From Mensik to Moutet: French Open roars with French fans and rising tension
Novak Djokovic
Paris: Court No.14 is a nondescript space in the otherwise scenic settings of Roland Garros. The stands around the court can hold about 800 spectators, not a daunting number if you discount partisan sentiment – fans rallying behind the home player, employing hardy decibel levels, chanting 'ole` ole`' under threatening skies.
On Tuesday, 19-year-old Jakub Mensik turned to the Court 14 stands like a concert conductor, swaying to their notes, even lending them an ear after he took a two-sets-to-one lead against Frenchman Alexandre Muller, before wrapping up the first-round match in four sets. The Czech sealed it with a smile. On Wednesday, the world No.52 Quentin Halys, born in the northeastern suburb of Paris, some 20 kms from where he was playing his second-round match against Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic, used the energy of the crowd to lift him after he fell behind early in the match.
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Shouts of 'Quentin' clap-clap 'Quentin' carried across the grounds as every Kecmanovic error was celebrated with the same gusto as a winner from the home player. Halys, playing in a shade of rich red wine, fed off the crowd to power home in four sets.
Novak Djokovic
, the 24-time major winner, who doesn't hesitate to call out crowds when he thinks they cross the line, was asked if he thought fans at the
French Open
had become worse over the years.
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The 38-year-old Serbian said it was logical for fans to celebrate the home player.
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'Let's take all four Slams, anywhere you go, the local player is going to have the crowd on their side. It is expected,' he said. 'It is true that here in Paris, compared to other Slams, people are louder, more passionate and give more support, more energy to their players. It's not the ideal environment to be playing in, but you have to be ready for it.'
At each of tennis' Grand Slam fortnights crowds are debated on. The question is always the same, which of the majors has the worst (read most disruptive) fandom? While there's no escaping the loud chants at Roland Garros, with fans getting behind their players firmly, New York's Arthur Ashe stadium with a near 24,000 capacity, holding approximately 9000 spectators more than the other three – Rod Laver Arena, Court Philippe Chatrier and Wimbledon's Centre court --.
maybe the hardest to negotiate for sheer volume.
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Remember the 2018 and 2019 US Open finals that pit Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu respectively against the game's rockstar Serena Williams? It got so loud, it felt like someone was thumping on your ear drums.
Djokovic, seeded six this time, plays gifted Frenchman Corentin Moutet in the second round on Thursday. 'I would expect most people to cheer for the French player, it's not personal,' he said.
Mensik, seeded 19, who idolizes Djokovic, walked onto court on Tuesday waving a page from the Serbian's handbook of tough takes.
'When they were shouting his name, I was trying to (imagine) they were shouting my name,' the teenager said. 'Sometimes it was super difficult, but I did well. I was just repeating in my head that they are cheering for me.'
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The 26-year-old Moutet hoped the crowd would be a factor on Thursday against Djokovic in the second round.
'I don't think that will be the only reason to beat Djokovic,' the left-hander said. 'He has been through a lot of different crowds. He won so many Grand Slams. I don't think I can count (only) on this. If they support me, it's going to give me a lot of power. So I'm going to play with the crowd. The goal is to win because I don't want to stop my tournament in the second round.'
It's getting louder in Paris, and the competition hotter, atmosphere might just be the synonym for boisterous volume.
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