French Open 2024 Day 2 Recap – Perfect Tennis

Day two at Roland Garros 2024 is complete, and it featured the eye-catching match of the first round as Sascha Zverev took on Rafael Nadal.

In front of a packed crowd with the roof on Chatrier closed due to more rain, the German defeated the 14-time champion in straight sets.

Before that, Jannik Sinner started his campaign with a comfortable win over Christopher Eubanks. He moved freely throughout, allaying any fears that his hip would cause him problems.

In the night session, Daniil Medvedev was forced to work against Dominik Koepfer, recording a 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 win in a tight match that didn’t finish until midnight.

You can see all the results from day two below.

Day Two French Open 2024 Round of 128 Results

Sinner Makes Light Work of Eubanks

Jannik Sinner made a solid start at Roland Garros on Monday, easing past Christopher Eubanks 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in his first match after a three-week hiatus due to a right hip injury.

The Italian displayed his customary sharp ball-striking and fluid movement during his two-hour, nine-minute victory, setting up a second-round clash with Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

Sinner had withdrawn from his Madrid quarter-final and missed the Rome ATP Masters 1000 due to the hip injury, and revealed that it might be worse than his team initially thought.

However, his physical condition looked solid against Eubanks, and it was a relatively straightforward win. Eubanks did not find his rhythm on serve on a surface that didn’t suit his game. He did, however, create some pressure on the return, fashioning ten break points only to see Sinner erase nine of them with his improved serve.

Honestly, I’m just happy to be back on court, I was injured, so I’m very happy to be back here. It’s a very special tournament for me. It’s where I reached the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam for the first time, so I have some great memories. The last years I didn’t play my best, so I’m just trying to go day by day, building every day, and I’m just happy about today’s performance. My hip is good. I’m very happy. I’m glad that my team and I worked very hard to be on court as soon as possible. Obviously, without my team, it is not possible. For sure, my general shape is not at 100 percent yet, so we try to build every day. I’m happy about my achievements in the past months, but my goal is to improve daily. For me, that is more important. I know I have to improve some things, so I’m happy I have my team. They push me daily, so let’s see what I can achieve in the future. Sinner on his hip injury.=

Zverev Dominates Nadal

Monday’s blockbuster match saw Alexander Zverev take out 14-time champion Rafael Nadal, winning their first-round Roland Garros clash 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3.

Nadal showcased flashes of his vintage best, particularly with some of his forehands and angled volleys when he moved forward.

However, after three hours and five minutes, Zverev’s powerful serve, aggressive forehand, and composure under pressure ultimately prevailed.

The draw had sparked excitement for this blockbuster rematch of their 2022 semi-final, where Zverev had to retire due to an ankle injury, and it drew a star-studded audience, including Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Iga Swiatek.

Despite the straight-sets scoreline, it was a tight affair, with Nadal even serving for the second set. I thought his level was much improved over some of his earlier clay matches this season, and had it been outdoors on a warm day where his spin becomes more venomous, I think it would have been a much closer affair.

However, with the roof closed and the conditions cool, Zverev could comfortably take the ball on both wings and step into the court to push Nadal backwards.

The German set the tone in the first set with aggressive play, hitting 15 winners to Nadal’s five. I was also impressed by his composure. He didn’t let the crowd impact him, weathered the storm in set two when Nadal got up a break, and was steady in the neutral rallies, using his fluid two-handed backhand to counter Nadal’s forehand.

Zverev’s victory makes him only the third player to defeat Nadal at Roland Garros, joining Djokovic and Robin Soderling.

Was it Nadal’s last match in Paris? I am not so sure; based on today, the level of tennis brought was more than good enough to take out ~120 of the 128 players in the draw. He just ran into one of the in-form tournament favourites in their favourable playing conditions. 

It was an incredible match. Obviously, emotional-wise, very, very difficult. I don’t really know how to react in the end. Obviously, I’m happy that I won the match, but we don’t know whether he will be back. I hope he will be back because how he’s been improving over the last few months and how he’s playing this week was incredible. If he had gotten a bit of an easier first round and maybe gotten into the tournament a bit better, You know, from the third, fourth match onwards, he would have been one of the favourites to win the tournament again. But it is how it is. It’s very unfortunate. But obviously, you know, I’m happy to be through. Zverev on his win.

Nadal Press Conference

Other Matches of Note

Tsitsipas Too Good For Fucsovics: Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame a tough opening set to secure a 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-1 first-round win against Marton Fucsovics. The ninth seed saved a set point in the opener before dominating, hitting powerful groundstrokes to seal a two-hour, 20-minute victory. Tsitsipas will face Daniel Altmaier next.

Shelton Bags Maiden Win in Paris: A 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 who handled the tricky Gaston and the Parisien crowd to bag his first win at the French Open.

Arnaldi Foils Fils: Matteo Arnaldi upset 29th-seeded Frenchman Arthur Fils 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. After saving two break points in the first set, Arnaldi gained momentum, securing the set 6-3. Fils levelled, but the Italian kept coming out on top of their back-and-forth exchanges. 

Kotov Knocks Out Norrie: Cameron Norrie was eliminated in the first round by Russian Pavel Kotov. Playing on a sparsely populated outside court on a cold, breezy afternoon, Norrie lost in five tight sets, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2. Seeded 32, Norrie won five consecutive games to take the first set after trailing 4-1. However, world No. 56 Kotov fought back each time, forcing a decider with a tie-break. Kotov quickly gained a 4-0 lead in the final set, leaving Norrie unable to recover. Norrie joined fellow Brits Andy Murray and Jack Draper in early exits, leaving British hopes in singles resting on Dan Evans, who plays on Tuesday.

Monfils Delights Homecrowd: Gael Monfils is playing his 17th Roland Garros, and he produced a vintage performance to see off Thiago Seyboth Wild in four sets. Monfils was dominant in the early stages, dictating with his forehand, but the match, of course, contained the typical Monfils walkabout in the second set. He recovered to get it done in four, playing with a controlled aggression that drew 39 unforced errors from the Brazilian en route to the win.

French Open 2024 Day 3 Round of 128 Matches