Roland Garros youngsters face quarter-final moment of truth
PARIS: The young kings of tennis have been deposed and as the French Open reaches its quarter-finals on Tuesday, the sport’s even younger princes will be strutting on the clay.
Between them 24-year-old Jannik Sinner, and 23-year-old Carlos Alcaraz have won the last nine majors.
However, the Spaniard is injured and Sinner could not stand the Paris heat and lost in the second round.
In their place are three striplings playing a first Grand Slam quarter-final.
The next in the line of Spanish clay monsters, 19-year-old Rafael Jodar, faces the top remaining man, Alexander Zverev.
The honour of ending the first day when all the main-draw matches can be fitted onto Court Philippe Chatrier, has been handed to 20-year-old Czech Jakub Mensik and the phenomenon of the tournament, 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca.
The third 19-year-old in quarter-final action on Tuesday is, by comparison, a grizzled veteran of Grand Slam late rounds.
Eighth-seeded Mirra Andreeva will be playing her third straight Roland Garros quarter-final when she faces Romanian Sorana Cirstea.
Of all the majors, the French Open most favours young men.
Of the five youngest men to have won majors in the Open era, Michael Chang, Mats Wilander, Rafael Nadal and Bjorn Borg all did it at Roland Garros.
Of 16 women who have won majors in their teens, Monica Seles, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Steffi Graf, Iga Swiatek, Chris Evert and Evonne Goolagong all did so in Paris.
Chang and Wilander were at Roland Garros on Monday for an annual reunion of former champions.
The American, who won aged 17 in 1989 and now coaches rising American Learner Tien, said youth gave advantages.
“I think it can be easier on some aspects if you’re not dwelling too much on it,” he said before adding that for some the spotlight was already bright.
“I think there’s also a lot of pressure for some of these young guys because there are expectations. That doesn’t necessarily give them freedom to go out there and play.
“When I was 17, nobody expected me to win. So I had the freedom to be the underdog… in the second week,” he added.
Wilander, who won the first of his three French Open crowns at 17 in 1982, was clear the youngsters had a mental edge.
“You find me a 19-year-old that does have the fear. None of them do,” the Swede said.
“No pressure, no nerves. I don’t think, I know.”
“They don’t have any history of losing,” the Swede said. “So you’re losing the quarter-finals? It’s not gonna hurt, and then they realise that it hurts to lose. And then suddenly things change.”
Wilander is a fan of Fonseca who is “going to be a great player”.
Fonseca came from two sets down to beat first Dino Prizmic and then tennis titan Novak Djokovic, before conquering Casper Ruud.
“It’s great to have new generations,” the Brazilian declared after beating Djokovic.
“”The next generation is doing pretty well. Not only Jodar and Mensik and me, but also Learner, (Alex) Michelsen. There is (Martin) Landaluce… It’s good to have them around, pushing me for sure, doing some great battles,” he said.
‘Margin of development huge’
Chang has been impressed by Jodar.
“On the clay, he just took off,” said Chang.
“He’s just he’s just riding a wave of great tennis right now. I don’t think he’s thinking a whole lot. He’s going out there and playing some great tennis,” Chang added.
Jodar is full of confidence.
“I am trying to develop that game,” he said after reaching the last eight.
“But, overall, I think I still have a margin of development huge, you know?,” he said.
The other match of the day changes the focus as 31-year-old Elina Svitolina takes on 23-year-old compatriot Marta Kostyuk.
Svitolina said that she believed two Ukrainians had never met so late in a Slam.
Kostyuk said the older player had a lot to do with that happening.
“She’s a legend of Ukrainian tennis… she’s paved the way,” she said.
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