Roland Garros, day two: Three Aussies eyeing first wins
Three Australians - James Duckworth, John Millman and Aleksandar Vukic - feature on the day two schedule at Roland Garros.
Paris, France, 28 September 2020 | Leigh Rogers
John Millman is ready to battle on day two of Roland Garros.
The No.43-ranked Australian faces Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, who made the US Open semifinals earlier this month, in the opening round in Paris.
“I’m predicting long rallies, hard-fought games and not too many free points on serve,” Millman told AAP. “But that’s the kind of tennis I enjoy.”
While the 31-year-old from Brisbane is looking for his first main draw win in Paris, his No.18-ranked opponent is a former Roland Garros quarterfinalist.
“In all honesty, it would have been nice to have a slightly better draw,” said Millman, who has drawn a seeded opponent in the opening round in Paris for a fifth consecutive year.
“He’s one of the in-form players right now and playing him on the surface he’s comfortable on. But that’s tennis – you take the good draws with the bad and this one’s going to be a battle.”
Aussies James Duckworth and qualifier Aleksandar Vukic are also hoping to record their first French Open main draw wins on day two.
Victory will see them join Aussie women Astra Sharma and Daria Gavrilova in the second round. The 25-year-old Sharma scored a career-best Grand Slam win to advance on day one, while 26-year-old Gavrilova posted her biggest win at a major in three years.
Play is scheduled to start at 7pm AEST this evening.
> TV GUIDE: How to watch Roland Garros in Australia
ROLAND GARROS
Aussies in action, day two:
[Q] Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) v [Q] Pedro Martinez (ESP)
Men’s singles, first round, Court 5, first match (7pm AEST start)
In his Grand Slam debut, 24-year-old Vukic faces a fellow qualifier. The No.193-ranked Australian can take confidence from his qualifying performance, where he defeated three higher-ranked opponents to earn his place in the draw. The 23-year-old Martinez, who has qualified at Roland Garros for a second consecutive year, is ranked No.105 and also looking to record his first main draw win in Paris. This is their first career meeting.
> Roland Garros men’s singles draw
James Duckworth (AUS) v Tommy Paul (USA)
Men’s singles, first round, Court 4, second match
Making his fifth Roland Garros main draw appearance, Duckworth faces a 23-year-old American in career-best form. The No.58-ranked Paul, who reached the Australian Open third round earlier this year, won the Roland Garros boys’ singles title in 2015. The No.90-ranked Duckworth, who set a career-high ranking of No.71 in February, is looking for his first main draw win in Paris. This is their first career meeting.
John Millman (AUS) v [17] Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP)
Men’s singles, first round, Court 14, fourth match
Millman enters this match with a career record of 8 wins and 16 losses against seeded opponents at Grand Slam level. Looking to score a first main draw win in Paris, the No.43-ranked Millman faces 17th-seeded Carreno Busta. The 29-year-old Spaniard made the US Open semifinals earlier this month and his best Roland Garros result is a quarterfinal run in 2017. Carreno Busta leads their head-to-head record 2-1.
> Full Roland Garros day two schedule
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