Tabur, ranked 311th in the world, secures a first victory at Roland-Garros and a clash against Evans
Clément Tabur knew how to be patient. The 25-year-old Frenchman had to wait for his third participation in the Roland-Garros qualifications to claim his first victory.
Faced with Tu Li, a 28-year-old Australian player ranked 165th in the world, the ATP No. 311 won by the skin of his teeth. Trailing by one set, he managed to turn the situation around on Court 7.
Hitting 37 winners against 36 unforced errors, the player who once ranked as high as 202nd in the world took his opponent's serve at the best moment in the third set (at 5-5), before sealing the match in the following game on his first match point (3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in 2h06).
In the second round of these qualifying draws, he will face Daniel Evans, a former 21st in the world but who has dropped out of the top 200, for a place in the final round. The Briton eliminated his compatriot Billy Harris (7-5, 6-3).
After losing in the first round of the Roland-Garros qualifiers in 2022 (against Sean Cuenin) and in 2024 (against Jaime Faria), Tabur succeeded in winning his first match at the Porte d'Auteuil and will need to deliver a strong performance in the next round to continue dreaming of his first main draw appearance in a Grand Slam.
