French Open 2024: Alcaraz and Jabeur in action, Tsitsipas and Kenin through – live | French Open 2024
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Key events
Again, Alcaraz gets lost in the supermarket, reviews his options before scoring a weak share. That puts De Jong at 0-40, but it’s soon 30-40 and when he misses a Hollywood cross-court forehand, you know where this is going. Or not, De Jong ends a great point with a chop drop… but the kid is inescapable and ends up securing a hold for 5-3.
It was coming. Alcaraz earns two more break points and this time he doesn’t press De Jong, a backhand into the net that takes him to 4-3.
Jabeur was only good in the first round but already looks dialed in here, perhaps due to increased competition. She breaks, Osorio helps her with a double at 0-40, and the eighth seed leads 2-0 in the first.
To Lenglen, Osorio and Jaber are underway.
Oh man, break point at 2-2, Alcaraz loses the ball – maybe on lights – as it falls short, forced to let it bounce instead of hitting overhead. He may also have had too many options to decide what to do, but either way De Jong persevered.
Yes, outdoor court play has now been extended by another half hour to 14:00 BST at the earliest. I hate to say it, but I’d be surprised if we get a reboot even close to then.
Yes Alcaraz brings De Jong back to love. They are 1-1 in the first set.
To Chatrier, De Jong – Jack Draper’s conqueror – holds… then breaks Alcaraz, hitting him as hard as he can and starting to land his shots, making it 2-0 with a big forehand followed by a drop… Alcaraz style.
Next is Lenglen: Camila Osorio vs. Ons Jaber (8).
“La cerise sur la gateaux,” says Tsitsipas of Lenglen’s atmosphere. “Did you understand it?” It felt amazing, he said, “to play such wonderful tennis at the end – I really enjoyed it.”
He thinks it’s more fun to play another one-handed backhand, so it’s like “getting a taste of my own tennis…kind of an ID.” He thinks it can be very effective on clay, “opening up the court, creating a lot more topspin – especially if you have good timing on it, I feel it can do wonders.”
In the end, he says that he was losing track, he didn’t give up, and the time he used to go back inspired him here.
Hang in there, Daniel Altmeier, who ended up losing 2-0 and gave Tsitsipas a lot. It’s still hard to see him winning it – or any other major – because that backhand is rubbish – but he’s playing well and looking confident.
Stefanos Tsitsipas (9) beat Daniel Altmaier 6-3 6-2 (2)6-7 6-4
It was a really enjoyable match that ended abruptly, Tsitsipas stepped it up when needed to see off an inspired opponent. Next up for him is Sonego or Zhang.
Hey! Up 15-30, Tsitsipas smashes a cross court forehand winner to raise two match points; did he need danger to get him going? Well, he goes and another serve just down the wrong side of the line, again checked by the umpire, gives him a look at second serve…
Lenglen’s Vex as Altmaier is called for a foul when the breakpoint is down; perhaps distracted, he then misses a forehand before remonstrating with the umpire at the change of sides. So Tsitsipas breaks for 4-4 in the fourth and maybe the momentum has swung his way?
Ah, that’s nice, the first part of the Mac on my screen this tournament. He loves Alcaraz – he said last year that Boris was the best teenager he’d ever seen, but it was the best 20-year-old he’d ever seen, and that he’d love to have a similar joi de vivre when plays.
Next in Chatrier: Jesper De Jong v Carlos Alcaraz (3).
Kenin is ‘super happy’ and says she regrets having to win, thanks to the crowd for the atmosphere. She loves Chatrier, she feels she has “some kind of connection” with him, she is playing good tennis, hard work is paying off and she is very happy. It’s special to come back from her injuries, but if you put in the work, the work pays off.
Now then! Altmeier hooked a forehand return to the line for 0-30… but two forehands from Tsitsipas cut the deficit in half. An ace follows – I’m really enjoying the way he attacks pressure – but when his backhand is attacked on the next point, he backs down and Altmeier has an opportunity to break at 3-3 30-40! And look! Tsitsipas drops, Altmeier returns… and an overhead backhand lands in the net! The German dances a jig and after watching his opponent play beautifully for two sets, he is now two holds away from forcing a decider! What a match this is now!
Sofia Kenin defeated Caroline Garcia (21) 6-3 6-2
This is a brilliant performance by Kenin. She served like a god, came back almost as well and Garcia looks disappointed but will know she was beaten by a good player who is playing close to her best. Next up for Kenin is Ostapenko or Towson.
Love grip for Garcia, forcing Kenin to serve for the match…
Meanwhile, deep this from David Goffen courtesy of Reuters!
David Goffen accused partisan fans at the French Open of “total disrespect” and said he was spat on by a spectator during his marathon first-round victory over local favorite Giovanni Mpetshi Perikar.
On a raucous Court 14, Goffen kept his cool to beat wild card Perikar 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-7(4) 6-3 before the former world number seven touched his ears with a hand as he left a place for loud mockery.
“When they insult you for 3-1/2 hours, you have to annoy the public a little bit,” Goffen told Belgian media. “It’s clearly going too far, it’s completely disrespectful.
“It’s really too much. It’s about football, soon there will be smoke, hooligans and fighting in the stands. It’s getting funny. Some people are there more to cause trouble than to create atmosphere.
“Someone spit their gum at me. (The match) was getting complicated. That’s why I wanted to keep calm. If I got angry about it, it could destabilize me. Goffen then called on the organizers of the second Grand Slam of the year to take action.
“A lot of people complain, a lot of judges think there’s a lot of disrespect,” Goffen added. “This is repeated frequently in the dressing room and among the ATP authorities. We’re going to have to do something about it.
“I think this only happens in France. Wimbledon obviously doesn’t have that. Or in Australia. It’s still pretty quiet at the US Open. The atmosphere here is really unhealthy.
Kenin is already at 80% first serves, and Garcia, the second best server on tour this year by the numbers, just can’t match her. She will now serve to stay in the match at 3-6 2-5.
Email! “What can you say about the weather?” wondered Olga. “Maybe it’s still mourning for Nadal. Great job by you and others on Rafa’s last game. I’m a diehard fan and wish he could play forever, but Father Time is undefeated. I wish Roger’s retirement wishes had been granted. Speaking of Roger, there is a surprising choice for the next Laver Cup captain: Yannick Noah will replace Borg next year and will be in Berlin.
Who could not be inspired by this legend?
Monster hitting from both men as Tsitsipas wins a break point, Altmeier outlasts him and accepts the forehand error. The Greek comforts himself by shouting “Shut up!”, probably in his box; I wonder if his brother is reconsidering his opinion. Anyway, Altmaier quickly marshaled the game as Chatrier’s forehand winner gave Kenin another break and at 6-3 4-2 she was smelling the finish line.
And she does back to 30! This match is starting to heat up now! Meanwhile, Tsitsipas leads Altmeier 2-1 2-1.
A double and then an unforced forehand fault means Kenin has a third break point… and this time she takes it, similar return to what was close last time, hooked forehand line, good this time. She leads 6-3 3-1 and Garcia needs to find a solution quickly.
Garcia finds a break point at 3-6 1-2 and she just can’t get momentum; Kennin won’t let her gain momentum. She saves it, but a lovely drive down the line from the American, a pour, means she has to defend another… and a nice forehand return lands narrowly wide.
What a set (tennis) by Daniel Altmeier! He went to rest after the second one, changing his clothes and coming back as Superman! Tsitsipas had to stretch out fully to make the break, but what difference did it make? None! The German takes it 7-2 and if he continues like this, we are in for something very special.
Sure enough, as soon as he presses serve, Tsitsipas goes wide from the forehand to concede a mini-break at 0-2; Altmeier keeps it going with a great drop riposte, then destroys a backhand down the line for 4-1. And look! A magnificent return to the tootsies is too good, and this breaker is due reward for the excellence of Altmaier’s play in this set. he has open shoulders and everything he hits goes where he wants.
Tsitsipas really holds, and although Altmeier is hitting it well enough to take the odd point you need to win a break, it’s hard to look past the perfection of the Greek’s service-forehand combination.
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