Roland Garros 2022: Isner's wish is not fulfilled
The first day of the 2022 French Open has produced some strong matches. The best mood was on the Suzanne-Lenglen court during John Isner 's game against Quentin Halys .
by Jens Huiber
last edit: May 22, 2022, 09:46 pm
By Jens Huiber from Roland Garros
John Isner's routine can also be seen from the fact that the 36-year-old giant stops playing after a certain score. Especially on sand. That does not speak against Isner. He just knows: If Quentin Halys leads 30-0 on his own serve, then the chance of a break is negligible. So trust in your own strength. And then play them out in the tiebreak. Good plan, perfectly executed in Sunday's match with the best atmosphere in the bigger stadiums. Three quick decisions, Isner winning three sets, so Halys' 6:4 in the second round didn't matter.
The fans in the almost full Suzanne-Lenglen court made Isner wriggle just like his opponent Halys, in the end the French not only celebrated their local hero, but also Isner. Who didn't know who he would be up against in round two, but expressed clear preferences in this regard: Please don't let it be a Frenchman again. This wish did not come true, Isner now has to play against Gregoire Barrere.
Djokovic in the very first night session at Roland Garros
The Court Philippe-Chatrier also knew how to come up with two decent hits, the comeback after Félix Auger-Aliassime was 0: 2 behind against Juan Pablo Varillas. And the elimination of fellow favorite Ons Jabeur against Magda Linette. The only crux is in terms of atmosphere: If there is still as much going on in the smaller squares as in the first days of the tournament, then the stands in Chatrier are not always well occupied. Not a sign of a lack of appreciation for the players involved, but rather a result of sensory overload with 20 individual matches for the men alone.
This "problem" will not exist this Monday, at least not at the historically very first night session in Roland Garros. Novak Djokovic has been announced, the opponent will be the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka. Kick-off at 9 p.m., most of the courts lack the necessary daylight, the game schedule also suggests a solo for the industry leader. This could vouch for a very dense atmosphere, especially if the predicted weather deterioration occurs. And you have to play with the roof closed.
Here the individual tableau in Roland Garros
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