French Open Day 3 LIVE – Casper Ruud, Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic set for first-round matches at Roland-Garros – Eurosport

Felipe takes some frustration out on his opening return and finally wins a point on the Ruud serve.

It’s the catalyst for a potential twist as he backs up a scorching crosscourt forehand with a crisp winner down the line to tee up break back point.

Ruud responds with a clutch serve and then wallops away a smash to earn set point from deuce.

And it’s the usual script from there as the Norwegian’s big crosscourt forehand lures the error to seal an impressive opener in 43 minutes.

Felipe thinks he’s corked a beauty of a winner on the opening point but his heart sinks when the umpire leaps out of his chair to confirm it is out.

Ruud looks to take full advantage, ripping a forehand up the line that is too hot for the Brazilian to retrieve.

The mood shifts inside Chatrier and there’s a feeling this will be Ruud’s moment when he works his way to triple break point.

Not today, says Felipe – or at least not right now!

Indeed, the qualifier survives a return into the net post and then unloads in quick succession deep to Casper’s baseline to turn around some tense rallies and reach deuce.

Ruud remains unfazed and comes out on top in a crosscourt forecourt exchange at the net before earning a slice of luck when Felipe’s crunching forehand clips the tape and flies out on the fourth.

Ruud will now serve for the set.

Ruud remains flawless on serve as we head into the business end of this opening set.

Felipe stares at his team after another leaky error off the forehand pings long from the forecourt. It offers up break point but for once Casper isn’t so tidy and arcs a crosscourt backhand wide.

It’s deja on a second opportunity from deuce as the Norwegian rasps a probing forehand just long and there’s a rare hint of frustration that flashes across his face.

Meligeni Alves has a chance to see it out but then coughs up a third BP with an awful, mistimed jump into a smash that flies well long.

Once again Ruud loops a crosscourt attempt wide to let the Brazilian off the hook and from there the qualifier grinds out a tough hold, taking on a forehand early to propel it way beyond his opponent’s reach.

It’s so efficient from Ruud. He’s made just the one unforced error and has yet to drop a point on serve, concluding another clean hold with a fabulous drop shot Felipe doesn’t even chase.

There’s smatterings of lovely approach play from Felipe at times but there are also some careless errors that could be significant as the match develops.

He butchers a mid-court forehand low into the net and comes nowhere near making a dropper count to allow Ruud to reach deuce.

Clutch serving keeps the Norwegian at bay, however, and we remain tied at two apiece in the early sparring under the roof on Chatrier.

It’s smooth and efficient serving from Ruud as he makes quick work of another love hold.

It’s fair to say this contest has got underway at a brisk pace.

Felipe turns defence into attack as he steps to his left to reach a Ruud pile-driver down the line to steer a beauty of a crosscourt backhand to the opposite flank.

He’s at it again seconds later as he steers an exquisite lob from that same wing on the stretch en route to a very tidy hold to 15.

No surprise to see Ruud dictating with that forehand and luring forced errors out of the Brazilian. It’s sharp work from the Scandinavian as he cruises through a clean hold to open.

No.7 seed Casper Ruud will follow Alize’s emotional send-off.

The Norwegian arrives in Paris on the back of clinching the Geneva title as he continues to shine in 2024.

The 25-year-old leads the ATP Tour with 35 match wins and five finals this year, including a first ATP500 title in Barcelona.

The two-time RG finalist has a perfect record in first round matches at the Paris major with six out six victories and is a heavy favourite to make it 7/7 against Brazilian qualifier and World No.137 Felipe Meligeni Alves.

A Queen of the upset on many an occasion, Cornet continues to beam as RG pays tribute to her. She watches on as a video montage of her career is played on the big screen.

It’s all over! Zheng breaks again on a FOURTH match point to book her place in round two and effectively end the career of Alize Cornet.

The 34-year-old French wild card battled so hard to try and prolong the match with a sizzling backhand up the line and a delicious drive volley offering a couple of last hurrahs as she fought her way to deuce.

Zheng’s venomous return proved too much in the end though and a delightful crosscourt volley got the job done.

It perhaps isn’t the scoreline former World No.11 Cornet would have hoped for to bring down the curtain on her career, but she was all smiles at the end and visibly emotional.

The power, the length and the precision – Qinwen’s groundstrokes are just too much for Cornet to handle when it comes to the crunch.

A wonderful, wide serve tees up a crosscourt backhand drive volley from 30-30 and the Chinese adjusts the height of a forehand to lure an error under stress long from her opponent to back up the double break and move within a game of victory.

It’s a hard watch for Alize fans.

It’s just not quite happening. She has her moments again here as a lull from Zheng allows her to claw her way to two break points.

The French veteran loops a loose return long and berates herself and then has a look at a backhand pass down the line that she can only arrow into the tramlines. It’s enough of a reprieve for Zheng to reset and complete a tricky hold from deuce.

It seems even more significant in the following game as Cornet’s serve comes under the microscope again with a double fault compounding her misery on the second of three break points.

At times the power of Zheng has left Cornet’s shoulders slumped in resignation as the winners pour off the Chinese star’s racquet.

The No.7 seed nails three en route to a confident hold to 15 before her all-out attack on the return leads to an emphatic break to love.

Hard to see Cornet being able to flip the script in any significant sway here…

Zheng threatens to increase the gloom amongst French tennis fans with a couple of early winners to threaten at 15-30.

Cornet retorts with typical feistiness and a couple of clutch serves help her turn it around to kick off Set 2 on a positive note.

Cornet had her moments midway through that set but either side of that Zheng was completely dominant and she made no mistake serving out, easing through a game to 15 to mop up the opener in 50 minutes.

Has the Chinese starlet kicked on since her maiden appearance in a major final Down Under?

There’s a clear sense of irritation in the demeanour of the 21-year-old nicknamed ‘Queen Wen.’

She’s unhappy that she has allowed Cornet to scrap her way back into it and is a whisker away from snatching that double break back.

A beauty of a backhand down the line is followed by one that rakes crosscourt but lands just wide of its mark.

Cornet hustles her way to game point but Zheng refuses to let her off the hook, executing a bewitching dropper to prolong the tussle from deuce.

In the end it’s all rather deflating for French wild card as the No.7 seed does indeed claim the break. She will now serve for the set.

Just like buses – boom!

Cornet takes full advantage of a shortage of first serves from Qinwen and manages to snare one of the breaks back. Suddenly there’s a different feel to this one.

Lift off! Cornet gets on the board and the home crowd respond.

The French supporters were somewhat subdued at first, but now they respond to a much-needed hold from the veteran with encouraging applause.

If Alize dreamed of a nightmare scenario last night, this was probably it.

Zheng seems very confident in the match-up and her tactics, easing through another hold to back up the double break with ease.

Cornet puffs out her cheeks and gulps in some tension-easing Parisian air.

The nightmare scenario is staring her right in the face at triple break point but she finds something from deep within to fight back, unloading a sweet backhand up the line and making deuce with a delicious crosscourt drop shot.

Sadly, it turns out to be a brief riposte as Zheng cannons away a terrific crosscourt backhand to secure the double break in style.

The No.4 seed and 2022 Wimbledon champion, Elena Rybakina has made quick work of Belgium’s World No.85 Greet Minnen in the first match on Lenglen.

The Kazakhstani star has prevailed 6-2 6-3 in just one hour and 13 minutes.

It’s not been a great 2024 for the 34-year-old French wild card and she continues to be irritated by how she’s kicked this match off.

Zheng remains very business-like, landing some big serves and comfortably consolidating with a game to 15.

That’s not the start Cornet would have wanted on her big farewell. She struggles to find first serves in a lengthy seven-minute opener and survives a couple of near misses from the power striking of her opponent before succumbing on a double fault from deuce.

It’s all about Rafael Nadal, really: The King of Clay!

Hello and welcome to our LIVE updates from Day 3 at the 2024 French Open.

We’ve got some big names kicking off their title tilts today with clay-court specialist and two-time finalist Casper Ruud up second on Court Philippe Chatrier against Felipe Meligeni Alves.

That’s followed by women’s World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka versus Erika Andreeva.

The night session features 24-time major winner and reigning champion Novak Djokovic as he locks horns with French hopeful Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

First up on Chatrier though, we’ll be keeping tabs on Australian Open finalist and No.7 seed Qinwen Zheng as she meets Alize Cornet, who has said she will retire following this year’s RG campaign.

COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER – FROM 11:00

• Qinwen Zheng (7) v Alize Cornet
• Felipe Meligeni Alves v Casper Ruud (7)
• Erika Andreeva v Aryna Sabalenka (2)

• Novak Djokovic (1) v Pierre-Hugues Herbert

COURT SUZANNE LENGLEN – FROM 10:00

• Greet Minnen v Elena Rybakina (4)
• Tomas Martin Etcheverry (28) v Arthur Cazaux
• Magdalena French v Daria Kasatkina (10)
• Dan Evans v Holger Rune (13)

COURT SIMONNE MATHIEU – FROM 10:00

• Alex De Minaur (11) v Alex Michelsen
• Taylor Fritz (12) v Federico Coria
• Madison Keys (14) v Renata Zarazua
• Victoria Azarenka (19) v Nadia Podoroska

• Petra Martic v Kristina Mladenovic
• David Goffin v Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
• Katie Boulter (26) v Paula Badosa
• Gregoire Barrere v Alexander Bublik (19)