Five things we learned on Day 7 of Roland Garros - Del Potro could help some French girls with détente.
Top seed Andy Muray showed his intelligence while Juan Martin Del Potro soaked up the love of the centre court crowd. However, there'll be no love lost when two French players bring their hinterland to the fore. Ooh la la.
Issued on:
1. Café Caroline? Don’t think so, Alizé
Frenchwomen Alizé Cornet and Caroline Garcia will meet in the last 16 on Monday. That’s after wins over Agnieszka Radwanska and Wu-Sei Hsieh respectively on day seven. Cornet, 27, has been in the last 16 once before in her 13 visits to Roland Garros. Garcia has reached the last 16 stage of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. “It's a very important milestone,” said 23-year-old Garcia. “Especially given the fact it's here in the French Open and being a French player, it is tremendous. But of course if it happened at any other Grand Slam tournament I would say just the same thing.” Well, of course she would. While many will try and highlight day nine's match as a celebration of French tennis, there will be a certain tension about the tie as Cornet and Garcia aren’t best mates. The falling away has been caused by Garcia’s reluctance to play for France in the international team competition the Fed Cup and a caustic tweet about her absence from Cornet and a couple of the other Fed Cup women. Garcia didn’t appreciate the overt lack of sympathy over a niggling back injury. Cornet says she’s tried rapprochement. Garcia says oh really? The review foresees feisty and furious fist pumping. “I’m unlikely to have a coffee with her before Monday’s match or after,” Garcia said. Hormones very much in the zone.
2.Cool hand Juan Martin
The review’s mother is a big fan of Juan Martin Del Potro. She likes the way he strides around the court. "He’s cool," she said. And indeed he is like a languid avenger in one of the old westerns. The 1m 97cm Argentine does exude laid back in a big way.
“Yeah, I just try to be myself all the time,” he drawled after his straight sets loss to Andy Murray on day seven. “I think all the people like my story, you know. I have been out for a long time. I'm trying to fix my wrist problem, and I never give up despite those problems. I'm running a lot during matches. And I think that's what the people like from me.” Those wrist injuries have kept Del Potro away from Roland Garros since 2012. Back then he reached the quarter-final. In 2009 he got to the semis where he was beaten by Roger Federer. Later that year, Del Potro upset Federer to claim the US Open. But that was before the injuries hit. After everything that’s happened to him, his attitude is wonderful. Maybe those feuding French women should invite him out for a drink.
3. Andy Murray’s smart
Well that’s what Juan Martin Del Potro said as he gave us an insight into his demise. “I knew that if I stayed behind the baseline, Andy can only do so much. So that's why he
kept forcing me to move, to move away from the baseline. And then he forced me to play backhand first, and then he sliced me. Sometimes the balls, his balls,
would then go crosscourt diagonally, and only very, very few smart players can do that.” Murray has been world number one since getting to the semi-final of the Paris Masters last September. But he’s not done that brilliantly since claiming top spot. But still he is into the last 16 at Roland Garros after a 7-6 7-5 6-0 win over Del Potro. “Andy is one of the smartest guys on the circuit,” Del Potro added. “And he knew what my weak point was. If I had been in slightly better conditions and with a better backhand, it would have been more difficult for him. So these two points did not help me.”
4. There’s a grim humour around
The heavens opened and eventually forced the suspension of play late in the afternoon on day seven. As the thousands sought shelter, the big screens around the stadium showed highlights of play from earlier in the tournament when we were all broiling in the sun. Not welcome.
5. Complacency is the killer
The rain seemed such a shock. Seemed rather unexpected after seven days of uninterrupted play. Perhaps it was nature’s response to the US president’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate accords. Whatever. An entertaining match between the French duo Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet was suspended. Monfils was leading 6-5 in the first set. He had three set points when Gasquet was serving at 4-5 down. But Monfils couldn’t convert. All part of the show, no doubt. But when they resume on day eight, it will be fascinating. These two style merchants are famed for plucking defeat from the jaws of victory.
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