After winning the first round, the French cracked against the American on Thursday in the second round of Roland-Garros. His elimination seals the edition of the tricolor clan, which will have no members in the third round.
There is (already) no more French representative at Roland-Garros. Last tricolor hope after the eliminations of Diane Parry and Océane Dodin, Arthur Rinderknech lost to world No. 8, the American Taylor Fritz (2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4), Thursday June 1, after 2h50 of a fierce struggle. Already winner of his first match on Parisian ocher on Tuesday against Richard Gasquet, on the Suzanne-Lenglen court, the Varois will once again offer the opportunity to the Parisian public to give voice. But this time the step was too high.
Taylor Fritz, who faced a Frenchman at Roland-Garros for the first time in his career, will remember his hostile baptism on Parisian soil. On the Suzanne-Lenglen court, songs, applause and “ola” followed one another to encourage Arthur Rinderknech. During the first round, the American was overwhelmed by the excitement of the spans and the tennis offered by the Habs. But from the second round, the debate was balanced. Still as much pushed by a bubbling public, the Frenchman went to the end of himself – at the cost of a long break at the end of the second round, visibly borrowed physically – but the American did not crack.
Despite all his attempts and a rare combativeness, Arthur Rinderknech took the opposing serve only once in the last two sets. Not having digested the sometimes borderline behavior of the public, the American exulted after having knocked down the last tricolor hope. Finger to her mouth, smirk, multiple “c’s”ome on” furious, he provoked the ire of the spectators. The bronca of Suzanne-Lenglen finally accompanied him until his exit, disrupting the formal interview conducted by an exasperated Marion Bartoli. In the next round, Taylor Fritz will find on his way the Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo, 23rd in the ATP ranking… and undoubtedly the French public.
The slaughter of French tennis
At the start, they were 29, and at the time of the third round, there are therefore none left. After the elimination of Diane Parry, beaten dryly by the promising Mirra Andreeva, and that of Océane Dodin, dominated by Ons Jabeur, Arthur Rinderknech carried all the weight of France on his shoulders, and this pressure got the better of him. Thus, as in 2021, France will have no representative from the third round of its local Grand Slam tournament. In just two years, French tennis has achieved twice what had never happened since the start of the Open era, ie 54 years.