PARIS (Reuters) — Naomi Osaka was fined $15,000 by Grand Slam organizers for boycotting a news conference following her first-round win and the world number two was also warned of possible expulsion from Roland Garros and future majors if she fails to meet her media commitments.
Osaka started her French Open campaign with a 6-4 7-6(4) win over Romanian Patricia Maria Tig but her refusal to honor her media commitments at the claycourt major has caused a stand-off with organizers.
Before the start of the slam, Osaka announced she would not attend any news conferences while in Paris to raise awareness of players’ mental well-being, saying the nature of questions from journalists is like “kicking a person when they are down.”
Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem, a French Open finalist in 2018 and 2019, has struggled for form in recent months and he succumbed to a five-set defeat by Spain’s Pablo Andujar.
German Alexander Zverev, who was beaten by Thiem in last year’s U.S. Open final, survived a five-set scare against compatriot Oscar Otte while former world number one Angelique Kerber suffered yet another first-round defeat.
Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas recovered from a stuttering start to beat France’s Jeremy Chardy 7-6(6) 6-3 6-1 to advance into the second round.
Tsitsipas, who won the title in Lyon last week, will next face either American Sebastian Korda or Spain’s Pedro Martinez.
German Alexander Zverev recovered from a miserable start to reach the second round with a 3-6 3-6 6-2 6-2 6-0 win against compatriot Oscar Otte.
Zverev has now won all seven of his five-set contests at Roland Garros and will next meet another qualifier, Russian Roman Safiullin.
Belarusian 15th seed Victoria Azarenka beat former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4 2-6 6-3 to move into the second round.
Azarenka had nine double faults and hit seven fewer winners than Kuznetsova but the Russian was let down by 41 unforced errors in a match where both players converted seven break points.
Kei Nishikori was given a stern test in the opening round by Italian Alessandro Giannessi but prevailed 6-4 6-7(4) 6-3 4-6 6-4 to advance.
Nishikori, a former world number four, fired 56 winners and converted 10 break points in a match that clocked just over four hours.
Bulgarian 16th seed Grigor Dimitrov was leading 6-2 6-4 5-7 0-3 against American Marcos Giron before he was forced to retire with an injury.
Dimitrov was 5-1 up in the third set and had three match points before losing nine games in a row.
Unseeded Spaniard Pablo Andujar upset fourth seed Dominic Thiem of Austria 4-6 5-7 6-3 6-4 6-4 to reach the second round. Thiem made 61 unforced errors and seven double faults as he ran out of steam after claiming the opening two sets.
Third seed Aryna Sabalenka beat Croatia’s Ana Konjuh 6-4 6-3 to advance. Sabalenka made 31 unforced errors but ultimately proved too powerful, hitting 24 winners compared to Konjuh’s 12.
Frenchman Gilles Simon was beaten 6-4 6-1 7-6(5) by Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics in the first round. Fucsovics will next face Italy’s 27th seed Fabio Fognini, who eased past Gregoire Barrere 6-4 6-1 6-4.
Japan’s Naomi Osaka reacts during her first round match against Romania’s Patricia Maria Tig at the French Open in Paris, May 30, 2021
REUTERS
Austria’s Dominic Thiem reacts during his first round match at the French Open against Spain’s Pablo Andujar in Paris, May 30, 2021.
REUTERS
