Paris (AP) – For Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber, the French Open starts on the first day. A German tennis duel with qualifier Oscar Otte is waiting for Zverev. Naomi Osaka, who recently made headlines, opens the tournament on Center Court.
The view of today’s Sunday in Paris:
THE GAMES OF THE GERMANS:
Zverev meets Oscar Otte from Cologne in the fourth match of the day at the second Grand Slam tournament of the season (start of the games 11.00 a.m. / Eurosport). The 27-year-old is number 152 in the world and has fought for a place in the main field of Roland Garros through qualifying. The world number six, Zverev and Otte have never faced each other. Kerber has to deal with the qualifier Anhelina Kalinina from Ukraine at 11.00 a.m. Of the ten German professionals, Yannick Hanfmann is also challenged on the first day of the clay court event. The 29-year-old from Karlsruhe plays in the second match of the day against Henri Laaksonen from Switzerland.
WHAT THE TWO GERMAN TOP PROS SAY:
When asked how he could make himself more popular in Germany, the 24-year-old Zverev said in an interview with “Bild am Sonntag”: “I’m in Paris right now. The simplest, but also the most difficult means is to win a Grand Slam. If I manage to do that, that wouldn’t be bad. ” Kerber is highly motivated in the tournament despite her recent moderate results and the often early elimination in Paris. She will “do everything possible to play my best tennis again,” she said in an RTL interview. «I know how it’s done, I’m fit, I feel good. Now it’s all about doing the best and winning seven matches. ”
SPECTATOR:
Last year, the French Open had been postponed to autumn due to the coronavirus pandemic – in often wet and cold weather, a maximum of 1000 spectators were allowed to the entire facility. This year, a little more than 5000 spectators should be allowed on the first ten days of the tournament – 1000 visitors each in the three largest arenas and several hundred spectators on the outdoor courts. From June 9th to 13th, when only the largest stadiums are played, 5,000 fans should be allowed in each time. In the best case scenario, the organizers are planning a total of slightly more than 118,000 visitors during the two weeks.
THE BIG EXCITER TOPIC:
However, the Australian Open winner Naomi Osaka triggered quite a debate. Her announcement of not wanting to speak to the media at the French Open caused a stir. The 23-year-old Japanese will play the first match on Sunday in the largest stadium in the facility, Court Philippe Chatrier, against Patricia Maria Tig from Romania. And afterwards it will probably not actually come to the actually obligatory press conference.
AND WHO IS STILL PLAYING?
Of the big names, the Austrian US Open winner Dominic Thiem (against Pablo Andujar from Spain) and the number five seeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (against the French Jeremy Chardy) will already compete on Sunday.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210529-99-791133 / 2
- Herren-Tableau
- Damen-Table
