At Roland Garros, Dimitrov impresses and Hurkacz plays for keeps

© AFP

Elio Valotto

le 30/05/2024 à 16h35

2 min to read

Dimitrov Hurkacz Roland Garros

So far, the world's Top 10 are holding their own in Paris. Seven players have already booked their place in the third round, and by the end of the day they could well have all done so. On Thursday, Grigor Dimitrov and Hubert Hurkacz disposed of their respective opponents to continue their adventure.

Hubert Hurkacz, ranked 8th in the world, went through all kinds of emotions. In a match interrupted several times by rain, the Pole finally needed 4 sets to overcome a resilient Nakashima (6-7, 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 in 3h15). As efficient as ever on serve (16 aces, 83% of points won behind his first ball), Hurkacz didn't shine with his mastery of the surface, obviously not completely at ease with himself. Relying on his hitting power (44 winners, 48 unforced errors), he finally managed to break down the ever-attractive American (45 winners, 31 unforced errors, 16 aces). Without shining, he reaches the third round of the French Open, where he will face the winner of the duel between Tiafoe and Shapovalov.

For his part, Grigor Dimitrov delivered an extremely solid performance. In a second-round match that had all the makings of a trap, the Bulgarian finally gave 24-year-old Hungarian nugget Fabian Marozsan no chance (43rd). Glued to his line, Dimitrov distributed the game perfectly, making life miserable for his opponent. Very much at ease, he produced a string of winners on both sides (34 winners, 18 unforced errors, 7 aces), winning the match in just over 1h30 (6-0, 6-3, 6-4). Redoubtable on his return of serve (7 successful breaks), he never let a dangerous opponent breathe and continued his rise to power. After a fairly average season on clay, the 32-year-old could well take advantage of Roland-Garros to get back on track at the best of times. In the next round, he should find an opponent well within his reach, as he takes on Zizou Bergs, a qualifier who defeated Tabilo in the first round (3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-2).