The first day of qualifying of Roland Garrosthe Grand Slam on brick dust that will begin on Sunday, left a full of Argentine victories (7 of 7) and a peculiar story, which featured Renzo Olive. The man from Rosario made a strategic move over the weekend: he got out of a challenger and bet on his chances of entering the field of the previous phase of the “big” Frenchman, which were not the best. And he had his prize. Because he entered at the last minute and debuted with a win.
When the list of players for the Paris classification came out, Olivo, 259th in the ranking, had been the 15th alternate, as the journalist told Mark Zugasti in a thread of Twitter. He needed many to decide to erase the second Grand Slam of the year to take over a place. With the passing of the days, withdrawals continued and he went up the payroll. Excited, he arrived in the French capital a few days ago with the hope of entering.
The 31-year-old man from Santa Fe was also listed on the Challenger de Skopje, which started this Monday, and two days ago he had to make a decision: either he traveled to North Macedonia for that contest, belonging to the second level of the circuit, or he stayed in Paris, waiting for a “miracle”. It is that he had time until 18 on Saturday to choose one of those possibilities and at 17, he was still four casualties away from entering the qualy. Still, he took a risk.
As the clock read 5:30 p.m., the news came that the Italian Matthew Berrettini and the Croatian Marin Cilic they would not play in Bois de Boulogne. The entry list was moved and Olivo was two away from getting into the classification.
the scotsman Andy Murray He had announced his withdrawal on Sunday and the man from Rosario went one step further. But the organizers of the contest raffled the draw of the previous phase and Olivo had been left out. He did not despair, because the French Evan Furness He was injured and had warned that he was going to get off.
And when it seemed that Renzo’s chances were vanishing, this Monday, shortly before 10 in Paris, the Frenchman finally signed his resignation and Olivo entered, who had arrived at the property very early just in case.
He jumped onto court 8 in the second turn and in two hours and 18 minutes he beat the Ecuadorian Emilio Gomez, 117th in the world, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3 and 6-3, and advanced to the second round. He will now go for a place in the main draw of the contest against Andrea Collarini192 °, who defeated the Belgian 6-2 and 6-4 Joris De Loore189°.
Olivo’s decision, who withdrew from a tournament in which he had secured a place for an almost remote chance of qualifying for Paris, may seem strange, but it has a simple explanation.
The man from Rosario is one of those tennis “workers”, located outside the top 200, with few or no sponsors, who live week by week, play to continue playing and build their calendars thinking strategically. And on Saturday that reality surely weighed when choosing to stay in Paris, beyond how much it can mean to him to compete on the courts of Roland Garros.
Because? Because the Skopje Challenger gives the champion 9,880 euros (just under $10,700) and the finalist 5,820 (6,300). A defeat in the debut, meanwhile, pays just 720 euros. And the prizes qualy of the French Grand Slam are much more generous.
If he lost this Monday in the first round, Olivo was going to take $17,364. Since he beat Gomez, he secured 23,875. With a victory against Collarini he will earn 36,898. AND playing a main draw match, 74,881.
It is true that the previous phase of the “big” does not deliver points, so the Rosario could only add if he reaches the main draw (10 units in the initial round). Whereas in the Macedonian tournament he could have collected up to 75, which is what the winner of the title gets.
But sometimes for lower ranked players it makes more sense to sacrifice a small promotion and pocket a better prize that allows you to financially “save” a tour and, perhaps, the season as well.
A perfect day
Light blue and white tennis had a perfect day in the Bois de Boulogne: the seven Argentines who took to the court entered the second round of the qualy by Roland Garros.
John Manuel Certainly104th in the world, defeated the American Zachary Svadja, 222nd, 7-6 (7-4) and 6-3. Facundo Bagnis124th, beat Italian (born in Villa Gesell) Luciano Darderi, 179th, 6-3 and 6-4. Camillo Ugo Carabells150th, beat the Japanese Kaichi Uchida, 154th, 6-3, 1-6 and 6-3. Tiago Tirant, 153rd, won 6-3, 6-2 against Australian Rinky Hijikata, 136th. AND Santiago Rodriguez Taverna243rd, beat Portuguese Joao Sousa, 258th, 6-2, 3-6 and 7-6 (10-8).
Those five victories were added to those of Olivo and Collarini to complete the perfect record of the national rackets.
This Tuesday eight other albiceleste representatives will debut. Facundo Diaz Acosta (137th) will face the Italian Franco Agamenone (166th and a native of Río Cuarto, Córdoba); Nicolás Kicker (197°), al Britannica Jan Choinski (177°); Mariano Navone (219 °) will collide with the Slovakian Lukas Klein (133 °); Juan Pablo Ficovich (223 °), with the Dutch Gijs Brouwer (138 °); To Genaro Oliveri (227 °), with the Swiss Henri Laaksonen (213 °); and Federico Delbonis (236 °), with the Colombian Nicolás Mejía (234 °).
In addition, for the female cadre, Lourdes Carle (149th) will go before the American Caroline Dolehide (99th) and Paula Ormaechea (184th) will play with the French Elsa Jacquemot (175th).
There are already eight Argentines in the main draws of the contest. In the gentlemen’s are Francisco Cerundolo (28th in the world), Sebastian Baez (44°), Thomas Etcheverry (46°), Pedro Cachín (63°), Diego Schwartzman (93°), Frederick Coria (94°) y Guido Pella (421°, who entered with a protected ranking). And in the ladies’ Nadia Podoroska101st from the WTA.
2023-05-22 19:42:52
#match #main #draw #Paris #saves #season
