Key events
Stephens bagels Pliskova, who had a break point in the first game. Clay isn’t her surface, but I’m surprised she’s taking a beating of this severity, dangerous though an in-form Stephens is.
Stephens now leads Pliskova 5-0 while Keys has broken Kanepi at the start of their decider.
Typically, Paire is soon facing two break points after stumbling coming in; he saves the first with a big serve … and the second with a serve-volley. Then, on advantage, he Air Jordans a slam, and quickly closes out from there. Paire 5-7 3-1 Norrie
A bit of Paris.
Go on Benoit Paire! On 30-40, he comes in and smokes a backhand return down the line to trail 5-7 2-1. He skips, leaps, and Lenglen is up! On Mathieu, though, Day has taken the first set off Mladenovic 7-5.
Shonuff Norrie rushes to 0-30, and though Paire retrieves the situation, on deuce he nets a forehand. As he often does, he’s struggling on that wing, but he finds a first server when he needs one and eventually closes out for 5-7 1-1, to the crowd’s delight. Out on Court 14, Kanepi has levelled her match against Keys, taking set two 6-3 – but Keys is still playing fairly well – and on Chatrier, Stephens leads Pliskova 3-0.
This is now a test for Paire, who is not, shall we say, renowned for his indefatigability when things go against him. Norrie holds to love, and don’t be surprised if he breaks immediately.
And there it is! Norrie saved seven out of eight break points in that set, then Paire fades a forehand over the sideline looking for an oblique angle. Paire 5-7 Norrie
As you might imagine, I’m no longer on Shapovalov v Nakashima because I’ve switched to Pliskova v Stephens. I love watching Sloane when she’s playing well, she moves and strikes the ball with such flow. But back on Lenglen, Norrie has two set points at 15-40…
Another intense game on Lenglen, Norrie repelling break point with a wrong-footing forehand. Paire does then whip a terrific backhand down the line to earn another go, but Norrie finds big serves when he needs them to make 6-5. Meanwhile, Pliskova and Stephens are away on Chatrier, Shapovalov leads Nakashima 6-4 0-1, Pera leads Kontaveit 7-6(6) and Mladenovic will soon serve for a breaker against Day.
Kanepi has woken up, breaking for 2-0 after losing set one 6-1 and consolidating to 30, while Norrie forces Paire through deuce for 5-5. Shapovalov, meanwhile, has taken the first set off Nakashima 6-4.
Another break point, this time saved by Norrie, and when he makes advantage we see the germ of a complaint about his ball-tossing. Norrie has aggravated opponents before by throwing, catching and going again – Holger Rune was sure he was doing it on purpose, serving just as time was running out – but the umpire disagreed. Norrie leads 5-4.
Looking around the courts, Shapovalov leads Nakashima 5-3, Day and Mladenovic is 3-3., De Minaur has taken the first set off Ivashka 6-1, Vekic leads Yastremka 6-2 and Zapata Miralles is 5-1 against Schwartzman.
So far it’s Paire playing the big points better, and he averts a further breaking opportunity with a clever drop that Norrie can’t get under. But when he goes again, Norrie chases it down and help from the net-cord takes the ball away and over the sideline, then a forehand loops long and we’re back on serve at 4-4.
Keys booms an ace down the T and it means a 6-1 set; she’s playing nicely, but Kanepi has’t got going at all.
Keys now leads Kanepi 5-0, while Shapovalov is up a break on Nakashima at 3-2. Oh and have a look, a gorgeous lob from Paire gives him 0-30 on the Norrie serve. He then makes his way to 30-40, gets a decent return back, and after some baseline slugging, Norrie hooks wide! the crowd love that and this is building into a real fun ruckus. Paire leads 4-3.
Norrie gets himself to 0-40, but Paire guides a nice slice deep into the forehand corner that’s good enough to save the first break point, then a service winner then a wrong-footing volley – mishit – and we’re at deuce. The crowd absolutely love it, all the more so when Paire eventually seals the hold with an ace, and that’s 3-3.
Order of play: show courts
Chatrier
KA Pliskova [16] v Stephens
Djokovic [3] v Kovacevic
Garcia [5] v Wang
Sinner [8] v Muller (night session)
**
Lenglen
Paire 2-3 Norrie
Avanesyan v Bencic [12]
Alcaraz [1] v Cobolli
Kvitova [10] v Cocciaretto
**
Mathieu
Day 3-2 Mladenovic
Auger-Aliassime [10] v Fognini
Svitolina v Trevisan [26]
Fils v Davidovich Fokina [29]
In this era of majors being won by so many different players, it’s almost a surprise that Keys doesn’t have one, because her best level is a very serious level. Sadly for her, though, she froze in the one final she reached, in New York against her mate Sloane Stephens in 2017. But she remains extremely dangerous, and has broken Kanepi for a 2-0 lead.
Right, everything is working well enough, though Paire slipped during the first game. We’re on serve though, at 1-1, and i’m also watching Kanepi v Keys – Keys leads 1-0 on serve – and Nakashima v Shapovalov – Nakashima leads 1-0.
The crowd are behind Paire already and the court is half shade, half sun. Play!
Norrie and Paire are knocking up. This should be a fascinating battle of angles, spins and lengths.
OK, I’ve a minor technical issue, but I’ll be with you properly in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.
Preamble
Morning all and welcome to day two of Roland-Garros 2023!
We’ve got an almost indecent amount of joy for you today. We begin with the mercurial hands and teenage attitude of Benoît Paire, who meets Cameron Norrie, and at almost the same time Karolina Pliskova takes on Sloane Stephens, the 2018 finalist.
Then, in the afternoon, Novak Djokovic joins proceedings, likewise Felix Auger-Aliassime – his match against Fabio Fognini could be a goodun – after which Carlos Alcaraz, the number one seed, makes his bow, along with Caroline Garcia and Petra Kvitova.
And that’s just the show courts! Elsewhere, there’s Kaia Kanepi v Madison Keys and Stan Wawrinka v Albert Ramos-Vinolas, while Dominic Thiem, Jelena Ostapenko and Francis Tiafoe also begin their campaigns.
On y va!
Play: 11am local, 10am BST
