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Alex de Minaur believes the French fans at his match went over the line as the top Aussie hope crashed out of the first round 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 7-6 (10-4) to highly-rated French youngster Hugo Gaston.
De Minaur, the No. 19 seed and the top Aussie hope at Roland Garros, had the crowd against him from the get-go and had to cope with boos throughout the match.
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Demon knocked out after five set epic | 00:55
While the Aussie enjoys a fun atmosphere, he believed that much of the chatter from the crowd bordered on abuse.
“I think there’s a difference between a great atmosphere and supporting your fellow countryman, which is completely fine and it’s great,” de Minaur said.
“I’m sure for him it was an amazing atmosphere. He enjoyed every second of it but there’s a line …
“When I’m getting told things by people in the crowd, making eye contact with me after I hit a double fault, I think there’s a certain line that needs to be kind of looked at.
“But good for him for playing a great match in front of his home crowd and being able to feed off that, and having a moment that I’m sure he won’t forget.”
The first round loss is de Minaur’s fourth at Roland Garros as he failed once again to make it past the second round.
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RUSSIAN STAR ALMOST HITS GROUNDSMAN IN “UNPROFESSIONAL” ERROR
Russia’s Andrey Rublev said “I lost my mind” after angrily smashing a ball which narrowly missed a court groundsman at the French Open on Tuesday.
The world number seven blasted the ball against a courtside chair after dropping the first set of his opening round match against South Korea’s Kwon Soon-woo.
It then rebounded and just whizzed past the head of the groundsman who was brushing the clay surface of the court between sets.
“I lost my mind for a moment, and of course I regret what I did. It’s unacceptable to hit the way the ball I hit it,” said the Russian, who went on to register a 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win.
“Better if I just hit the racquet on the seat, because the ball can affect someone.
“This is unprofessional from my side, and hopefully I will never do it again.”
CULT HERO BIDS TEARY FAREWELL AS CAREER COMES TO AN END
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a former Australian Open runner-up and world number five, said he “couldn’t have asked for a better script” as he bid an emotional goodbye to tennis at Roland Garros on Tuesday.
The 37-year-old Tsonga, who announced last month he would retire following the French Open, lost 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 7-6 (7/0) in the first round to Casper Ruud.
“It was pure madness today. One of the best atmospheres I have seen in my career, and it’s my last match,” said Tsonga.
Teary Tsonga plays final match of career | 00:52
“I couldn’t have asked for something better. I couldn’t have asked for a better script, apart from the fact that I could have won.”
With a brass band blasting out ‘La Marseillaise’ at intervals, Tsonga delighted the crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier by taking the opening set, but Ruud, who won the Geneva title last week, hit back to claim the next two sets.
The Frenchman broke for a 6-5 lead in the fourth set but was unable to serve out, immediately calling for the trainer before the tie-break and taking a medical timeout for treatment to his right shoulder.
Ruud, the Norwegian eighth seed, comfortably sealed victory against a visibly ailing Tsonga, who fought back tears before the final point of his 18-year career.
“When I was about to serve and I realised I couldn’t put my arm up, then I called for the physio. But I thought, ‘I’m going to stay on the court and finish off this match.’
“I wanted to finish this way, on the court, to do my best, injured or not. “In any case, there would have been no second match, because I left everything on the court today.”
MEDVEDEV CRUISES THROUGH AS OPPONENT STRUGGLES WITH INJURY
World number two Daniil Medvedev coasted into the French Open second round Tuesday, beating Argentina’s 103rd-ranked Facundo Bagnis 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
The second seed hit 35 winners and broke eight times against Bagnis, who suffered a nasty slip while serving in the second set and sported a heavily strapped right calf.
The fact that the Argentinian was even able to play was commendable, although he was forced to retire with the same injury at a lead-up tournament in Geneva.
The commentators were stunned that he continued to play despite clearly being in pain, with a fall after serving proving to be a major worry.
“Is he alright,” Sam Smith said.
“That is not a good sign! He is going to really hurt himself if he keeps going! Goodness me, that leg did not stand up at all. He can’t land on it!”
Mark Petchey agreed: “Calves are notorious. I said it right at the start: they do not heal quickly and they get weaker once you have torn them once.
“This is not the smartest decision by Bagnis. I know there is a lot of money on the line, but this is genuinely not the smartest decision he has taken this week to play.
“This is swing and a miss stuff from Bagnis at the moment.”
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