Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

French Open: Andy Murray v Stan Wawrinka & Johanna Konta v Coco Gauff on day one

Written by 
Published in Tennis
Saturday, 26 September 2020 09:01

Andy Murray says it was "amusing" to be drawn against fellow three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in the French Open, which starts on Sunday.

British former world number one Murray, 33, plays the 16th seed last on Court Philippe Chatrier at about 17:30 BST.

Murray is playing on clay for the first time since losing to Wawrinka in the 2017 semi-finals at Roland Garros.

British number ones Johanna Konta and Dan Evans also start on Sunday, playing against Coco Gauff and Kei Nishikori.

Ninth seed Konta takes on American 16-year-old Gauff on Court Suzanne Lenglen at about 15:00, with 32nd seed Evans meeting Japan's former world number four Nishikori on court 14 at about 12:00.

'First time I've watched a draw in 10 years'

Murray being drawn against Switzerland's Wawrinka in his Roland Garros return was a quirk of fate which has excited fans.

During the 2017 tournament in Paris, Murray felt for the first time something was not right with his hip and it was an injury which threatened to end his career less than two years later.

Two major surgeries and several comebacks later, he will face 35-year-old Wawrinka - whose own career has been disrupted by knee injuries - in his second Grand Slam event in quick succession after a second-round defeat at the US Open.

"It's an amusing draw. It's actually the first time I've watched the draw in the past 10 years," said Murray, who is ranked 111th.

"Obviously it will be a very tough match. That match I played against Stan a few years ago was a brutal one.

"I kind of knew something was up before the Kei Nishikori match in the quarter-finals.

"I didn't know that it was that bad but at the end of the Stan match, in the fifth set, I was struggling to push up on my serve and moving to my forehand.

"It never felt the same after that match."

Konta will not be fazed by Gauff hype

Konta, 29, returns to the place where she enjoyed a memorable run to the semi-finals a little over 15 months ago.

But her build-up has been vastly different to last year - she has won just one match in a shortened clay-court season and arrived in Paris without a full-time coach.

The Briton says she is "getting better each day" on the surface but she would probably have preferred to avoid a talent like Gauff in her opener.

The teenager announced her arrival on the biggest stage with a run to the Wimbledon fourth round in June 2019, backing that up with a similar effort at the Australian Open in January, where she knocked out defending champion Naomi Osaka.

Konta, who has never played Gauff, said: "I know she's very mature for her age. That's why she's able to compete at the level she's competing.

"She's physically and mentally mature enough to deal with the demands we have on tour. Obviously she's going to just keep getting better and better.

"I'm very clear on the fact that I'm going in playing another professional tennis player who is one of the best-ranked in the world. It doesn't matter if she's 14 or 40.

"I'm going to be playing against the tennis that she brings, not her social media following, not her persona."

Evans, 30, has said he does not enjoy playing on clay and was handed arguably the worst draw he could have had against Nishikori.

The world number 35 is one place below Evans in the rankings after injury problems and reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros last year for the third time.

"No-one really needs to question his quality. It will be a difficult match," said Evans, who has never won a main-draw matchat the French Open.

"I have to go out there and try my best to win the match and see what happens."

Read 331 times

Soccer

J.J. Watt vs. McAfee part of TST soccer tourney

J.J. Watt vs. McAfee part of TST soccer tourney

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBurnley co-owner and NFL legend J.J. Watt's Burnley squad will face...

Tuchel: Madrid-Bayern clash every kid's dream

Tuchel: Madrid-Bayern clash every kid's dream

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThomas Tuchel said his Bayern Munich players must "connect with the...

Maradona's stolen '86 Golden Ball to be auctioned

Maradona's stolen '86 Golden Ball to be auctioned

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsDiego Maradona's Golden Ball trophy won for being named the best pl...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Miller on MSG return: 'The Boogeyman is coming'

Miller on MSG return: 'The Boogeyman is coming'

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsReggie Miller will be back at Madison Square Garden nearly 29 years...

Haliburton shoots for G2 rebound: 'I'll be better'

Haliburton shoots for G2 rebound: 'I'll be better'

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton is promising...

Baseball

Braves reliever Matzek to IL with elbow injury

Braves reliever Matzek to IL with elbow injury

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsATLANTA -- The Braves lost another reliever to an injury on Tuesday...

MLB: Don't push kids to drop out to evade draft

MLB: Don't push kids to drop out to evade draft

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMajor League Baseball has sent a warning to clubs about encouraging...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated