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05/26 15:20 CDT Sabalenka's necklaces sparkle in the sun during French Open
win. Gauff and Osaka advance
Sabalenka's necklaces sparkle in the sun during French Open win. Gauff and
Osaka advance
By JEROME PUGMIRE and ANDREW DAMPF
AP Sports Writers
PARIS (AP) --- Aryna Sabalenka's diamonds sparkled in the sun during a
first-round victory at the heat-soakedFrench Open on Tuesday.
The top-ranked Sabalenka looked light on her feet on Court Philippe-Chatrier,
despite wearing two thick necklaces in a 6-4, 6-2 win against Jessica Bouzas
Maneiro.
"Diamonds, I don't really feel the heaviness, but I can imagine how it looks
from the outside," said Sabalenka, the tournament runner-up last year to Coco
Gauff. "So I feel pretty comfortable. For me, it's important to look good."
The four-time major winner was initially going to wear three necklaces but said
she thought that might be too much.
"It probably sounds a bit crazy, but when I feel good about what I'm wearing,
how I look on court, I tend to perform much better," Sabalenka said. "I like to
bring a little bit of a fashion on the tennis court. I know the dress that I
will wear on the Grand Slam, and I just try to come up with something to match
the outfit."
Sabalenka said she wasn't worried about protecting her jewelry when she's off
the court.
"I have my fianc. He's kind of like my security," she said, smiling. "My
physio does jujitsu, so I feel pretty secure walking around. If I go somewhere,
I don't go alone."
Gauff began her title defense with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over fellow American
Taylor Townsend, while four-time major winner Naomi Osaka beat Laura Siegemund
6-3, 7-6 (3) on Court Suzanne-Lenglen wearing a sequined gold playing dress.
Frenchwoman Lois Boisson, who made a surprise run to the semifinals last year
when she was ranked 361st, lost 6-2, 6-2 to the 22nd-seeded Anna Kalinskaya.
For a third consecutive day, the temperature in Paris rose far above normal,
reaching a scorching 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit).
"I'm from Florida, so this is nothing. Shout-out Delray Beach," said Gauff, who
kept her spare rackets in a court-side cooler during the match.
Medvedev loses early again The unusually hot conditions made the courts faster than usual. Daniil Medvedev usually thrives in such conditions but he struggled in a five-set loss to 97th-ranked Australian opponent Adam Walton. Walton, who received a wild card invitation from tournament organizers, beat Medvedev 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4. It was Medvedev's second straight first round exit here and third in four years. "I know why I don't really play my best in Roland Garros, but if I say it, it's (making) excuses," he said. "So I keep it to myself." Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2021 runner-up to Novak Djokovic, was leading 6-2, 3-0 against Alexandre Muller when his French opponent retired. Muller injured his right calf, three months after injuring his left calf. Ninth-seeded Alexander Bublik was beaten 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-5 by Jan-Lennard Struff. Alexander Blockx withdrew from the tournament with a right ankle sprain, making Alex de Minaur --- his scheduled second round opponent --- the first player into the third round. Later, top-ranked Jannik Sinner looks to extend his 29-match winning streak when he opens against French wild card Clement Tabur in the night session.
Rising star French teenager Mose Kouam made the perfect start to his French Open career with a 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-1 win over Marin Cilic. The 17-year-old Kouam won one day after 39-year-old Frenchman Gael Monfils made his last appearance at Roland Garros. The teenager raised his arms in triumph after defeating the 37-year-old Cilic, who won the 2014 U.S. Open, finished runner-up at two other majors, and reached the French Open semifinals in 2022. The ATP Tour said No. 318-ranked Kouam became the first man born in 2008 or later to win a Grand Slam match. In March, he became the youngest winner in Miami Masters history when he beat Zachary Svajda in the first round --- earning a congratulatory message from Djokovic. ___ AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Medvedev loses early again The unusually hot conditions made the courts faster than usual. Daniil Medvedev usually thrives in such conditions but he struggled in a five-set loss to 97th-ranked Australian opponent Adam Walton. Walton, who received a wild card invitation from tournament organizers, beat Medvedev 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4. It was Medvedev's second straight first round exit here and third in four years. "I know why I don't really play my best in Roland Garros, but if I say it, it's (making) excuses," he said. "So I keep it to myself." Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2021 runner-up to Novak Djokovic, was leading 6-2, 3-0 against Alexandre Muller when his French opponent retired. Muller injured his right calf, three months after injuring his left calf. Ninth-seeded Alexander Bublik was beaten 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-5 by Jan-Lennard Struff. Alexander Blockx withdrew from the tournament with a right ankle sprain, making Alex de Minaur --- his scheduled second round opponent --- the first player into the third round. Later, top-ranked Jannik Sinner looks to extend his 29-match winning streak when he opens against French wild card Clement Tabur in the night session.
Rising star French teenager Mose Kouam made the perfect start to his French Open career with a 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-1 win over Marin Cilic. The 17-year-old Kouam won one day after 39-year-old Frenchman Gael Monfils made his last appearance at Roland Garros. The teenager raised his arms in triumph after defeating the 37-year-old Cilic, who won the 2014 U.S. Open, finished runner-up at two other majors, and reached the French Open semifinals in 2022. The ATP Tour said No. 318-ranked Kouam became the first man born in 2008 or later to win a Grand Slam match. In March, he became the youngest winner in Miami Masters history when he beat Zachary Svajda in the first round --- earning a congratulatory message from Djokovic. ___ AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
