2023-05-25 14:34:59
The draw spoke to Roland-Garros. Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, the two favorites for men, could meet in the semi-finals. In the ladies, the world number 1 and defending champion, Iga Swiatek, and her opponent from last year, Coco Gauff, could offer us a remake in the quarter-finals.
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Who to take over the vacant throne from Rafael Nadal? Serbian Novak Djokovic, world No. 3, in search of a 23rd Grand Slam title at Roland-Garros, and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, world No. 1, the two favorites, could face each other in the semi-finals , according to the draw made on Thursday, May 25. Among the women, chance placed the world No. 1 and defending champion, the Polish Iga Swiatek, and the Kazakhstani Elena Rybakina, titled at the Rome Masters, in the same table.
The defending champion and 14-time winner, the Spaniard Rafael Nadal, withdrew before the start of the tournament, insufficiently recovered from a hip muscle injury he suffered in the second round of the Open. Australia in January.
Tsitsipas on the road to Alcaraz
The big question was whether the tournament’s two main favorites, Alcaraz and Djokovic, could face each other before the final, with the Serb having dropped back to third in the world. The fate therefore decided that yes by placing him in the half of the table of the Spaniard. For Alcaraz, 20, after a first round against a player from the qualifications, the road seems clear until the quarter-finals where the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (5th), finalist in 2021 would be waiting for him.
At 36, Djokovic will begin his career against the American Aleksandar Kovacevic (114th) by aiming for a quarter probably against the Russian Andrey Rublev (7th).
At the bottom of the table, the Ukrainian Andrey Medvedev, who surprised us by winning his first clay title in Rome last week, will start against a player from the qualifications and will go to a theoretical quarter against the Italian Jannik Sinner (8th).
???? Potential quarter-final clashes in the men’s draw ????
Alcaraz vs. Tsitsipas
Djokovic vs. Rublev
Rune vs. Ruud
Sinner vs. Medvedev#RolandGarros— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 25, 2023
The other quarter should pit Danish rising star Holger Rune (6th), finalist this year in Monte-Carlo and Rome, against Casper Ruud, the Norwegian finalist at Roland-Garros last year. The German Alexander Zverev (27th), who had seriously injured his right ankle last year in the semi-finals against Nadal and had ended his season, will make his debut against the South African Lloyd Harris (306th).
In addition, the fate was severe with the French Benoît Paire (149th) who, beneficiary of an invitation, will be opposed from entry to the Briton Cameron Norrie (14th).
The two French hopefuls Luca van Assche (79th) and Arthur Fils (112th), finalists of Roland-Garros juniors in 2021, could face each other in the second round of the main draw this year, provided the former beats the Italian Marco Cecchinato (73rd) and that the second gets rid of the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich (34th).
Coco Gauff vs. Iga Swiatek in quarters ?
Among the women, the world No. 1 and defending champion, Poland’s Iga Swiatek, and Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, titled in Rome, are in the same half of the table at Roland-Garros and will not be able to meet before the semi-finals. finals. The other theoretical semi-final would pit Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka (N.2) against American Jessica Pegula (N.3).
The French Caroline Garcia (N.5) could find herself on the road to Sabalenka in the quarters. The Lyonnaise will face the Chinese Xiyu Wang in the first round. The American Coco Gauff, beaten in the final last year by Swiatek, is for her part placed on the trajectory of Iga Swiatek on the horizon of the quarter-finals.
The main poster of the first round will see two former winners of major tournaments face off: the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, titled in Melbourne in 2012 and 2013, and the Canadian Bianca Andreescu, crowned at the US Open 2019.
With AFP
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