Roland Garros – Day 2 (1R)

Novak Djokovic [2], the main contender to the title (along with the defending champion Rafael Nadal), has successfully begun his Roland Garros campaign. The Serb outplayed in the first round Thiemo de Bakker [71] 6-2, 6-1, 6-3, notching the # 40th consecutive win and improving his record in 2011 to 38-0! He displayed his amazing form especially in the 3rd game of the 2nd set when hit two winners from the baseline, drive-volley and finished the game with a combination of overhead and dropshot. Djokovic: “It was a great first match for me in Roland Garros. I was serving really, really well and being very aggressive, using every opportunity to step into the court. I was quite in control of the match.”
Very likely in the eagerly anticipated third round encounter, Djokovic will meet Juan Martin del Potro. The Argentinian [26] needed four sets (6-7, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4) to dispatch Ivo Karlovic [148]. ‘DelPo’ saved three break points in the vital 6th game of the 3rd set… On the opposite pole to Djokovic is Andrey Golubev [44]. The Kazakh lost today his 12th straight match (in four tight sets to Thomaz Bellucci) – it’s 10 matches away to overcome Vincent Spadea‘s shameful record of 21 consecutive defeats (1999-2000).
The biggest upset of the day came from Court No. 2 where last year’s semi-finalist Thomas Berdych [6] won easily first two sets against qualifier Stephane Robert [140]. 31-year-old Frenchman delighted his supporters winning convincingly another two sets. In the topsy-turvy 5th set, Berdych led 4:2 and had a match point at 5:4 – Robert saved it with a service winner, and got the next point with a forehand winner breaking string in his racquet. Five games later, Robert broke his opponent with six winners in just one game (!) and made his first win (3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 9-7) being one point away from defeat, simultaneously getting the first 5-set triumph and beating for the first time in career a Top 10 player. “I gave it all today,” said Robert, who hit 62 winners. “I fought for my life.” Berdych concluded “That’s tennis. That’s what can happen in the long matches. Sadly it happened to me today.” Berdych last year lost in Paris also in a 5-set match, but then it was a semi-final clash.

Longest match:
4 hours, 27 minutes: Albert Ramos d. Javier Marti 6-3, 6-7(5), 4-6, 6-1, 6-3

Most aces:
22 – Ivo Karlovic, lost in four sets to Juan Martin del Potro

5-set barometer:

13-7 Thomas Berdych
1-2 Stephane Robert
1-0 Albert Ramos
0-1 Javier Marti

# 40th consecutive win:

Guillermo Vilas d. H.Gildemeister 6-1, 6-2 (Paris 1977, QF)
Bjorn Borg d. B.Carmichael 6-0, 6-0 (Bastad 1978, 2R)
Ivan Lendl d. S.Davis 6-1, 6-3 (La Quinta 1982, 1R)
John McEnroe d. J.Higueras 6-4, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 (Roland Garros 1984, QF)
Roger Federer d. T.Haas 6-4, 7-5 (Dubai 2007, SF)
Novak Djokovic d. T.De Bakker 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 (Roland Garros 2011, 1R)