French Open Day 1: Warm Up

Hey Y'all. Galileo here.

The Sunday addition has been a good idea. It sets up the tournament nicely. It eases us in and leaves us wanting more. So let's begin our warmup. But gently.

=Suicide Pick=
We all know how this works. Pick a player to win each round but you cannot pick them again. I'm in a little late but the first round is still going.
Men's Singles: Verdasco [32] d. Daniel [Q].
Women's Singles: Barthel d. Kania


PHILIPPE CHATRIER: FEDERER d. FALLA
...Federer has moved to 8-0 against Falla, though one of them was very close. Federer was always going to win but the ease had yet to be determined. The key for Federer is to not use up his energy too quickly here. He has to have something left for the bigger guys coming for him later. Federer blasted 43 winners, including eight aces, in the 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory. He was playing great tennis from start to finish. He had his opponent moving all around the place. Falla never found his rhythm or his game properly. It was a decent test to open with, but scarier prospects lurk. Granollers awaits in the next round. Federer needs to win that one quickly. Granollers will make him work for every point and he is tactically astute.
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PHILIPPE CHATRIER: TSONGA D. LINDELL
...Everyone puts their own on the big court. It’s a tradition that has been going on since time immemorial. But would you have paid top dollar to see Tsonga dismiss a journeyman 6-1, 6-2, 6-2? It just seems a bit silly, but I suppose somebody had to be on Chatrier. So why not the exciting and frustrating Frenchman? Tsonga hit big from the first moment. His opponent had no way to deal with the offensive firepower headed his way. Tsonga hit 35 winners but only 19 errors. His opponent was under constant pressure to hit big and defend well. Sela is up next. His tricky game style should be awkward for Jo, but the Frenchman will overpower the Israeli just as he overpowered Lindell. Still, if Tsonga is not entirely with it, it may last longer than we thought it would.
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SUZANNE LENGLEN: WAWRINKA D. ILHAN
...Wawrinka moves through with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win. Wawrinka, when he is on, can be unstoppable. When his serve and forehand begin to find their range, you know you're in trouble. Wawrinka could make big run here, but it is unlikely. He hit 42 winners but also notched 32 unforced errors with ten aces thrown in, too. Ilhan can provide little serious opposition to Wawrinka. Stan found a level above Ilhan's and just stayed there.
Next up is Lajovic and that match is seriously dangerous. It is exactly the kind of match that can trip anyone up. If Lajovic snatches an early break or manages to just get into a rhythm then Wawrinka could have his hands full.
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SUZANNE LENGLEN: NISHIKOI D. MATHIEU
...These two meet every three years and the winner always wins in straight sets. They have played in 2009 and 2012. Mathieu has never quite managed to rescue his career as much as he wanted to. Nishikori is going to be 26 soon. When is one no longer a young gun? Nishikori edged Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-3, 7-5, 6-1. After overcoming him in the first two sets, it was only a matter of time before he rolled to victory. The match was essentially decided by the consistency levels. PHM went 19-39 in the winners to errors department. Kei went 34-30. It is so hard to balance winners and aggressiveness with patience and consistency. Kei has no idea who his opponent is going to be. He should be over the moon with his performance, though. He really held it together against a tough guy with a lot of talent.
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COURT ONE: GULBIS d. SIJSLING
....Worth noting, Gulbis came through impressively 6-4, 6-4, 7-6[3]. Could he make another semi run here? He is one to watch as he always has been and always will be. He played well today and if he can just find some of the old magic the rest of the field could be in serious trouble. Igor is a tricky opponent with some big shots. It says something that Gulbis can suddenly find the magic. Could he find some magic through the rest of the tournament? If he does he may well win it. Of course, Gulbis is the eternal enigma.
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OUTER COURT SELECTION: (n/a)
...Reserved for Tomorrow. The French Sunday is weird.
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Any other notes?

* - It's nice to hear Jim Courier again. Gotta love that guy.
* - First two seeds out: #25 Ivo Karlovic and #26 Garcia-Lopez have both now folded.
* - Casey Dellacqua and Shvedova are playing against Chan/Davis in the first round. Casey opens tomorrow against compatriot Tomljanovic. They are on court eight.

The post will get bigger tomorrow, of course. Today is just the warm up.

Thanks all and visit WTA BACKSPIN please.

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