Share

Nadal, Sharapova top Paris bill

Paris - A day after former champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams eased into the second round with the minimum of fuss, it will be the turn of title holders Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova to grace the French Open with their presence on Monday.

Spanish third seed Nadal, who looks to win the claycourt grand slam for a record-extending eighth time, is second in action on Court Philippe Chatrier against German Daniel Brands while Russian second seed Sharapova closes proceedings against Taipei's Hsieh Su-wei.

Nadal and Sharapova, however, will not be the top draw in Paris on Monday when rays of sunshine might be in short supply.

Five Frenchmen are likely to draw in the crowds on the showcourts as they bid to follow in the footsteps of Yannick Noah's 1983 French Open triumph.

Sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and seventh seed Richard Gasquet will play on Court Suzanne Lenglen against Slovenian Aljaz Bedene and Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine respectively.

The unseeded Gael Monfils, who reached the French Open semifinals in 2008, will be on Court Philippe Chatrier against Czech fifth seed Tomas Berdych.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE