there. I have always been known as Slovenia-born – but I love Britain.

“I feel Slovenian and British.”

Analysis

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller

Bedene would need to play three Davis Cup ties for Slovenia between now and the Tokyo Olympics to be eligible for the 2020 Games, and so realistically would need to switch back in time for the 2019 competition.

He has a Slovenian passport, but also needs to be in “good standing” with the country’s Olympic Committee and would have to rebuild relationships broken when he started playing under the British flag.

In March, an arbitration hearing upheld the International Tennis Federation’s ruling that players can no longer represent more than one country, but expressed the hope the governing body could one day be persuaded that Bedene is worthy of an exemption.

That appears a long shot in the time available, and any switch back to Slovenia is likely to go down very badly with those at the Lawn Tennis Association who have spent so much time and resources on his case.

Bedene accuses Harrison of ‘tanking’

Earlier on Monday, Bedene won 6-4 6-0 3-6 6-1 against American Harrison – a player ranked 10 places higher at 42 in the world.

Afterwards, he accused his opponent of “tanking”, saying the American effectively gave up the second set to help him win the third

“That is in a way a tactic, and it worked,” Bedene told BBC Sport. “That was his decision. I’m not doing that.

“It’s never easy to start off the third set after someone’s tanking.”

Bedene has now won 21 of 24 matches on clay this year, winning two titles on the second-tier Challenger circuit and reaching an ATP Tour final in Hungary.

He will face Czech player Jiri Vesely in the second round, with Rafael Nadal of Spain a potential fourth-round opponent.

Fellow Britons Andy Murray, Kyle Edmund and Johanna Konta start their challenge on Tuesday, but Dan Evans lost on Sunday.

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City Of Love! Stakhovsky Recounts Greatest Victory In Paris

City Of Love! Stakhovsky Recounts Greatest Victory In Paris

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Djokovic begins Agassi era with win while Nadal eases through

Defending champion Novak Djokovic won his first match under new coach Andre Agassi to reach the second round of the French Open in Paris.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion teamed up with American Agassi after parting company with his entire coaching team.

The world number two Serb, who could meet Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals, beat Marcel Granollers 6-3 6-4 6-2.

Spaniard Nadal, bidding for a 10th French Open title, eased past France’s Benoit Paire 6-1 6-4 6-1.

Djokovic faces either compatriot Janko Tipsarevic or Portugal’s Joao Sousa in the second round, while Nadal will take on Robin Haase of the Netherlands.

• Live scores and schedule
• Bedene reaches second round

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French Open 2017: Garbine Muguruza beats Francesca Schiavone to reach second round

Spain’s Garbine Muguruza started the defence of her French Open title by beating 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone 6-2 6-4.

Fourth seed Muguruza went into the match having won only three times on clay this season, but she cruised through the first set.

Italian Schiavone, 36, won three games in a row to lead the second set but Muguruza fought back to win.

Muguruza will face Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit in the second round.

• Djokovic and Nadal win
• Live scores and schedule

“I cannot believe in the first round we have two ex-champions. Not only that but Francesca is a legend and I was very excited to play on Philippe Chatrier court with her,” said Muguruza.

Muguruza defeated Serena Williams to win her maiden Grand Slam title a year ago, but the 23-year-old needs to return to the final to stay in the world’s top 10.

“I know I played good here before, but that doesn’t make me extra confident this year. I have to play well to earn that confidence again,” she said.

Schiavone, who is 37 in June, played in the tournament for the final time before her retirement at the end of the year.

France’s Mladenovic comes through three-hour epic

Kristina Mladenovic – France’s biggest hope in the women’s draw – overcame American Jennifer Brady in a three-hour match on Philippe Chatrier court.

The world number 14 was trailing in the first set when she had to go off for treatment on a back problem.

She also found herself 0-3 down in the deciding set before coming back to win 6-3 3-6 9-7.

“I pulled my back yesterday and specialists were saying I needed 48 hours,” said Mladenovic. “I was almost sure I could not make it to court today.

“It was not the best thing obviously but I promise you I will come back and will fight until the end.”

Caroline Wozniacki had to fight hard to beat Australian Jaimee Fourlis 6-4 3-6 6-2.

Wildcard Fourlis, aged 17 and at 337 the lowest-ranked player in the main draw, pushed the 11th seeded Dane in the second set.

But Wozniacki, who had to retire during last week’s Strasbourg tournament because of a lower-back injury, regained control in the deciding set.

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French Open: Leon Smith not fazed by Andy Murray's dip in form

Andy Murray can go “very, very deep” at the French Open as he rebuilds his confidence, argues Davis Cup captain Leon Smith.

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Roland Garros 2017

Roland Garros 2017

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Kontinen/Peers Lead Loaded Roland Garros Doubles Draw

Kontinen/Peers Lead Loaded Roland Garros Doubles Draw

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