After a fair amount of play got rained out on Sunday, first-round action will resume at Roland Garros on Monday–weather permitting. Stan Wawrinka is scheduled to go up against Lukas Rosol for the second time in as many tournaments.
Stan Wawrinka and Lukas Rosol will be squaring off for the fifth time in their careers and for the second time in four days when they meet again in round one of the French Open on Monday. They just faced each other in the Geneva semifinals, where Wawrinka prevailed 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 on his way to the title. The fourth-ranked Swiss is sweeping the head-to-head series 4-0, having previously scored two victories over Rosol on hard courts and another one on clay.
While Wawrinka is without question an all-court player, he certainly enjoys the red stuff. After all, he captured his second career Grand Slam title by upsetting Novak Djokovic in last year’s Roland Garros final. The No. 3 seed’s preparation has not been as strong this time around, but he at least managed to reach the Monte-Carlo quarters in addition to his triumph in Geneva.
Rosol had been 3-7 in his last 10 matches (Challengers included) prior to this past week, when he got past Roberto Ortega-Olmedo, John Isner, and Andrey Kuznetsov before losing to Wawrinka. The 68th-ranked Czech is 6-5 lifetime at the French Open with two appearances in the third round–including last year.
There is no reason to think Rosol will suddenly get on the scoreboard against Wawrinka, who can only be flooded with confidence upon returning to the scene of one of his greatest moments.
Pick: Wawrinka in 3
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steps takes the second set!!! can he finish it tonight??
he’s in complete control…
So much for Muzza being touted as a possible winner at RG. The wily 37 year old is getting the better of him.
37 year old Stepanek playing like a total boss. Get it done Radek!!
Trungiletti has beaten Cilic.
You are joking, surely!
Cilic must be the worst grand slam champion on the planet.
It is looking doubtful this will finish tonight. For Andy’s sake hope he get out of bed on the right side tomorrow to face a rested Stepanek.
murray’s shouting let’s go after almost every point he wins is un peu dubious no??
wonder which murray will turn up tomorrow?
Murray still mouthing off to his box. I think the “let’s go” is to stop him saying the ‘f’ word.
hee, hee. You could be right. I noticed at one point when he was clearly dropping the F bomb he kept his hand over his mouth.
there is a real unfairness though about the audible obscenity warning as it penalises players swearing in english. rosol was swearing his head off but no-one knew what he was saying.
Amy,
Good point!
I had an appointment and had to leave with Step up a break against Murray in the first set. So I gather that Steps won the second set and they were not able to finish the match today.
I can’t believe that Cilic lost to that guy! Although from what I saw, Cilic was not playing well at all.
Steps is tired.
A tricky moment to have to halt play. Difficult to restart with that scoreline. One slip from Murray and it will be all over for him.
There’s no doubt Step’s prowess at doubles has given him a new lease of life in singles. Not so long ago he only played singles to keep his hand in for Davis Cup matches.
I checked the scores and saw that Dimitrov was up two sets to one and still lost to Troicki!
He has really lost the plot.
I saw that Steps was up 2 sets and then Murray came back to win a set and Steps was up 4-1 when they suspended play. That is a shocker. But I think that stopping play may take away the momentum from Steps.
nny, murray was up 4-2 when they suspended play!if they had carried on he would have run away with it.
but now it’s a crap shoot. if murray comes out slow and steps is inspired again then he could take it.
over a set and a half steps can win.
Amy,
So Murray was up in the fourth set? Maybe I read the score wrong.
It’s hard to know who will benefit from a suspension of play
No way did I think that Murray would have this much trouble with Steps!
This is why the early rounds are so dangerous.
Okay, I checked the score again and saw that Murray was up 4-2 in the fourth set. If Murray can pull out the fourth set to even it up, then I think he will win.
But this has been some start to RG! Stan had to battle in a five set match against Rosol and now Murray is in a battle.
Lost in space, poor Dimitrov. Will he ever get his mojo and confidence back?
I just watched Wawa v Rosol — wow, what a first round match! Stan was fired up in the end but Lucas really fought. Great tennis in that one.
Did he ever have it rc?
He’s made a single slam semi and one slam QF.
In 37 Masters, Dim Dim has two SF and three QF appearances.
#Overrated
His career median slam finish is second round.
He showed a glimpse, I thought. But the mental part isn’t there, sadly, and I doubt it ever will be. Agreed, overrated.
Wow…strange results! Just a reminder of how crazy things can happen at a slam. Take nothing for granted.
I knew Rosol would be dangerous.
Stan’s backhand though! I tip Stan to go very deep in the tournament now.
I would normally disagree given that he played all last week and had a tough five setter but no one in the draw to challenge him until a potential SF showdown vs Murray so you are right as usual VR.
But I do believe that playing last week, while a confidence boost, will physically catch up to him eventually.
One would think Rosol was the toughest opponent in Stan’s draw until SF — but Milos’ draw is looking good too. Stan v Milos QF.
What if Sexy Steps takes out Andy!!?? Whoever wins has young French sensation, Mathias Bourgue in the 2nd round! wow.
You mean Fish Face? Gross!
You haven’t heard Steps called Sexy? How many WTA did he date?! ? Everyone on the other blog where I post used to call him Sexy Steps — as a joke, of course.
I’m glad it was only a joke. They must have dated him many moons ago.
Hawkeye, yes, that’s how I am seeing it as well! He has a really good chance of reaching the semi. We all know Stan is vulnerable to losing to non-big 4 players so let’s see. I think he will make it and if he does, he will be really hard to fend off for anyone not named Rafael Nadal.
Stan is pretty fit, so I don’t know that playing last week will catch up to him. We should keep in mind that Stan has been getting knocked out very early in recent tournaments. So he certainly hasn’t overplayed in that regard.
I think Stan needed a good result before RG. Maybe playing that smaller tournament was worth it to get a good result and have some momentum coming into RG.
I think this tough first match could also help Stan find his best form. He did have that backhand firing. He played very well in the fifth set and stepped it up against an opponent who played well.
I said earlier on another thread that I hope for a Rafa vs Stan final. I think Stan can make it after a tough first round.
Murray is also struggling vs Stepanek. Murray will have a hard time vs Stan should they meet.
For the record I still think it was stupid to play in another country 2 days before a slam starts especially one which you are defending champion. Cilic got burned from it and Stan almost did as well.
Everyone, not including me, was going on about how Murray was going to sleepwalk his way to the final. I pointed out that having qualifiers in your draw wasn’t to be taken for granted and when Stepanek was drawn against Murray in the 1st round, I felt that at least some justice had been done. I knew Step would give him a run for his money.
The match is far from over, but I feel Stepanek was getting tired yesterday after the first 2 sets so the fresh restart today will help him so we’ll see. It’s there for either of them to win.
The Guardian on Murray-Stepanek
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/may/23/andy-murray-angry-french-open-disaster-radek-stepanek
kevin mitchell is pretty annoying. he writes a lot of rugby stuff where he is routinely pulled apart for his idiocies btl. is there a single tennis journalist in gb who is even close to the quality of tignor?? can’t think of anyone…
steps squanders 2 break points..
I stopped breathing for what seemed like forever………………….
Do we think Muzza can pull this one off?
what a hold there by steps!! i think murray will win in the end….
he usually plays well when he is fired up…
this is getting pretty personal…
I’m still seething at Steps for instigating the stoppage last night because he was flagging.
Andy did well to snatch the set but he has come out fighting and doing a good job getting on Andy’s nerves 🙁
what a backhand passing shot by steps in the last game!!
he is not backing down…
You can say that again! I’m getting a bad feeling about this.
steps serving and volleying on a slow clay court!! 3-2 to steps…