Italians Shine as Big Names Stumble on Damp Day at French Open
A rainy day at Roland Garros saw Italian players Jasmine Paolini, Lorenzo Musetti, and Matteo Gigante shine brightly, while several high-profile names suffered unexpected exits in the second round of the French Open.
Jasmine Paolini, the fourth seed and a surprise runner-up last year, displayed her prowess by defeating Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3, 6-3 on Court Philippe Chatrier. Paolini paid tribute to the legendary Rafael Nadal by touching the newly installed footprint on the court before her match. “It was great to play again there,” she remarked, expressing her satisfaction with her performance.
Lorenzo Musetti continued his strong form on clay, dispatching Colombian Daniel Galan with a commanding 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 victory. The eighth seed, who reached the Monte Carlo final and the semi-finals in Madrid and Rome, attributed his success to a newfound confidence. “It was a solid performance from the beginning until the end,” Musetti said.
In a stunning upset, unseeded Matteo Gigante sent former finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas packing, winning 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. Tsitsipas, blaming his own immaturity, faced his earliest exit at the French Open in seven years.
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz faced a minor scare but ultimately prevailed against Hungarian Fabian Marozsan, winning 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. Alcaraz reflected on his experience at Roland Garros, saying, “I’ve had great moments and some bad moments, which I’ve learned from.”
Twice finalist Casper Ruud also fell victim to a shock defeat, losing 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 to Portugal’s Nuno Borges. After a strong start, Ruud struggled, requiring a medical timeout for a knee injury before being blanked in the fourth set.
In the women’s draw, Iga Swiatek continued her dominant run, defeating former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu 6-1, 6-2, extending her winning streak at Roland Garros to 23 matches. Swiatek aims to become the first woman in the professional era to win four consecutive titles at the tournament.
Aryna Sabalenka overcame a shaky start to beat Swiss Jil Teichmann 6-3, 6-1, while Elena Rybakina secured a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 victory over Iva Jovic.
