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French Open 2024: Andy Murray and Jack Draper knocked out in first round but Carlos Alcaraz advances

Andy Murray beaten in straight sets by Stan Wawrinka in what is likely his last French Open singles match; Murray's fellow Brit Jack Draper knocked out after five-setter against Jesper de Jong; world No 3 Carlos Alcaraz shrugs off any injury fears in breezing past JJ Wolf

Andy Murray, French Open (Associated Press)
Image: Andy Murray lost in straight sets to Stan Wawrinka in the first round of the French Open

Andy Murray was knocked out in the first round of what is likely to be his final French Open with the three-time Grand Slam champion overpowered by fellow veteran Stan Wawrinka at Roland Garros.

Murray, who says he does not expect to play much beyond this summer, lost 6-4 6-4 6-2 to 2015 French Open winner Wawrinka, the same player who eliminated him in the opening stage when the Briton last played in Paris back in 2020 and also in the 2017 semi-finals on his previous appearance before that.

Murray was broken in the first game of the match as Wawrinka unfurled some booming groundstrokes - a sign of things to come - with the former world No 1 then unable to take the two break points he carved out in the fourth game of the opener.

The 37-year-old could not manage a solitary break point in the second set, one he fell behind in when he was broken by Wawrinka in the third game, while he lost each of first two service games in the third as the Swiss ran out a handsome winner and Murray missed out on a potential second-round meeting with Cameron Norrie.

Murray's French Open is not over just yet, though, as he is scheduled to play in the doubles with Dan Evans.

Britain's Jack Draper plays a backhand return to Dutch Jesper de Jong during their men's singles match on day one of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros Complex in Paris on May 26, 2024. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)
Image: Jack Draper fought back from two sets down before ultimately being defeated in the first round at Roland-Garros

Norrie, who plays Russia's Pavel Kotov on Monday, is now one of only two Brits left in the men's singles draw, alongside Evans, with Jack Draper following Murray in being eliminated on the opening day following a five-set defeat to Jesper de Jong.

Draper, aiming to reach the second round for the first time in Paris and set up a clash with world No 3 Carlos Alcaraz, recovered from two sets down but then lost the decider, beaten 7-5 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 3-6 6-3 as he fell in the opening round for the second year running.

Also See:

Alcraraz cruises through opener | Rublev reaches second round

The 23-year-old De Jong, ranked 177th in the world, will next face Alcaraz, who shrugged off any injury fears in breezing past JJ Wolf in straight sets on Sunday

Carlos Alcaraz, French Open first round
Image: Carlos Alcaraz breezed through the first round, dropping just four games while beating JJ Wolf in straight sets

The 21-year-old Spaniard's participation at Roland-Garros had been in doubt due to an issue with his forearm that forced him to miss clay-court tournaments in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome, with his Madrid title defence also derailed by the problem.

Alcaraz, a two-time major winner and semi-finalist in Paris last year, was in no obvious discomfort as he dropped only four games in winning 6-1 6-2 6-1 against 25-year-old American Wolf.

"I'm really happy to be back here in Paris to compete again," Alcaraz said after his victory. "It's been a very difficult month for me because I love competing.

"I've tried everything I could to be at 100 per cent, to show my best tennis, and I think I did that today.

"I would have loved to have played more matches but I don't need too many matches to get to 100 per cent. I did really good preparation this past two weeks and practices with top players. My forearm is getting better and better."

Andrey Rublev, of Russia, applauds after winning a match against Taylor Fritz, of United States, during the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Image: Sixth seed Andrey Rublev is safely through to the second round at Roland Garros

In a more challenging match, Russia's Andrey Rublev, the sixth seed, rebounded from a second-set downturn to defeat Taro Daniel of Japan 6-2 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 7-5 in three hours and 11 minutes.

Osaka overcomes early scare | Former champion Ostapenko through

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka survived an early scare when she laboured past unseeded Italian Lucia Bronzetti 6-1 4-6 7-5 to claim her first French Open win in three years.

Naomi Osaka, of Japan, celebrates after winning a point during her match against Daria Kasatkina, of Russia, at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 11, 2024.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Image: Naomi Osaka overcame a scare in her tournament opener against Lucia Bronzetti

Returning this year from a 15-month maternity break, Osaka had fallen in the first round at the Australian Open in January but looked set to breeze into the second round in Paris as the former world No 1 bombarded Bronzetti from the baseline in a 28-minute opening set.

However, after being forced into a decider, Osaka nearly imploded when throwing away a 4-0 lead before going on to clinch victory, setting up a potential clash with world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the second round if the reigning champion beats French qualifier Leolia Jeanjean on Monday.

"I'm honestly really excited," Osaka told reporters. "I watched her [Swiatek] a lot when I was pregnant.

"And honestly, I think it's an honour to play her in the French Open, because she's won more than once here. It's a very big honour and challenge for me."

She added on her tournament-opening win: "There were moments I played pretty well, but I was nervous and got very tight in the third set.

"I'm pretty happy, but I would love to not have to go through that rollercoaster again."

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia plays a shot in her quarter-final match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
Image: Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko is through to the second round

Elsewhere, former French Open champion and ninth seed Jelena Ostapenko overcame a rusty start in both sets to beat Romania's Jaqueline Cristian 6-4 7-5 and reach the second round.

The Latvian, who claimed her lone Grand Slam title in Paris in 2017, won the final four games of the first set, but again fell behind to an early break in the second before rallying once more to wrap things up in straight sets.

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