Day 2 Preview: Three to watch

Three to watch

Court Suzanne-Lenglen, first match

Bianca Andreescu vs Daphnee Mpetshi-Perricard

There must be days when Bianca Andreescu wonders what she did wrong in a previous life; her luck in this one is truly awful. From beating Serena Williams to win the US Open as an unheralded teenager in 2019 to struggling with the pressures of fame and expectation; from rebuilding her career to a catalogue of appalling injuries – she has been through it all. Now ranked No.160, she is battling back again and today faces 17-year-old Daphnee who, it is fair to say, is still growing into her game and out of the shadow of her more famous brother, the French ATP star Giovanni.

Court 6, third match

Harmony Tan vs Karman Thandi

A pub quiz question for you: who was the last player to beat Serena Williams at Wimbledon? Yes, it was France’s very own Harmony Tan in the first round in 2022. For three sets and more than three hours of topsy-turvy tennis, Harmony was on song and writing her own chapter in the record books. And Serena was a couple of months away from retirement. But since then, she has not won another match at a Grand Slam. Indeed, she has barely played at WTA Tour level, spending her time at the lower-level events. Now, she hopes to be back in the spotlight if she can find a path through qualifying and claim a place in the main draw. First hurdle: Karman, the world No.1,488.

Court 7, fourth match

Thiago Seyboth Wild vs Yu Hsiou Hsu

Three years ago, Thiago was the talk of Roland Garros: he had just knocked out Daniil Medvedev, then the No.2 seed, in the opening round. And he was a qualifier, to boot. In fact, he had not played a tour level match in more than a year as he approached Paris but on the Challenger circuit and on the clay, he had been racking up the wins. It was, he thought, a dream come true as he marched on to the third round. He soon woke up to reality, though, and he has never made such a splash at a Grand Slam again. Starting out on the qualifying path once more, he faces the world No.213 from Yuanlin who has never reached the main draw here.

Click here to read article