The five best men's matches at the 2020 French Open
As an exception, the last major of a season was held in Roland Garros this year. We picked out five games that particularly impressed us.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Dec 19, 2020, 09:01 pm
# 1: Round one, Jurij Rodionov vs. Jeremy Chardy 3: 6, 4: 6, 7: 6 (6), 6: 4, 10: 8
Yes, here we put on the Austrian glasses for a very short time. But what an initial situation: Jurij Rodionov qualifies for the main field of a major for the first time. And then meets an experienced local hero on the Suzanne-Lenglen court. Although Chardy was not exactly considered a clay court specialist during his career, the same can be said of Rodionov. Who lost the first two sets almost as expected. Then to start the big comeback. And to let the first chances of winning the match in the fifth set pass unused. After 4:36 hours of play, the left-hander was allowed to cheer.
# 2: Round One, Andrey Rublev vs. Sam Querrey 6: 7 (4), 6: 7 (5), 7: 5, 6: 4, 6: 3
This match has rightly found its place in the comebacks of 2020. Because Rublev had played an exhausting final against Stefanos Tsitsipas two days before the game against Querrey in Hamburg. And won. Against Querrey, the Russian was already behind with a break in the third round after the two lost sets. And still pulled himself up again.
# 3: Round Two, Roberto Carballes Baena vs. Denis Shapovalov 7: 5, 6: 7 (5), 6: 3, 3: 6, 6: 3
The same applies to Denis Shapovalov : The great love for Aschenplatz has to develop first. Nevertheless, the Canadian should be the favorite against a player like Carballes Baena on all surfaces. The final phase of the match was as unhappy for Shapovalov as the one against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open a few days earlier. From the left-hander's point of view, the referee didn't cut a good figure either. Carballes Baena will not have cared about the latter. He left the Suzanne-Lenglen court as the winner after exactly five hours of play.
# 4: quarterfinals, Diego Schwartzman vs. Dominic Thiem 7: 6 (1), 5: 7, 6: 7 (6), 7: 6 (5), 6: 2
Dominic Thiem and buddy Diego Schwartzman then showed that there could be a little more. The two played each other for 5:08 hours until the Argentine was allowed to move into the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. Thiem, the strains of the match against the king Hugo Gaston were clearly noticeable - but the Austrians did not want to accept this as an excuse. No, at the ATP Finals in London Dominic Thiem even remarked that he would have enjoyed the matches in Roland Garros the most in the 2020 season. Also that against Diego Schwartzman.
# 5: Final, Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic 6-0, 6-2, 7-5
What? Not a big drama? No. But clay court tennis in perfection. Amazingly, not just from the winner. No, Novak Djokovic also played terrific. But simply didn't have a chance in the first two sets against Rafael Nadal . The result: The 13th title for the Spaniard in Roland Garros.