Filippo Volandri of Italy reacts during his men’s singles match against Sam Querry on Day One of the French Open. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
The 113th French Open has begun at the Roland-Garros in Paris today, Sunday May 25 at 5 a.m. Eastern. The French Open is the second of four Grand Slams this season and will be broadcast will be split between ESPN, NBC and the Tennis Channel. With Venus and Serena moving to the second round for women’s singles and Roger Federer moving to the next round of the men’s singles, the road to victory will consist of the best tennis players in the world fighting until the final. The women’s final is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 7 at 9 a.m. Eastern while the men’s final is scheduled for Sunday, June 8 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
Click here to watch the live stream.
Click Here for the full schedule.
Here’s what you need to know about the live scores, competitors and more:
1. Australian Champions Stan Wawrinka and Li Na Lost in the 1st Round
Australian champion and No. 3 seed, Stan Wawrinka lost to 41st-ranked Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 and 6-0 defeat. Wawrinka’s trademark one-handed backhanded was off-target throughout. Another season will pass without one man winning the Australian Open and French Open because of Wawrinka’s loss. Jim Courier was the last to win both in 1992.Watch the video above to see highlights of the match.
Wawrinka told the Tennis Channel:
“I was trying to find my game, trying … to be aggressive, trying to find anything. And I didn’t. I was completely flat.”
Wawrinka has never surpassed the quarterfinals at the French Open, but is the first Australian Open champ to exit in the first round of that year’s French Open since Petr Korda in 1998. Garcia-Lopez has never made it through the third round at a major. Wawrinka had 62 unforced errors which was 34 more than Garcia-Lopez.
Garcia-Lopez said in the post-match interview with the Tennis Channel:
“I think what made him lose is he was not very strong mentally – and I was…I’m not as overwhelmed by emotions as I used to be.”
The Australian Open champion Li Na lost in the first round at this year’s tournament. Li won the Australian Open earlier this year just before Stan Wawrinka won his first major.
Li, the winner of the 2011 French Open, lost to Kristina Mladenovic of France 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.
Li had a total of 37 unforced errors while Mladenovic had only 25 errors.
Mladenovic told The Globe and Mail:
“You don’t beat Li Na every day. It means really a lot, especially in Grand Slam.”
French Open – A day after Stan Wawrinka loses, Li Na suffers same latest Australian Open champ to lose http://t.co/T9i2VaT3FB
— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) May 27, 2014
Click here to see the rest of the live results and scores: http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/index.html
2. Serena Williams Lost in the 2nd Round
Now, top two players in the world for Women’s Singles have been knocked out of the tournament. 2013 French Open champion and No. 1 in the world Serena Williams was taken down in the second round Wednesday by Spain’s 20 year-old Garbine Muguruza, currently ranked No. 35 in the world. Williams totaled 29 unforced errors and without winning a point at net (0 for 5).
Williams never seemed to find a groove, losing five games in a row. She has won 17 Grand Slams in her career, shocking the world after being shown up by a huge underdog. In Muguruza’s career, she has lost 5 out of 5 times to top five players.
The 6 foot tall Barcelona native told SI.com:
“It’s a dream come true. Since I was a child, I thought, Oh, I want to play against Serena on center court, and today was the day, and I think I did very good.”
Williams said to SI:
The loss would prompt her to “go home and work five times as hard to make sure I never lose again. I know for a fact I can work harder. I know for a fact I can play so much better than what I did today.”
3. Rafael Nadal is Predicted to Win
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning a point against Andy Murray during the Internazionali BNL d’Italia 2014 – Day Six. (Getty)
No. 1 Rafael Nadal, has won eight of the last nine championships. Nadal has had four straight victories from 2005 to 2008 and four more in a row from 2010 until now. The left handed Majorcan has won 13 career Grand Slams, just four less than leaving him just four Roger Federer’s all-time record of 17. Nadal lost to Sten Wawrinka in the final of the Australian Open when his back gave out, but before Nadal’s loss, 34 of the prior 35 Grand Slams titles were won by one of four players — Nadal, Federer, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray. Wawrinka will also be moving to the second round of the French Open after today’s match.
Although Nadal has proved his dominance on clay, the top players in the world will all be present, each with an equal chance of stealing the number one spot.
When they lose they blame their luck, but I’ve put more hours than they have, that’s why I win. That’s my trick ;) pic.twitter.com/gFU5HC4KtS
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) May 24, 2014
4. Gael Monfils And Laurent Lokoli Had a Dance-Off Before French Open
WATCH: Gael Monfils And Laurent Lokoli Show Off Their Dance Moves
Gael Monfils and Laurent Lokoli broke out dancing on the tennis court at the French Open. The two talented Frenchmen took part in an spontaneous dance-off during Kids’ Day on Court Chatrier. Lokoli, a 19-year-old, is ranked in the 400s, but is an up and coming player in France.Monfils’ankle injury did not deter him from going move for move with Lokoli while DJ Bob Sinclar spun the beats.
5. The Prize Money This Year Increased
Mo’ Money, Mo’ Money: French Open prize money increases by $4M. http://t.co/qJkbLJKO5Y
— espnW (@espnW) April 15, 2014
The 2014 French Open will be offering overall prize money of €25,018,900, which represents an increase of €3 million compared with 2013.
The winners of the men’s and women’s singles in 2014 will each receive €1,650,000, more than 10% than last year.
Players who are knocked out in the second, third and fourth rounds will have the biggest increase with a 20%–25% increase from 2013.
Gilbert Ysern, tournament director and Director General of the FFT, told media at Roland-Garros:
“This significant raise in the prize money at Roland Garros is part of the four-year plan which we established for 2013–2016. It is specifically designed to benefit players who are knocked out in the first week.”
