Paris [France], May 26: A former champion waved an emotional goodbye to Roland Garros as a potential title challenger announced himself in style on the Parisian clay.
Stan Wawrinka lifted the Coupe des Mousquetaires back in 2015 with one of the great final performances against Novak Djokovic and announced late last year that this season would be his swansong.
Now 41, Wawrinka is no longer the bludgeoning force he once was but he remains a fan favourite, especially in Paris, and a packed house cheered him on in a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat by lucky loser Jesper de Jong.
The three-time grand slam champion was honoured in an on-court ceremony and his voice cracked as he addressed the crowd.
"It's hard, I don't want to have to say goodbye here," said the Swiss.
"It was tournaments like this that I dreamed of, that made me want to become a tennis player. I grew up with the aim of playing once at Roland Garros. Thanks for making the dream possible."
Wawrinka's countryman and former sparring partner Roger Federer then led a video tribute that also included contributions from Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Wawrinka's exit means 39-year-old Djokovic is the only former men's champion left in the draw, but a player 20 years younger may yet have a say in the final stages.
Spaniard Rafael Jodar has the perfect name to thrive at Roland Garros and he lost just five games on his debut, beating American Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-1, 6-0, 6-4.
Ranked 165 at the start of the season, Jodar arrived in Paris as the 27th seed having won his maiden ATP Tour title in Marrakech and then reached the quarter-finals at the Masters 1000 events in both Madrid and Rome.
Jodar's draw has also become more favourable over the first two days with 12th seed Jiri Lehecka following seventh seed Taylor Fritz out in the first round.
There were comfortable wins for two of the favourites in the women's draw, with four-time champion Iga Swiatek beating Australian teenager Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-2 and second seed Elena Rybakina seeing off Veronika Erjavec 6-2, 6-2.
Seventh seed Elina Svitolina is heavily fancied to do well here having won the Italian Open in Rome last weekend but she survived a real battle against Anna Bondar.
Bondar had won their last two matches so there was huge relief for Svitolina when she clinched a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-3) victory.
Source: Qatar Tribune
