Benoit Paire

Mondays with Bob Greene

STARS

Alexander Zverev beat Nicolas Jarry 6-3 3-6 7-6 (8) to win the Banc Eric Sturdza Geneva Open in Geneva, Switzerland

Benoit Paire beat Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4 6-3 to win the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon in Lyon, France

Yulia Putintseva beat Tamara Zidansek 4-6 6-4 6-2 to win the Nürnberger Versicherungscup in Nürnberg, Germany

Dayana Yastremska beat Caroline Garcia 6-4 5-7 7-6 (3) to win the Internationaux de Strasbourg in Strasbourg, France

SAYINGS

“I live for this win, for these emotions and these moments. I’m going to do everything to experience it again and again and again.” – Anastasia Potapova, who upset Angelique Kerber on the opening day of Roland Garros.

“When I start playing good, I don’t worry about titles. I know that I can be one of the best players in the world when I find my rhythm. This week definitely helped with that.” – Alexander Zverev, who found his rhythm just in time to win in Switzerland.

“I expect a lot for Roland Garros now. … If physically I feel 100 percent, I hope I can go to the second week because for a Slam it would be my first time in Paris, so that’s my goal and we will see if I could do it.” – Benoit Paire, who won in Lyon.

“I had a good week even though it didn’t end the way I wanted, not playing the way I wanted or being physically well. There’s disappointment because these finals don’t come around often but there’s a lot of positives to take from that week.” – Felix Auger-Aliassime, after losing the Lyon final to Frenchman Benoit Paire.

“It’s unbelievable, honestly. I enjoyed myself and I was fighting until the end. That’s what helped me to win. It was a great fight, a great game for the final.” – Yulia Putintseva, following her victory in Nürnberg, her first WTA title.

“It is my best result this year, so no matter what happened today, I played well. I’m going to go from Nurnberg with my head held high.” – Tamara Zidansek, after losing the Nürnberg final to Yulia Putintseva.

“I don’t care if I’m the favorite. I care about feeling well and playing well.” – Rafael Nadal, who is seeking his record-extending 12^th Roland Garros title.

“I always had really big goals and dreams. I always thought I would be number one and win a Grand Slam (by the time) I was 18. … When that didn’t happen, I was a little bit depressed. I was thinking I’m kind of late to the party. Then I kind of realized that everyone has their own path.” – Naomi Osaka.

“I play tennis because I love playing tennis, and I’m here because I love the life of an athlete. I like to make friends. I like to spend time with people. Now I see things differently, so I discover a different life on tour.” – Defending French Open women’s champion Simona Halep.

“There is an extra motivation and incentive to win Roland Garros because of the opportunity to hold all four Slams, something I did three years ago in my career, and that gives me obviously enough reason to believe I can do it again.” – Novak Djokovic, on his attempt to hold all four Grand Slam tournament titles at the same time.

“Don’t know. A bit of a question mark for me. I feel like I’m playing good tennis, but is it enough against the absolute top guys when it really comes to the crunch? I’m not sure if it’s in my racquet.” – Roger Federer, when asked about playing Roland Garros for the first time since 2015.

“Well, for me, it’s kind of like a miracle. When I was trying to come back and play on the higher level, I couldn’t really imagine to being one match from being number one in the world and playing for the title of the Slam.” – Petra Kvitova, on her run to the Australian Open final in January just two years after she suffered a career-threatening knife injury while fighting off an intruder in her home.

SHOCKER IN PARIS

Reigning Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber of Germany became the first seeded player to be knocked out of Roland Garros when she was beaten by Russian Anastasia Potapova 6-4 6-2 on the opening day of the two-week tournament. The fifth-seeded Kerber was seeking to complete a career Grand Slam, while the 18-year-old Potapova was making her Paris main draw debut. “I had a lot of confidence and I have to thank my coach for that,” said Potapova, who won the first four games of the second set. Kerber has been hampered by a right ankle injury. She had retired from her second-round match in Madrid and withdrew from the Italian Open. Once ranked number one in the world, Kerber now has lost in the first round in six of her 12 French Open appearances, including three of the last four years. She won the Australian Open and US Open in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2018.

SURVIVOR

Staving off two match points, Alexander Zverev squeaked past Nicolas Jarry to win the Geneva Open in three sets. Ranked fifth in the world, Zverev took the opening set before Jarry and rain interrupted the title run. Twice, Jarry had championship point in the final-set tiebreak before Zverev pulled it out 10-8. “I thought I was in control until the rain came, but I’m happy to find a way,” the German said. “I felt it could have gone either way.” Zverev committed five of his eight double faults in the final set and converted just one of 12 break points in the match. Jarry, who beat Zverev on clay in Barcelona last month, fired six aces to Zverev’s three. “It was a very tough match,” Zverev admitted. “He was playing aggressively, serving big and hitting everything he can.” But Zverev wound up with his 11^th career title and first since the season-ending ATP Finals in London last November.

STRONG PERFORMANCE

Frenchman Benoit Paire dominated 18-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime to win the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon. “I started the season a little bit bad with some injuries,” Paire said after his straight-set victory. “But I feel much better now, I feel good on court, I feel very confident. When you feel confident, you can win a lot of matches against good players.” Paire pressured the young Canadian from the start, earning two break points in the first game of the match. Although he didn’t convert, the 30-year-old Paire continued that pressure throughout the match. In his second service game, Auger-Aliassime double faulted to give the break to Paire, who never wavered after that. Auger-Aliassime is the youngest player to reach at least two ATP Tour-level finals since Andy Murry in 2005-06, and he was trying to become the youngest ATP Tour champion since 18-year-old Kei Nishikori in Delray Beach 11 years ago.

STRASBOURG WINNER

Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska had special words for the woman she beat in the Strasbourg International final. “You’ve always been my idol, thank you for the match,” Yastremska told Caroline Garcia of France. The victorious 19-year-old served for the match at 5-3 in the second set, only to have Garcia stave off two match points and force a third set. Yastremska turned the table, saving one match herself before closing out the tiebreak 7-3. “I was here two years ago and I lost in the first round,” Yastremska said. “I almost lost at match point today, but I’m happy to win.” With her second WTA title of the year, Yastremska joins Kiki Bertens, Karolina Pliskova and Petra Kvitova to go into Roland Garros with more than one title this year.

SEIZES FIRST TITLE

Although she was seeded number one in Nürnberg, Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan had never won a WTA singles title. Until now, that is. The 39^th-ranked Putintseva converted her second match point to defeat Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek in three sets. It was her third final; she lost last year in Guangzhou and in St. Petersburg in 2017. Zidansek was playing in her first WTA final. “Honestly, it was a little bit of luck, because I was running and hoping the ball was going to go in,” Putintseva said. “When I was out of position, I was running and hit some incredible shots. My character is to keep fighting.” With Zidansek leading 6-4 1-0 and Putintseva facing break point, Zidansek’s forehand clipped the top of the net and fall back on her side for deuce. Putintseva held, then broke Zidansek in the very next game and begin her run to the title. Putintseva’s quarterfinal win over Anna-Lena Friedsam lasted 3 hours, 21 minutes, the longest on the WTA tour this season.

SIDELINED

Australian Nick Kyrgios won’t be playing at Roland Garros this year. No reason was given for the withdrawal of the tournament’s 16^th seeded player. The announcement does come one week after Kyrgios threw a chair and walked off the court at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. In his match against Norwegian qualifier Casper Ruud, Kyrgios had been warned for ball abuse, lost a point for unsportsmanlike conduct and then penalized a game for unsportsmanlike conduct when he smashed his racquet into the ground, kicked a water bottle, then threw a chair onto the court. A profane tirade followed as he packed up his bag and left the court.

SKIPPING PARIS

Canada’s Milos Raonic waited until the final moment before withdrawing from Roland Garros with a knee injury. The injury has bothered the 28-year-old for months. He joined Kevin Anderson and John Isner as big servers who won’t be playing the year’s second Grand Slam tournament, and the only one played on clay. Raonic has not played since Miami.

Katie Boulter, Great Britain’s third-highest ranking player, also withdrew from Paris at the last moment. She wants to rest her injured back. “So disappointed to have to pull out of the French Open,” Boulter tweeted. “I was still hoping to have a chance of competing, but doctors have advised me not to take a risk with my back.”

American Sam Querrey won’t be playing Roland Garros either. French Open organizers said Querrey withdrew citing an abdominal problem. He was replaced in the main draw by lucky loser Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland. Querrey reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 2017.

SICK BAY

Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime withdrew from Roland Garros, citing a left thigh injury he suffered during his losing battle against Benoit Paire in Lyon, France. “I’m at peace knowing that it’s not something, that it’s going to heal, you know, pretty fast, but I have to be careful,” the 18-year-old said. Auger-Aliassime, who has never played any Grand Slam tournament matches, was seeded 25^th at Roland Garros. He was replaced in the draw by lucky loser Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain.

SCHEDULED

The Laver Cup, a men’s event pitting teams from Europe and the “rest of the world” against each other, is now official. The ATP World Tour agreed to make the tournament an official part of its yearly calendar, although no ranking points will be awarded to competitors. “As I come closer to the end of my playing career, it’s wonderful to know that the Laver Cup will be part of the tour that I’ve dedicated more than 20 years of my life to,” said Roger Federer, who played a key role in creating the event. The Laver Cup joins two other team events, Davis Cup and the ATP World Team Cup. This year’s Laver Cup will be held in Geneva, Switzerland, September 20-22.

SECOND BUNDLE

Former world number one Ana Ivanovic is pregnant again. The 2008 French Open champion and her husband, professional soccer player Bastian Schweinsteiger, announced they were expecting their second child. Their first, son Luka, was born in March 2018.

SYSTEM CHANGES

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced changes in ranking points that will allow tennis players more chances of moving up to the main tours. Under the new changes, the ITF will allocate rankings on ATP and WTA Tours at the USD $15,000-level ITF World Tour tournaments, additional points at men’s USD $25,000 tournaments and expanded singles qualifying draws to 48 players. Also, three places in USD $15,000 tournaments will be reserved for juniors ranked in the ITF’s top 100. The new rules will be applied retroactively to all tournaments played since last August.

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Geneva: Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic beat Matthew Ebden and Robert Lindstedt 6-4 6-4

Lyon: Ivan Dodig and Edouard Roger-Vasselin beat Ken Skupski and Neal Skupski 6-4 6-3

Nürnberg: Gabriela Dabrowski and Xu Yifan beat Sharon Fichman and Nicole Melichar 4-6 7-6 (5) 10-5 (match tiebreak)

Strasbourg: Daria Gavrilova and Ellen Perez beat Duan Yingying and Han Xinyun 6-4 6-3

SURFING

Paris: https://www.rolandgarros.com/fr-fr/

Surbiton: https://www.lta.org.uk/surbitontrophy

Prostejov: http://www.czech-open.cz/

Bol: https://bolopen.com/en/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

MEN and WOMEN

Roland Garros (French Open), Paris, France, clay (first week)

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

Roland Garros (French Open), Paris, France, clay (second week)

$154,075 Surbiton Trophy, Surbiton, Great Britain, grass

$103,090 Moneta Czech Open, Prostejov, Czech Republic, clay

WOMEN

Roland Garros (French Open), Paris, France, clay (second week)

$125,000 Croatia Bol Open, Bol, Croatia, clay

$100,000 Surbiton Trophy, Surbiton, Great Britain, grass