On Tuesday the first round of the French Open 2018 will be completed. From a German point of view, a big fight day is on the horizon.
Thiem-Zverev-Watch: Press conferences with Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem bring more and more cognitive values. Zverev, for example, lives in the neighbouring Hotel Molitor and, in case of doubt, sleeps until about an hour before the game starts. As football world champion he has Germany on the note, the Russian hosts he wishes a third place, simply as a thank you for playing host.
Dominic Thiem, an Austrian, goes into the four-week football bustle unencumbered, but the man from Lichtenwörth has one basic opinion: He is not a friend of Spanish teams. Not only since the Champions League final, where he, the Chelsea fan, kept his fingers crossed for Liverpool FC. And because the language had immediately come to Spain: Most recently in Barcelona he had played a real quark together, especially against Stefanos Tsitsipas, his next opponent in Paris.
On Tuesday both Zverev and Thiem are free, maybe they will meet a training match in Jean Bouin. Before Sasha lies down again. The latter competes in salmon, Thiem would only do without his dark blue in extreme heat. And would like to play in tennis pants that also have enough space for a ball. This is why the joint supplier with the white version failed.
Match of the day: Serena Williams against Kristyna Pliskova (third match after 11:00 on Philippe Chatrier). Go time for Serena, who’s been warming up in Roland Garros for a week. The task is moderately difficult, Kristyna is not quite Karolina yet, but a few days ago in Nuremberg Julia Görges has just beaten. Venus has already been kicked out of the singles competition, but is waiting as a double partner.
Upset-Alert (balance so far: two correct ones): Jürgen Zopp against Jack Sock (third match after 11:00 o’clock on place 18). Jack Sock hasn’t hit a lot this year. Except last week in Lyon, where he won the double title with Nick Kyrgios. Nick has renounced a start in Paris, Jack is strongly suspected of not getting very far either. Especially since Zopp warmed up about the qualification.
The German glasses: Finally Angelique Kerber and Julia Görges get going. Angie starts on court 7 against Mona Barthel (fourth match after 11:00), Jule on court 1 against Dominika Cibulkova (third match after 11:00). Carino Witthöft opens on court 18 against sportswoman Fiona Ferro, Maximilian Marterer on court 9 against Ryan Harrison, while Jan-Lennard Struff takes on the 12. Mischa Zverev and Florian Maier meet on court 14 in their third match.
Staff member of the previous day: Philipp Kohlschreiber. Kohli found open words in the press conference after his defeat against Borna Coric: he simply did not really get going in Paris 2018, he tried everything, he already arrived on Wednesday. The defeat was frustrating, of course, but Kohlschreiber enjoys his job to the full. Because: “When it’s over, it’s over.”
Here are the most important matches of the day