Andy Murray, who was trailing by two sets to Radek Stepanek, by the end of yesterday’s play, due to the bad light; has defeated the 37-year old Czech by 5-set thriller to surpass the challenge of the first round of the French Open 2016. After losing the first two sets by the 6-3, 6-3 scoreline, to the 128th ranked Stepanek, the 2 times Grand Slam winner Brit won the next three sets and eventually win the match by 6-3, 6-3, 0-6, 3-6, 5-7.
With some brilliant foray in front of the net and with the help of superb baseline tennis, the oldest player in this French Open 2016, Stepanek took an early lead in the match and won the first two sets by 6-3,6-3 score. On the verge of getting knocked out, Murray made a brilliant comeback in the third set and whitewashed the Czech by 6-0 scoreline. As Stepanek’s leg getting tired with each passing time, Murray again broke Stepanek in the 4th set and took a lead of 4-2 when the bad light hampered the match and eventually stopped for the day, as there are no artificial lights at Roland Garros.
In a sunny Paris weather, when the match resumes today, Murray continues his good form and wins the 4th set quite comfortably by 6-3 scoreline. The match is now on even terms with both the players winning a couple of sets each. In the fifth, do or die set, both Murray and Stepanek continue to hold their serve, until the 11th game. At this point of the match, both the players have won 5 games each and then the Scot able to break Stepanek due to the Czech’s unforced error and a double-fault. This two faults from Stepanek proved heavy for him as his silly mistakes gave Murray the much-anticipated break. In the next game, Murray able to hold his serve, when Stepanek’s backhand return rolled into the net. Murray wins the set by 7-5 and eventually won the match after a hard fought tiring battle by 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 scoreline.
On an another news, Stan Wawrinka, the defending champion of the French Open had survived a first round exit scare on Monday, when he played against Lukas Rasol in his first round match of the French Open 2016 on the Court Philippe Chatrier. Till date, any defending champion had not lost in the first round of the tournament and the Swiss star was on the verge of breaking the record. It took five long sets for Wawrinka to surpass the Czech challenge and eventually defeated the world no. 59 player by the 4-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 scoreline.
Rasol has never beaten the 3rd seeded Swiss star in previous four occasions they faced each other, neither been able to win a single set also. But in the rain clad second day at Roland Garros, the Czech tennis star started brilliantly and displayed some fabulous net play and a broad array of accurate strokes.
The match, delayed by 2 hours for the downpour, taken a sharp turn when Rasol broke Stan at the 5th game of the first set, kudos to a drop shot which died on the rain-dampened red clay.
The Swiss star steadied himself and bounced back in a superb manner in the second set, in a chilly unusual May afternoon at Paris and clinched the second set by 6-1 scoreline. But the momentum againtilted towards the Czech star in the third set. Rasol jumped out to a 3-0 lead and soon won the set by 6-3.
From the fourth set, the 2-times Grand Slam winner Swiss ace tennis player began to control the match. Wawrinka saved two break points in the fourth set and then went on winning the set by 6-3 scoreline.
By the deciding fifth set, “Stan the Man” regained his lost confidence and coped up himself with the clay court. A mesmerising backhand passing shot down the line, cheered by the spectators, earned a break point for the Swiss which he converted to a 2-1 lead, and eventually won the game, set and the match.
