The Latest: Del Potro shakes off poor start at French Open
PARIS (AP) — The Latest on the French Open (all times local):
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7:40 p.m.
In keeping with the trend of the top women’s players losing a set in their first-round matches at the French Open, defending champion Simona Halep overcame a mid-match lapse in a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 win over 47th-ranked Ajla Tomljanovic.
Top-ranked Naomi Osaka was also pushed to three sets in the preceding match on Court Philippe Chatrier, as was Serena Williams a day earlier.
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4:50 p.m.
Naomi Osaka dug herself out of a hole at the French Open and kept her bid alive for a third consecutive Grand Slam title.
Coming back from a disastrous first set, the U.S. Open and Australian Open champion beat 90th-ranked Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 0-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1 to advance to the second round.
The opening set was only the second time in 13 major tournaments that the top-ranked Osaka has been on the losing end of a 6-0 score. The first was at Wimbledon in 2017.
Lacking accuracy early on the chilly Court Philippe Chatrier, Osaka donned a long-sleeve shirt for the second set and then broke Schmiedlova to love and served four aces in winning the first three games.
Schmiedlova and Osaka traded second-set breaks to get to the tiebreaker, where the Japanese player excelled.
The third set went quickly.
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3:30 p.m.
Another French Open, another five-setter for No. 5 seed Alexander Zverev, who barely avoided blowing a big lead against John Millman.
Zverev struggled on a breezy and occasionally drizzly afternoon in the first round at Roland Garros before edging Millman 7-6 (4), 6-3, 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-3 in 4 hours, 8 minutes.
A year ago in Paris, Zverev needed to win three consecutive matches that went the full five sets to get to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
He was shaky in the middle of the match against Millman, who upset Roger Federer at the 2018 U.S. Open.
Summed up Zverev, who had 57 winners and 73 unforced errors: “I’m through — and that’s all that matters.”
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2:40 p.m.
Two-time major doubles champions Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares are done at the French Open — and done as a duo.
Murray, the older brother of Andy Murray, and Soares discussed the decision to end their time as a team after losing their opening match as the No. 2 seeds at Roland Garros. They were beaten by Lorenzo Sonego and Matteo Berrettini of Italy 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4).
Jamie Murray and Soares began playing together in 2016 and won the Australian Open and U.S. Open that year.
They finish with 10 titles as a pair.
Murray called it “a great partnership; there’s no disputing that.”
He said it was his choice to part ways and that he “just felt now’s the right time to change it up.”
Soares said he respects Murray’s decision and would not “take it personal.”
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1:30 p.m.
In his first Grand Slam match since fracturing his right kneecap, Juan Martin del Potro advanced to the second round of the French Open by beating 75th-ranked Nicolas Jarry 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 through wind and bits of rain.
Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion and the runner-up there last year, started poorly in chilly conditions on Court Suzanne Lenglen. He was broken in his first service game by a forehand volley from Jarry at the net.
The Argentine, ranked No. 9, then took control, saving a break point in the second set and another in the fourth before serving out the win.
The frequently-injured del Potro was a semifinalist at Roland Garros last year.
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11 a.m.
Naomi Osaka’s bid for a third consecutive Grand Slam title finally gets started on Day 3 of the French Open.
The No. 1-seeded Osaka never has been past the third round in three previous appearances at Roland Garros.
She carries a 14-match winning streak at majors into Tuesday.
The Japanese star plays 90th-ranked Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the second match on the Court Philippe Chatrier.
Osaka won the U.S. Open last September and then the Australian Open in January.
Also in first-round action are 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro and No. 5 seed Alexander Zverev.
A quarterfinalist last year in Paris, Zverev plays John Millman in the first match on Chatrier.
Del Potro plays Nicolas Jarry on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
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More AP tennis coverage: https://www.apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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