Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was made to work hard for more than three hours to book his spot in the French Open second round with a 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7) win over Czech Jiri Vesely on Sunday.

The Greek, runner-up in Paris in 2021, did not expect the kind of resistance offered by a player ranked 445th in the world following a lengthy injury absence, and had to save four set points in the fourth to avoid a decider.

“I said to myself there’s no chance this is going to a fifth set. That’s what I told myself,” Tsitsipas said. “Jiri was a difficult obstacle. He gave me a hard time and I am happy I overcame it in such a fashion.

“Today’s win is a very important for me,” said Tsitsipas, who has not enjoyed his best clay court season.

Russian Karen Khachanov beat Constant Lestienne of France in a tough five-setter 3-6, 1-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 to reach the second round.

Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, seeded 13th, also survived a five-set thriller, seeing off David Goffin 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in three hours and 40 minutes.

Stand on war

Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Aryna Sabalenka after their first-round match here and the Ukrainian feels the Belarusian should take a stronger, more personal stand against the war.

Booing and jeering could be heard from the thin Court Philippe Chatrier crowd as Kostyuk left the court after a 3-6, 2-6 loss to world No.2 Sabalenka on Sunday.

Kostyuk has previously said she would not shake hands with tour rivals from Russia and Belarus (a staging ground for Moscow’s “special military operation”) if she feels they have not done enough to speak out against the invasion.

“I understand why they’re not shaking hands with us. I can imagine if they shake hands with us, what’s going to happen to them from the Ukrainian side. I understand that this isn’t personal. That’s it,” Sabalenka said. “How can we support the war? Nobody, normal people will never support it.”

To Kostyuk, it is a personal matter.

“I feel like you should ask these players who would they want to win the war because if you ask this question, I’m not so sure these people will say that they want Ukraine to win,” the 20-year-old told reporters.

“She (Sabalenka) never says that she personally doesn’t support this war, and I feel like journalists should change the questions that you ask these athletes because the war is already there. It’s been 15 months since the war has begun.”

Kostyuk, whose parents still live in Ukraine, said Sabalenka had a duty to speak up because of her status as a top player.

“Just by speaking out, I think she can just send some message because most of these people, they haven’t even ever left the country,” she said.

“Someone like Aryna... just to reject her responsibility of having an opinion on the most important things in the world, I cannot respect it.”

Last year, Russian Daria Kasatkina criticised the war, calling it a “full-blown nightmare”.

Noah’s advice

Paris: No French man has won a singles grand slam title for 40 years and the 1983 French Open champion, Yannick Noah, has a piece of advice for the local youngsters — pack your bags and leave the country.

On Saturday 18-year-old Arthur Fils took the Lyon title on clay, becoming the youngest player to win the tournament. With the likes of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet, Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils nearing the end of their careers or having already retired, a huge generation gap has opened up.

Fils could fill the void, but he should seek advice from abroad, said Noah. “You have to go and nourish yourself elsewhere, because we’re used to losing at all levels,” Noah told reporters.

French women have had more success with Amelie Mauresmo, Marion Bartoli and Mary Pierce winning grand slam singles since Noah lifted the Musketeers Cup. Last year’s US Open semi-finalist Caroline Garcia is seeded fifth here.

Reuters