Thanasi Kokkinakis and Alex de Minaur are among four Australians scheduled to compete on day five at Roland Garros 2024.
Paris, France, 30 May 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Australian competitors Thanasi Kokkinakis and Alex de Minaur find themselves in exciting, yet unfamiliar, situations on day five at Roland Garros 2024.
Kokkinakis has advanced to the second round in singles at a Grand Slam tournament for the 10th time in his career. However, for the first time the world No.100 is facing a lower-ranked opponent.
“You can’t too ahead of yourself. I know no matches in Grand Slams are easy,” Kokkinakis said ahead of his second-round clash with world No.148 Giulio Zeppieri.
Kokkinakis is familiar with the 22-year-old Italian qualifier, winning their only previous meeting in three sets at an ATP Challenger event on clay in 2019.
“I’ve watched him play a little bit and kind of wondered why he hasn’t progressed ranking-wise because I think he’s very good, and he proved it beating someone from France in their own tournament,” the 28-year-old Kokkinakis said referring to Zeppieri’s first-round win against world No.22 and French hope Adrian Mannarino.
“I’m expecting a battle.”
As world No.11 De Minaur looks to progress to the third round for the first time in Paris, he has declared he is feeling more confident and “capable” than ever.
“I’m a completely different player than previous years on the surface,” acknowledged De Minaur, who has typically struggled on clay throughout his career. “I feel comfortable.”
This is just as well, as De Minaur’s second-round opponent, world No.64 Jaume Munar, is a 27-year-old Spaniard who lists clay as his favourite surface.
Munar was a Roland Garros boys’ singles finalist in 2014 and won the boys’ doubles title at the tournament a year later.
Although their head-to-head record is tied at two wins apiece, De Minaur has won their two most recent encounters. This includes a clay-court clash at Madrid in 2021.
Rain is causing havoc to the schedule, with no doubles matches yet to be completed at the tournament.
Australian duo Daria Saville and Ajla Tomljanovic are scheduled to resume their delayed first-round doubles match trailing 2-5 in the opening set.
Roland Garros is broadcast live in Australia on the Nine Network and Stan Sport, with coverage beginning at 6.30pm AEST.
Aussies in action on day five:
Men’s singles, second round
[11] Alex de Minaur (AUS) v…
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