'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The French Open 2017 gets stuck in with seeded players all kicking off their first-round matches. Nine-time title winner Rafael Nadal got off to a start here, as did World No. 2 Novak Djokovic – while the defending women’s champion Garbine Muguruza did as well. Former finalist Lucie Safarova has crashed out, however.
Rafael Nadal gets off to a winning start
Looking for his 10th title here, Rafael Nadal got off to quite the winning start against Frenchman Benoit Paire. The Spanish King of Clay steamrolled through the first set at 6-1 before Paire mounted a fight back in the second to continuously return Nadal’s breaks of serve. In the end, however, the Frenchman lost steam in the third with Nadal breezing through.
Trending
Djokovic faces contest, wins
Second seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic faced competition in Spain’s Marcel Granollers in Round 1, and was not able to break him as effectively as he would have liked. Although he eventually took the win, Djokovic did not look like a former World No. 1 on court, with a whopping 29 unforced errors – something the Serbian ace has had a problem with for some time.
This was also his first match with 8-time Grand Slam winner and former No. 1 Andre Agassi.
Defending champion Muguruza faces fight
Garbine Muguruza, who pipped Serena Williams to the title last year, faced first-round competition from Italian ace Francesca Schiavone, who according to rumours is set to retire at the end of the 2017 season.
The Spanish former World No. 2, who has had a poor clay season, had a quick first set before Schiavone went all guns blazing in the middle of set 2.
Muguruza managed to control the charge for a straight sets win.
Zverev faces challenging Verdasco, match suspended
Alexander Zverev recently won his first ever ATP Masters 1000 tite at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia with a straight sets win over Novak Djokovic – the young German’s second clay title of the year. That also made 20-year-old Zverev the youngest player since Djokovic to win a title at that level.
Now, Zverev has had to follow that up in big fashion – and has quite the tough draw to boot. Up against famed giant killer Fernando Verdasco – who is responsible for Rafa Nadal’s earliest ever Grand Slam exit, Zverev has faced some stiff competition.
Verdasco went off to a 6-4 lead in set 1, with Zverev leveling at 6-3 in set 2 before darkness and rain suspended play.
They will continue today.
