It was not the greatest tennis match of his life, but it was a first victory on clay, after two failures in Marrakech then in qualifying in Monte-Carlo, which launched Luca Van’s season on ocher for good. Assche (99th in the world). Tuesday, against the robust Chinese, Zhizhen Zhang (47th), “LVA” knew how to remain calm and had the merit of not getting frustrated, despite a certain inconsistency in the exchange and missed opportunities in the first set.
“My game wasn’t the best today, but I knew how to keep a positive mentality”
“My game wasn’t the best today, but I managed to keep a positive mentality on court, even though there were plenty of difficult moments. I knew how not to show him that sometimes it could annoy me,” noted the Frenchman, who knew how to rebel at 5-5, behind the loss of his serve, to come and get the break by following with a little more aggressiveness in his offensive game.
“I hope it’s gone again”
Behind a third round at the Australian Open full of promise and a successful first stint in the Davis Cup with the French team, the rest of the season was more complicated for the young 19-year-old Frenchman, who continues to discover the highest level. “I would have hoped for a better start to the season, but it’s also full of new experiences. The Australian Open was an incredible experience, the sequence with the Davis Cup, the emotions of a first match for the France team. There was a bit of a backlash, but I hope it’s gone again,” said Van Assche, who will face Hungarian Fabian Marozsán in the second round on Wednesday.
It’s over, however, for Hugo Grenier. Drafted as a lucky loser, the 159th in the ATP was dominated on the Pista Rafa Nadal by the Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena (6-2, 6-4), during a match where the Frenchman was too often let go by his service, committing eight double faults for only 59% of points won behind his first ball.
