Date-Krumm exits as Dimitrov lucky in rain
Source: AFP |
May 29, 2013, Wednesday
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Print Edition
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HIGHLY-RATED Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov reached the French Open second round while Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm bowed out yesterday as torrential rain caused havoc at Roland Garros.
Dimitrov, dubbed 'Baby Federer' because of his similar style to the 17-time grand slam winner, went through to the last 64 when Colombian opponent Alejandro Falla retired with the Bulgarian 26th seed 6-4, 1-0 to the good.
The 22-year-old Dimitrov, the boyfriend of Maria Sharapova, could face world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the third round.
Dimitrov was just one of three winners in early action yesterday after heavy rain caused a three-hour delay to the start of the program in Paris.
Barely 90 minutes of play was possible before the rain returned.
"I am happy that I finished the match. It's never easy to play the first round in a grand slam especially with the weather the way that it was," said Dimitrov, who is seeded at a major for the first time.
He has enjoyed a breakthrough year, defeating Djokovic in the second round in Rome and making a first Masters quarterfinal in Monte Carlo where he lost to Rafael Nadal.
World No. 83 Date-Krumm, who played her first Roland Garros in 1989 - three years before Dimitrov was born - probably wished it had kept on raining.
The 42-year-old Japanese lost 0-6, 2-6 to Australian ninth seed Samantha Stosur, the 2010 runner-up and former US Open winner.
Date-Krumm became the third oldest player to compete in women's singles in the tournament - Martina Navratilova holding the record at 47 and 232 days from her 2004 showing.
Fully 57 players in this year's women's singles draw were not even born when Date-Krumm made her Roland Garros debut.
"Stosur is so strong and she's a specialist on clay," said Date-Krumm.
"Today she didn't make mistakes because I couldn't put her under pressure."
Djokovic was beginning his campaign later but faced a frustrating day battling the showers as well as Belgian opponent David Goffin.
Top seed Djokovic, the runner-up to Nadal last year, has already defended his Australian Open title in 2013 and halted Nadal's attempt to win a ninth successive Monte Carlo Masters last month.
The Serb needs a French Open title to complete a career grand slam.
Goffin, the 22-year-old, world No. 57 from Liege, enjoyed a stunning debut at the French Open last year when he came through qualifying as a lucky loser to reach the last 16 where he took a set off Federer before losing in four.
Goffin has yet to get beyond the third round of a tour event in 2013.
Also in action later were women's third seed Victoria Azarenka, the Australian Open champion, who was taking on Russia's experienced Elena Vesnina.
Azarenka has never got out of the quarterfinals in Paris but the Belarussian holds a 4-0 record over the 36-ranked Vesnina.
Dimitrov, dubbed 'Baby Federer' because of his similar style to the 17-time grand slam winner, went through to the last 64 when Colombian opponent Alejandro Falla retired with the Bulgarian 26th seed 6-4, 1-0 to the good.
The 22-year-old Dimitrov, the boyfriend of Maria Sharapova, could face world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the third round.
Dimitrov was just one of three winners in early action yesterday after heavy rain caused a three-hour delay to the start of the program in Paris.
Barely 90 minutes of play was possible before the rain returned.
"I am happy that I finished the match. It's never easy to play the first round in a grand slam especially with the weather the way that it was," said Dimitrov, who is seeded at a major for the first time.
He has enjoyed a breakthrough year, defeating Djokovic in the second round in Rome and making a first Masters quarterfinal in Monte Carlo where he lost to Rafael Nadal.
World No. 83 Date-Krumm, who played her first Roland Garros in 1989 - three years before Dimitrov was born - probably wished it had kept on raining.
The 42-year-old Japanese lost 0-6, 2-6 to Australian ninth seed Samantha Stosur, the 2010 runner-up and former US Open winner.
Date-Krumm became the third oldest player to compete in women's singles in the tournament - Martina Navratilova holding the record at 47 and 232 days from her 2004 showing.
Fully 57 players in this year's women's singles draw were not even born when Date-Krumm made her Roland Garros debut.
"Stosur is so strong and she's a specialist on clay," said Date-Krumm.
"Today she didn't make mistakes because I couldn't put her under pressure."
Djokovic was beginning his campaign later but faced a frustrating day battling the showers as well as Belgian opponent David Goffin.
Top seed Djokovic, the runner-up to Nadal last year, has already defended his Australian Open title in 2013 and halted Nadal's attempt to win a ninth successive Monte Carlo Masters last month.
The Serb needs a French Open title to complete a career grand slam.
Goffin, the 22-year-old, world No. 57 from Liege, enjoyed a stunning debut at the French Open last year when he came through qualifying as a lucky loser to reach the last 16 where he took a set off Federer before losing in four.
Goffin has yet to get beyond the third round of a tour event in 2013.
Also in action later were women's third seed Victoria Azarenka, the Australian Open champion, who was taking on Russia's experienced Elena Vesnina.
Azarenka has never got out of the quarterfinals in Paris but the Belarussian holds a 4-0 record over the 36-ranked Vesnina.
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