Julia Görges still has time to play her opponent at the French Open 2018: Dominika Cibulkova was still busy with the final in Strasbourg on Saturday. Not successful in the end.
By Jens Huiber from Paris
Julia Görges would probably always sit down on the court of Philippe Chatrier or on the Suzanne Lenglen even in Roland Garros. Not because the German number one thinks she is the center of the tennis world, more for practical reasons: Görges is plagued by hay fever every year, with the exception of the two large stadiums in the Stade Roland Garros, where picturesque trees spray their pollen rather unromantically.
One example is Court 13, where Görges warmed up with Anett Kontaveit on Friday morning. Right next door Rafael Nadal’s racket supplier had invited her to a meeting with the record champion, Julia Görges would have cut a good figure there too, after all she uses the same brand as the Spaniard.
René Babolat’s invitation did not reach Görges, however, so the woman from Regensburg also and above all practiced on her service, with a short notice: “Wide”, “Body”, Kontaveit was perfectly prepared for the impacts of the serves, which does not mean that she was also able to play the balls back into the field regularly.
Physiotherapist Florian Zitzelsberger briefly explained that hay fever was not so bad this time. He had nevertheless shouldered the towel, Julia Görges reported from time to time that she needed it. Coach Michael Geserer gave a satisfied impression. All on schedule.
The draw for Görges is at least double-edged: Dominika Cibulkova has become the lively Slovakian who won the WTA final in Singapore at the end of 2016. In the final against Angelique Kerber. The fact that the seeded Görges has to play Cibulkova also means that last year didn’t go well for the 29-year-old from Bratislava.
In Strasbourg, however, Cibulkova is on her better side, reaching the final of the WTA tournament there. Which, however, lost to Anastasia Pvlyuchenkova in the narrowest possible way. Görges will meet a perhaps more self-confident, but in any case tired opponent. Experience is virtually non-existent: The two veterans first met on the tour: 2011 in Wimbledon. That was when Cibulkova won.
Julia Görges used Saturday for further preparation, this time for a session with Samantha Stosur. On court 9, also the one oasis of hay fever. However, only in favorable wind.