Tsitsipas struggles, Hurkacz and Khachanov move to 5th. Kokkinakis eliminates Evans

First big names on the field at Roland Garros, on the opening day of the second slam of the season. A few too many headaches for the 2021 finalist, Stefanos Tsitsipas, seeded number 5, who only got the better of that player as talented as he is inconsistent (understatement) in four sets, Jiry Vesely, 29, one who is number 450 in the world but is ahead 2-0 in direct clashes with Novak Djokovic (last year in Dubai), just to frame the guy. The Greek qualified to the second round by beating the Czech 7-5 6-3 4-6 7-6 (9), risking losing both the first and fourth sets, with Vesely playing a set point in the tie break unfortunate short ball, with Tsitsipas who thanks and hopes that today was a bad day, even if playing against someone like Vesely, if minimally inspired, is never easy. “He was a difficult opponent for me today – said the Greek who recently stopped working with Filippoussis -. I’m very happy that I was able to recover and overcome the difficulties that always came to me from the other side of the net. For me a victory that is worth a lot”.

KHACHANOV RISK

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Karen Khachanov, seeded number 11, suffered the pains of hell, who on Lenglen went down by two sets against one of the many home favorites, Constant Lestienne: 3-6 1-6 6-2 6-1 6- 3 for Russian. Nice victory for Thanasi Kokkinakis, the twin of Kyrgios, who beat the 20th seed, Daniel Evans, with a triple 6-4. Hurkacz, Albot, Fucsovics and Korda are also ahead.