Follower of fast surfaces, Karolina Muchova, with a very offensive game, two quarters at Wimbledon in 2019 and 2021 and a semi-final at the Australian Open, had not particularly shone on Parisian clay, where she did not had never passed the 3rd round. From ancient history. The 43rd player in the world has not changed her nature to join the last four of Roland-Garros, where she will challenge Aryna Sabalenka, after having dominated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, finalist in 2021. “I think I have always had that in me, since my childhood, blew the Czech. I like the beautiful game, whatever the discipline. I had the spirit of competition and I liked the variety. And the Chatrier public appreciated it.
On the field, the world number two was able to make the difference against Elina Svitolina (6-4, 6-4). At a press conference, she came out of her media silence and had the merit of clarifying certain gray areas surrounding her case. Asked to explain why she had waited for Svitolina at the net, knowing full well that the Ukrainian would not come and shake her hand, Sabalenka surprised by positioning herself against the war in Ukraine and against President Lukashenko. “I don’t support war, I don’t want my country to be involved in any conflict. I don’t want sport to be involved in politics, because I’m just a tennis player. I’m only 25. If I wanted to be a politician, I wouldn’t be here. I don’t want to be involved in politics.”
Novak Djokovic’s first set loss in the tournament is the work of Karen Khachanov. The Russian has long antagonized the Serb who at times seemed dull, inert. Novak Djokovic, without shining, was able to tighten the game, like the tie-break of the 2nd set perfectly mastered (7/0). Djokovic played and won 5 tie-breaks in the tournament. Khachanov recorded his 9th defeat in 10 matches 4-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4 played against Djokovic. Despite the efforts made, the Russian was unable to overthrow the Serb who, with a precious victory, found himself propelled for the 12th time into the last four in Paris.
The days go by and resemble Roland-Garros with an audience, visibly little concerned by the drama of the war in Ukraine. After booing the young Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk for not shaking hands with the Belarusian Sabalenka, he booed for the same reason Elina Svitolina, beaten by this same Sabalenka, this Tuesday in the quarter-finals. The Ukrainian, not resentful, said: “I expected it. When you lose and don’t shake hands, you risk being whistled. This was also the case for Marta Kostyuk in the 1st round. “People should be ashamed,” she replied. Apparently not.
After Serena Williams against Irina-Camelia Begu in 2021, Alizé cornet against Jelena Ostapenko in 2022, the 2023 tournament will have offered only one female poster in 2023: Aryna Sabalenka against Sloane Stephens. One in ten nights reserved for women! Scheduling a women’s match in the night session is not an easy thing, in particular due to the players’ lack of desire (as Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff confided, scheduled this Wednesday in match n°2 on the Philippe Chatrier court) but year after year, the phenomenon repeats itself. The last night session will oppose, this Wednesday, Casper Ruud to Holger Rune.
They were 10 on the starting line. With in a corner of the head, the last victorious campaigns of their compatriots having registered their name on the prize list of the tournament: Geoffrey Blancaneaux (2016), Luca Van Assche (2021) and Gabriel Debru (2022). The last of them, Antoine Ghibaudo, lost 6-3, 6-3 in the second round against the American prodigy Darwin Blanch (15 years old).
