Roland Garros: The marathon that won’t win this time Sara Sorribes: “Oysters, if it’s three and a half hours!”

The Spaniard, who has played three of the 10 longest matches in history, fell to Haddad Maia in three hours and 51 minutes, the third longest at Roland Garros.

Consummate specialist in long distances, Sara Smiles Tormo I did not find the usual happy ending this time. There was a moment when I looked at the track clock and I said to myself: “Oh my gosh, it’s three and a half hours! I didn’t know it had been that long,” said the Spanish woman at a press conference after losing in the round of 16 at Roland Garros to Beatriz Haddad Maria, in a game that went to three hours and 51 minutes, the third longest in the women’s draw in the history of the tournament. Then I did the same as any other day: bike, ice bath, eat to recover and talk to my team to analyze what had happened.

A tenacious competitor, with a career full of setbacks, the player born 26 years ago in Vall d’Uix was close to victory, when she dominated 3-0 in the second set and had four balls to extend an advantage that seemed to have been definitive. When I lie down on the bed, it will surely hurt a lot and maybe one day more, but at that moment he was just telling me that just as it was 3-0 for me, we could go 2-2.

Sorribes has played three of the 10 longest matches in the history of women’s tennis in the professional era and this is the first one that eludes her. The past won camila osorio, in Cleveland, in three hours and 54 minutes. Two years ago, in Rome, I surpassed Camila Giorgi at exactly the same time that I was defeated yesterday.

I know he is strong, I know what he works for, I know how he trains. I try to be very focused on taking advantage of my options, but I knew that physically we were on an equal footing, she answered the question about whether she felt at an advantage when the game was delayed in a situation in which she usually handles herself quite well.

The last Spanish

She was the only survivor of the five Spaniards who started the tournament: Cristina Bucsa70, Rebeka Masarova, 71, Nuria Prizas95 y He saw Bolsova, 131. Also the one that started with the worst qualification, 132, after overcoming numerous physical problems that made her fall down the ranking. In 2022 she suffered a broken rib in Rome and on her return to competition, at the end of the summer, in Cincinnati, she broke the scaphoid in her foot. She walked with crutches and a prosthetic boot for three months. I end this week and a half with great satisfaction, happy to once again feel capable of playing this type of match, value.

He reached his best rank, 32, in March 2021 by winning the so far only title of his career in Guadalajara (Mexico). After beating in the second round Petra Martic and the withdrawal of Elena Rybakinacurrent Wimbledon champion, who was unable to play her match due to illness, found herself with a good opportunity to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. Haddad Maya He had much more status, yes, but he had been able to beat her in their last two matches, the closest in 2022, at the beginning of the season at ATP 250 in Melbourne, after another fight that left after three hours and six minutes. I’m amazed at the way I’ve managed to compete all the time. Maintaining the level for almost four hours is a very positive thing.

Sorribes continues in the doubles draw with the Czech Marie Bouzkovaafter his controversial victory against Miyu Kato y Aldila Sutjiati. When they dominated po 7-6 (1) and 1-3, a remainder of Kato violently impacted a ball boy, who cried as a result of the pain of the impact. The chair umpire, applying the regulations, disqualified the Japanese-Indonesian tandem, after consulting with the supervisor regarding the complaints of the Spanish couple. We have not done anything wrong. The rule is the rule, Sorribes argued this Monday.