Novak Djokovic (1) beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-2 7-5 6-2 to extend his winning streak to 23 consecutive matches this year. By Diego Sampaolo
After taking the 1st set with relative ease, Djokovic had to rally from 2-5 in the 2nd set by winning 20 of the last 25 points. The Finn came within two points of clinching the second set when he led 5-3 30-0. He even went up 40-0 as he served for 6-5 lead but Djokovic clawed his way back into the set with two consecutive breaks of serve and took the set 7-5. In the 3rd set, there was no stopping Djokovic as he opened up with a 4-0 lead as he eventually took the match 6-2 7-5 6-2.
Rafa Nadal (6), 9-time Roland Garros champion, beat last year’s US Open Junior finalist Quentin Halys 6-3 6-3 6-4 in one hour and 50 minutes. Nadal got a double break in the opening set and though Halys was able to break Nadal the 7th game for 3-4, Nadal broke again in the 9th game to clinch the first set with 6-3.
Nadal broke Halys in the 6th game of the 2nd set to take a 4-2 lead and maintained this lead as he served out the set at love for a 6-3 6-3 lead. Nadal sealed the third set with a break of serve in the 5th game. In the second round he will face his compatriot Nicolas Almagro who edged past Aleksandr Dolgopolov 6-3 2-6 6-4 7-6 (8-6)
“I think he played aggressive. He played well. He played with some mistakes but when you want to risk on every single ball, the mistakes are there. The tennis is moving that way. It’s younger and aggressive. The tour is moving to hit the ball stronger and quicker going for the winners all the time”, said Nadal
22-year-old Jack Sock pulled off the biggest upset of the day when he defeated Grigor Dimitrov (10) with 7-6 (9-7) 6-2 6-3. Sock fended off 6 of the 10 break points he faced, hit 30 winners and made 18 unforced errors. Sock won the 2014 Wimbledon doubles title but underwent surgery last December to repair a torn hip muscle. Earlier this year he won his first title on clay in Houston.
The first set came down to the tie-break where Sock rallied from 3-5 to clinch the set with 9-7. In the 2nd set, Sock took control of the set after it was leveled at 2-2 to break Dimitrov twice and won the set 6-2. Dimitrov, who has never recovered from 0-2 set deficit in his career and in the 3rd set, he dropped his serve early to trail 1-4. Sock closed out the match 7-6(7) 6-2 6-3.
“Today was a great match for me. For the most part I took care of my serve fairly well and was able to get into a lot of his service games and make him play some balls … I am able to take my time on clay and kind of maneuver the ball around. Movement is another big part of my game. I feel like on clay. I get a lot of balls.”
said Sock
Sock’s compatriot John Isner (16) beat Italian Andreas Seppi 7-5 6-3 6-2. Isner hit 21 winners and got six breaks of serve.
“A lot is said about clay and how it’s a defensive surface. I would say it’s a misconception. I think clay is a very good attacking surface. A guy like Nadal plays great defense but knocks the cover off the ball. He is the greatest player of all time. I am a completely animal than anyone. My serve is going to play no matter what the surface and going to keep me in the match” said Isner.
Leonardo Mayer from Argentina, finalist in Nice last week, recovered from a set down to battle past Jiri Vesely 3-6 7-6(6) 6-3 5-7 6-2. After losing the first set Mayer clinched the second set on his fourth set point. Vesely broke serve at 6-5 in the fourth set to force the match to the fifth set. Mayer won the decider with 6-2.
Serena Williams advances to the second round but Bouchard is knocked out
The biggest upset of the day was Eugenie Bouchard (6) who has continued to struggle this year losing her first round match against French Kristina Mladenovic with 6-4 6-4.
The young Canadian, who reached the semifinal last year at the Roland Garros and the final at Wimbledon, lost eight of her last nine matches and has not beaten a top-30 player yet in 2015.
Mladenovic broke serve in the seventh game for 4-3 in the first set en route to clinching the first set 6-4. Mladenovic cruised to 5-0 in the second set. Bouchard clawed her way back into the set by reeling off four games in a row winning 12 of 15 points played at one stretch in the set. However, Mladenovic held serve the 3rd time she serve for the match to take it 6-4 6-4.
Petra Kvitova (4), last year’s Wimbledon champion and Madrid winner earlier this month on clay, was on the verge of defeat at 4-4 in the third set against Marina Erakovic from New Zealand, who reached the third round in Paris in 2013 and was beaten by Kvitova in straight sets last year. Kvitova got the decisive break before serving out for the match to win 6-4 3-6 6-4. Kvitova will take on Silvia Soler Espinosa in the second round.
“I think it was quite cold and the balls are really heavy and they didn’t really fly. It was really difficult to go for the shots. It was really tough to make any winners or ace from the serve, said Kvitova after the match
Serena Williams (1) cruised past Andrea Hlavackova 6-2 6-3. Serena went up a break early in the first set to take a 3-0 lead. Hlavackova broke back in the fourth game but Williams broke again to take 6-2. The World Number 1 player got an early break in the second set and held her serve until the end of the second set to move through to the 2nd round.
This year’s Australian Open semifinalist Madison Keys won the all-US matchup against Varvara Lepchenko (who reached the fourth round in Paris in 2012) with a 7-6(3) 6-3 scoreline. Keys went up 3-1 but Lepchenko rallied to draw level at 3-3 before forcing the set to the tie-break. Keys won the breaker with 7-3 after 51 minutes. Lepchenko got an early break in the 2nd set for 2-1 but Keys recovered and won 5 of the next 6 games. The player from Illinois served out for the match at 5-3 before wrapping up the match with her 8th ace.
