Jones falls at final hurdle
Australian Greg Jones has fallen in the final round of French Open qualifying on Friday, going down in straight sets to local Nicolas Devilder.
Paris, France, 26 May 2012 | Tennis Australia
Australian Greg Jones has fallen in the final round of French Open qualifying on Friday, going down in straight sets to local Nicolas Devilder.
The 7-5 6-1 loss was a disappointing end to an encouraging French Open campaign for the Sydneysider, who had only recently made his return to tennis after two months out of action with knee tendonitis.
Jones, the world No.323, was undone by unforced errors throughout the encounter, committing 37 to his opponent’s tidy count of just eight.
His normally potent serve failed to really trouble Devilder, with the Frenchman overcoming six aces to break serve on four occasions. Jones’ point winning percentage behind his first delivery was just 56 per cent.
Despite the loss, the result is expected to help Jones back to within the top 300 in the world rankings, as he continues to work his way back into the form that saw him ranked as high as No.186 in February this year.
Devilder will face Serbian Filip Krajinovic in his first round main draw match.