PARIS, May 27 (Reuters) – French Open second round action continues on Thursday with top seed Jannik Sinner opening proceedings on Court Philippe Chatrier while women’s number one Aryna Sabalenka is also playing in the day session.
Defending champion Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka are also in action, as are Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Victoria Mboko.
TOP MEN’S MATCH: JANNIK SINNER V JUAN MANUEL CERUNDOLO
Sinner will swap the cool of the night session for the blazing heat of midday when he takes on Juan Manuel Cerundolo in their second-round clash at Roland Garros.
The Italian cruised through his opening match in straight sets under the lights but now faces a noon start as temperatures at the French Open soar.
The heat has become such a talking point that even spectators have been asking groundsmen to spray them with the same hoses used to water the claycourts.
“I’m happy to play at night. I’m happy to play (during the) day, whenever they put me, we’ll see. I think I handled the heat very well in Indian Wells, was very hot this year, so I didn’t have issues there,” Sinner told reporters.
“We prepared in a good way. Of course here, different heat, but the humidity is not as tough as maybe in Australia or U.S.”
Standing in his way is Argentine Cerundolo, the younger brother of Francisco and a claycourt specialist who is on the verge of breaking into the top 50 and represents a determined obstacle for Sinner.
TOP WOMEN’S MATCH: DONNA VEKIC V NAOMI OSAKA
Naomi Osaka grabbed headlines with her fashion choices before her first-round match at Roland Garros, but it was the actual heat that had the four-time Grand Slam champion reaching for ice towels.
The Japanese star will face Vekic in the second round after navigating both the sweltering conditions and some pointed comments from her opening opponent, Laura Siegemund, who said she came to play tennis, “not to put on a fashion show.”
Osaka simply said her fashion choices were not a big deal and that she was used to it by now, but even the heat-loving 28-year-old was surprised by the scorching conditions in Paris.
“I thought it was pretty interesting how hot it was, because I never use an ice towel, or I try not to use an ice towel, and I had to use one today,” she said after her first-round win.
“Coming off the court, I was telling everyone, I think I got burned. I thought the Australian Open was the only tournament or the only Grand Slam you could get burned at.
“Yeah, for me, I felt like it was good conditions. Like, I love the heat, and I’m very used to it, so I didn’t have any complaints.”
GAUFF ‘THRIVES’ IN THE HEAT
Gauff is also embracing the scorching conditions at Roland Garros while other players struggle to adapt to what she calls “ultra hot” temperatures that have caught the field off guard.
The Florida native said she ‘thrives’ in the heat and has even adjusted her practice schedule to take advantage of the soaring Paris temperatures rather than avoid them.
“I know some people try to practice early, but I try to sometimes practice in the prime of the day, even if it’s shorter, just to get used to, because you never know,” she said.
“I think some people are struggling just because we spend the whole European swing not really playing in hot conditions and then all of a sudden, it’s like ultra hot. I feel like most people’s bodies just are in a shock wave right now.”
FRENCH OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON THURSDAY (prefix number denotes seeding):
COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER (play begins at 1000 GMT)
1-Jannik Sinner (Italy) v Juan Manuel Cerundolo (Argentina)
30-Ann Li (U.S.) v Diane Parry (France)
1-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) v Elsa Jacquemot (France)
22-Arthur Rinderknech (France) v Matteo Berrettini (Italy)
COURT SUZANNE LENGLEN (play begins at 0900 GMT)
Adolfo Daniel Vallejo (Paraguay) v Moise Kouame (France)
Julia Grabher (Austria) v 6-Amanda Anisimova (U.S.)
4-Coco Gauff (U.S.) v Mayar Sherif (Egypt)
Raphael Collignon (Belgium) v 5-Ben Shelton (U.S.)
COURT SIMONNE MATHIEU (play begins at 0900 GMT)
Donna Vekic (Croatia) v 16-Naomi Osaka (Japan)
25-Francisco Cerundolo (Argentina) v Hugo Gaston (France)
4-Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada) v Roman Andres Burruchaga (Argentina)
9-Victoria Mboko (Canada) v Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic)
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru;Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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