PARIS: Carlos Alcaraz came through a tricky early test at the French Open with flying colours, as the world number one sealed a 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Japan’s Taro Daniel on Wednesday to reach the third round while the furore over Novak Djokovic’s recent comments about clashes in Kosovo continued in Paris.

Alcaraz enjoyed a dominant opening win over Flavio Cobolli in his first match as the top seed in a Grand Slam and the 20-year-old made another blistering start against Daniel to ease through the first set on the back of two breaks.

Daniel pounced early in the next to grab a 3-0 lead before Alcaraz got on the board. He continued to batter the suddenly error-prone Spaniard with some relentless hitting from the baseline before levelling the contest.

But the Japanese player, who is ranked 112, was quickly on the back foot again as Alcaraz regained focus to break early and close out the third set in style conceding only one game late on.

With normal service having resumed, Alcaraz closed out the match on serve to book an encounter with Canadian 26th seed Denis Shapovalov.

Djokovic, who is chasing a men’s record 23rd Grand Slam singles title at Roland Garros, scrawled the message “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence” on a camera following his first-round match.

The 36-year-old was due to face Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in Wednesday’s night session for a place in the last 32 but the focus has been on his political views, with the French sports minister on Wednesday condemning the two-time Roland Garros champion.

“It was a message that is very activist, that is very political,” Amelie Oudea-Castera told broadcaster France 2. “You shouldn’t get involved, especially in the current circumstances, and it shouldn’t happen again.”

She added that tournament director Amelie Mauresmo had spoken to Djokovic and his entourage.

But the International Tennis Federation said there was “no provision” in Grand Slam rules “that prohibits political statements”.

Thirty peacekeepers from a NATO-led force in Kosovo were injured in clashes with ethnic Serb demonstrators on Monday during protests about the installation of ethnic Albanian mayors in northern Kosovo.

The Kosovo Olympic authorities asked the International Olympic Committee to open disciplinary proceedings against Djokovic.

“Djokovic has yet again promoted the Serbian nationalists’ propaganda and used the sport platform to do so,” said Ismet Krasniqi, the president of Kosovo’s Olympic Committee.

“The further post-match statements made by such a public figure without any feeling of remorse directly result in raising the level of tension and violence between the two countries.”

But Ukrainian former women’s world number three Elina Svitolina thinks Djokovic should be free to express his opinions. “We are living in the free world, so why not say your opinion on something?,” said Svitolina.

Stefanos Tsitsipas cruised into the third round with a straight-sets win over Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena.

The Greek fifth seed, the runner-up to Djokovic in 2021, claimed a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 win on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

“I am very much in when it comes to breaking records,” said Tsitsipas after notching his 20th win at the French Open. “I get excited when I see personal records being kind of set and broken.”

Tsitsipas will next face Argentinian Diego Schwartzman for a place in the second week.

Thanasi Kokkinakis ended 38-year-old former champion Stan Wawrinka’s tournament with a dramatic 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3 triumph to reach the third round of a Slam for the first time in eight years.

The injury-plagued Australian will take on Russian Karen Khachanov on Friday after the 11th seed’s 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 success against Radu Albot.

Svitolina battled back from a break and a set down to beat Storm Hunter, just 12 hours after her husband Gael Monfils’ late-night escape act.

Svitolina, playing at a Grand Slam event for the first time since the 2022 Australian Open, downed qualifier Hunter 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Home favourite Monfils claimed his first win in nine months in a five-set first-round thriller against Sebastian Baez which finished after midnight in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

“Yes, I watched him, but not live. I was screaming in my room so if someone heard me, it was me cheering for Gael,” said Svitolina, who was being supported on Court Simonne Mathieu by Monfils.

Svitolina will next play Russian Anna Blinkova in a politically-charged rematch of last weekend’s Strasbourg final, won by the Ukrainian who then did not shake her opponent’s hand.

Blinkova needed nine match points to beat French fifth seed Caroline Garcia 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a dramatic encounter.

World number two Aryna Sabalenka cruised through with a 7-5, 6-2 win over fellow Belarusian Iryna Shymanovich, who had never won a WTA Tour match before this tournament.

Australian Open champion Sabalenka will face either Poland’s Magdalena Frech or Russian Kamilla Rakhimova in the last 32.

American third seed Jessica Pegula booked her spot in the last 32 when opponent Camila Giorgi retired injured after losing the first set 6-2.

Ninth seed Daria Kasatkina is also safely through after seeing off 2019 runner-up Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-4.

Former champion Jelena Ostapenko crashed out, though, losing 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 to the United States’ Peyton Stearns.

On Tuesday, the 36-year-old Gael Monfils, a semi-finalist 15 years ago but now ranked at 394, came back from 0-4 in the final set to defeat Sebastian Baez of Argentina 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5.

Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori saved five match points to knock out Serb 31st seed Miomir Kecmanovic in a five-hour 10-minute epic. Vavassori hit a colossal 106 winners in his 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (11-9) victory.

Holger Rune, seeded six, passed a tough test against American Christopher Eubanks, winning 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2.

In the women’s section, defending champion Iga Swiatek survived an early wobble to reach the second round with a straight sets win over Cristina Bucsa of Spain.

The world number one, bidding to become the first woman to successfully defend the title since Justine Henin in 2007, came through 6-4, 6-0.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2023