TOPS
Announced a few years ago as one of the serious hopes of French tennis, the Francilien has long vegetated beyond the 100th place in the world. But at 26, he has reached a new level. “I am a more mature player,” he summarizes. And he has a green foot this week at Wimbledon. After knocking down Dan Evans, the local, seeded 27, he swept this Thursday a player a little lower ranked than him, Aleksandar Vukic (6-3, 6-1, 6-4). With his offensive game, the 79th in the world could upset Jannik Sinner in the 3rd round and definitely go from shadow to light.
Grass is not his best surface. The 38-year-old Swiss however managed a nice performance in the second round by bringing down Tomas Martin Etcheverry, recent quarter-finalist at Roland-Garros (6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2). The Vaudois had not been this far at Wimbledon for … eight years. He is green again at 38, he who had not reached the 3rd round of a Grand Slam since Roland-Garros 2020. Make way for boss Novak Djokovic against whom he has fought epic battles in the past (four victories everywhere in confrontations ).
After Jérémy Chardy, it’s Anette Kontaveit’s turn to retire. If the Palois leaves the scene at 36, the Estonian ends her career at only 27 years old due to a serious back injury. Marie Bouzkova was much too strong for her this Thursday in the 2nd round (6-1, 6-2). Hence an immense emotion for the one who was still the second player in the world two years ago. Tears flowed after the standing ovation she received on Court No. 18 under the eyes of her devastated mother. A beautiful moment.
FLOPS
Ugo Humbert, nose in the grass. Led two sets to one (6-4, 4-6, 6-2) when the match resumed, Messin surrendered in the decisive fifth set, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in three hours and 42 minutes against Jason Kubler, 79th in the world. Epilogue of a sad season on a surface that the 39th in the world nevertheless likes. The winner of Halle 2021 (ATP 500 played on grass), 8th runner-up at Wimbledon in 2019 and in the 3rd round last year, won only one match on grass in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. That’s very little for a specialist in this area…
He prefers the greens of golf courses to those of tennis courts. The double Roland-Garros finalist has still not passed the second round in London. He was dominated in five sets this Thursday by the Briton Liam Broady, invited by the organizers. Modest 142nd in the world, the local of the stage likes the grass unlike the Norwegian, who seems to be walking on eggshells on grass. Led two sets to 1, Broady overthrew his opponent in a fiery atmosphere and even inflicted a humiliating 6-0 on him in the 5th set. Casper the warrior was more ghostly than ever.
Karolina Muchova, a stunning French Open finalist, was among the main underdogs at Church Road on a surface she normally prefers. Twice quarter-finalist at Wimbledon, the Czech was however stopped from the start by the German Jule Niemeier in three sets (6-4, 5-7, 6-1) and 2h53 of play. Muchova had chosen to not to play in a preparation tournament, after her Parisian epic, she. A lost bet. Bad day for the Czechs. Barbora Krejcikova, winner of Roland-Garros 2021, is already disappearing from the tournament. Forced to retire against the Russian Mirra Andreeva, 16 years old and from qualifying (6-3, 4-0 ab.).
