I'm proud of taking advantage of the opportunities. There are so few tournaments this year. Especially with my ranking, I was very limited with what I could play. First of all, very grateful to the French federation for giving me the wildcard here," Bouchard said after Wednesday's 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 win against Gavrilova, herself a former Top 20 player working on a comeback after a nearly year-long foot injury.
"Also grateful to them for making such a big effort to put this tournament on. We're all just so grateful to have jobs, have a big event to kind of end our season. You just have to be so grateful for every opportunity.
"I've tried to push myself in every chance I've had because I know there are so few."
A happy 29th birthday for a happy Simona Halep.
The top seed and 2018 Roland-Garros champion ignited her title challenge with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over world No.70 Sara Sorribes Tormo on Sunday.
It was an extra special present for Halep, who posted her 15th consecutive match victory in the first women’s match under the newly unveiled Court Philippe-Chatrier roof.
“Yeah, it feels very special. I feel very honoured to play the first round under the roof. It’s a unique moment for me, playing here on my birthday, playing at Roland-Garros,” beamed the world No.2, unbeaten since the Australian Open semi-finals.
“Forever I will keep it. I just want to enjoy today because it’s really special.”
In similar fashion, the Spaniard took to court and managed to absorb all of Halep’s initial strikes. The 24-year-old was proving to be a tricky opponent, looping up her forehand, while slicing and dicing off the backhand wing.
That concoction kept Halep off kilter and Sorribes Tormo jumped to 4-2.
The top seed was looking increasingly frustrated, but from this point Halep banished the relatively tentative play, and ramped up the pace of shot.
A forehand drive volley while sliding over the tramlines was exceptional from the Romanian as 10 successive games rapidly fell her way off the back of 23 winners.
Having strung Sorribes Tormo from side to side she soared into the second round and was treated to the crowd's rendition of Happy Birthday - in French, of course.
“I’m really pleased with the victory. It’s always really tough to start the tournament. I’ve been a little bit nervous and she played really well in the first set, didn’t really miss,” assessed the 29-year-old.
"Also, her ball is coming a little bit higher and with a lot of topspin, so it's not easy to play from up to the shoulder.
"I found my rhythm, started to open up the court better and not going for everything. Oh and the drop shots. I changed, worked for every ball. I had a plan B and it worked very well for me today.”
The reigning Wimbledon champion is buoyed by her continued on-court success, particularly from a mental perspective.
“I think I improved a lot. I'm more mature on the court. I am more calm. Yeah, I feel very good on court. I'm relaxed. I'm just trying to give my best every time. Actually, I don't give up any points. So, I think I changed a lot in the last 12 months.”
For Victoria Azarenka, it’s a philosophy that sums up her new-found attitude, one that should stand her in good stead over the next fortnight.
Despite cool conditions and drizzle that interrupted play early in the first set, the former world No.1 cruised into the second round at Roland-Garros on Sunday with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Danka Kovinic of Montenegro.
She's a junior champion there,” he said. “She likes the clay. The surface is not a barrier to entry for her by any means. It's an opportunity.”
Courier, who owns the fourth-longest match winning streak in Roland-Garros men’s singles history at 20, thinks Gauff should forget about the lofty expectations that are already being placed on her and just seek to improve.
“She's still very much a work in progress,” he said. “It's going to be great to see her play there, see exactly what she can do. We know she's someone who is not afraid of the dirt.”
