15 days French Open 2018 are history. The very personal balance for the second Grand Slam tournament of the year is largely positive.
In the midst of a series like Rafael Nadal’s year after year, the eleventh title is almost inevitably taken for granted by a higher power. However, future generations will probably wonder whether a few mistakes have crept into the record books.
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Dominic Thiem doesn’t have to worry: With the burden of defending a semi-final from last year, the Austrian has come to Paris one step further. 56 minutes for a 4:6 set show that Thiem is not so far away from the great Spanish champion.
Respect for Simona Halep, who would have had every reason to fail on her nerves if she was trailing set and break in the final. She didn’t, so she deserved to win. But there are no undeserved winners in tennis. Whoever makes the last point was the better player.
Nevertheless: All in all, the title “Player of the Tournament” goes to Sloane Stephens. Extremely humorous press conferences are one thing. But when Stephens plays like in the first movement of the final – smart, fast, full of variations – it leaves the audience really happy. And the desire for more.
On Final Sunday, the soon-to-be greatest female skier of all time showed up in Paris: Mikaela Shiffrin walked over the plant from noon, in tow the wife Mama, who recorded every movement of Mikaela in the moving picture to be on the safe side.
Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep not only played a high-class match in parts on Wednesday, the two ladies also built up an impressive background noise. You can still hear outside the court Suzanne Lenglen. What a contrast to Marin Cilic and Juan Martin del Potro, who followed Kerber and Halep: two gentle giants who offered the audience a silent movie. A little puff of Cilic on serve, but otherwise? Almost biblical tranquility, flanked by high-speed tennis.
One of the most beautiful side aspects of the French Open is the way the French celebrate their ball children. There’s the joint run across the facility right after the gates for the audience have opened. But there is also the tradition that a girl or boy comes to court in front of the main protagonists in the two biggest stadiums. With a backpack full of balls. And is introduced by the stadium spokesman. A party for children, parents and friends.
The fight for the favour of the juniors has long since broken out – and in part already decided: Patrick Mouratoglou proved astonishing closeness to both junior champions, Patricio Apex, the manager of Alexander Zverev, has apparently tied Sebastian Korda to himself.
Speaking of juniors: The game is played without net surcharge. Which, although the sample is only its small, is in doubt more of an advantage for the recoachers.
The support of the Austrian tennis fans on Tuesday of the second week was impressive. Oliver Marach and Alexander Peya played their way into the semi-finals there – and expressed their joy by fulfilling the fans’ wishes for original towels. Available in the small version for 45 Euros, the slightly larger one for 70 Euros.
There are no coincidences: Before Juan Martin del Potro’s match point against Marin Cilic, a fan of the Argentinian once again spoke out loudly. The only one on the grandstands of Court Suzanne Lenglen. DelPo makes the point, simply shoots a ball blind and high into the air – and of course it lands promptly in the hand of the same spectator.
Finally, once again a warm “Au revoir” on Court 1, until now players, journalists and spectators have been able to rely on the legendary bullfighting arena to stand still despite the annual demolition plans. This is the end of it. Not only Alexander Peya hopes for another period of grace.