Publications
Partners
Paris - For nine minutes, Yannick Hanfmann dared to dream as the world No 184 from Germany carved out four break points on the serve of Rafael Nadal.
But the 11-time champion saved them all in the first game of the match and that was about as good as it got for Hanfmann as the world number two cruised to a 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 win on Monday.
"That first game was disappointing," said 27-year-old Hanfmann, who arrived in Paris with just one win to his name this year.
He had earned just $3 600 since the turn of the year while Nadal has already banked $3.7 million in the same period.
"I feel like in the first game I did some good returns. And obviously Rafa is also a bit nervous.
"You can see that. I took my chances there. And, yeah, I wish I would have seen what happens after maybe a break and then maybe I can hold and maybe it goes a little bit differently. But, you know..."
In the end, Hanfmann became Nadal's 87th victim at Roland Garros but he took comfort from seeing the great Spaniard from up close.
"Now I know how it feels to have a guy like him, he has such a unique game on clay.
"To feel his ball, how it feels on my strokes. I tried to play some lefties and told them, 'Okay, maybe you can try to be Rafa a little bit,' but nobody can be him."
For 32-year-old Nadal, next up is - another German qualifier in the shape of Yannick Maden, ranked at 114.
He had won just one match on tour in 2019 before he doubled that tally on Monday by beating Belgium's Kimmer Coppejans 7-6 (7/0), 7-5, 6-3 to give him a second round clash with Nadal.
Like Hanfmann, 29-year-old Maden played college tennis in the United States and until Monday had yet to register a win at the Slams.
"With YouTube you can find things," said Nadal of the potential pitfalls of facing the relative unknowns of Hanfmann and Maden.
Results from the second day of the French Open on Monday (x denotes seeding):
Men
First round
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
Henri Laaksonen (SUI) bt Pedro Martinez (ESP) 6-1, 6-0, 7-6 (7/4)
Salvatore Caruso (ITA) bt Jaume Munar (ESP) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Gilles Simon (FRA x26) bt Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Denis Shapovalov (CAN x20) 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, 6-4
Radu Albot (MDA) bt Tennys Sandgren (USA) 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 6-1
Lloyd Harris (RSA) bt Lukas Rosol (CZE) 6-1, 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
Borna Coric (CRO x13) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4
Dominic Thiem (AUT x4) bt Tommy Paul (USA) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2
Alexander Bublik (KAZ) bt Rudolf Molleker (GER) 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1, 7-6 (7/2)
Pablo Cuevas (URU) bt Maxime Janvier (FRA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) bt Alexandre Muller (FRA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Filip Krajinovic (SRB) bt Frances Tiafoe (USA x32) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0
Stan Wawrinka (SUI x24) bt Jozef Kovalik (SVK) 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3
Cristian Garin (CHI) bt Reilly Opelka (USA) 7-6 (7/0), 7-5, 7-6 (9/7)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) bt Peter Gojowczyk (GER) 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
Alex De Minaur (AUS x21) bt Bradley Klahn (USA) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4
Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) bt Joao Sousa (POR) 6-3, 6-1, 6-2
Benoit Paire (FRA) bt Marius Copil (ROU) 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-0, 6-1
Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) bt Daniil Medvedev (RUS x12) 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5
Juan Ignacio Londero (ARG) bt Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO x15) 6-4, 6-1, 6-3
Richard Gasquet (FRA) bt Mischa Zverev (GER) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
Corentin Moutet (FRA) bt Alexey Vatutin (RUS) 6-4, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4
Guido Pella (ARG x19) bt Guido Andreozzi (ARG) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 1-6, 6-1
Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) bt Denis Kudla (USA) 6-0, 6-7 (7/9), 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
Yannick Maden (GER) bt Kimmer Coppejans (BEL) 7-6 (7/0), 7-5, 6-3
Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt Yannick Hanfmann (GER) 6-2, 6-1, 6-3
Women
First round
Serena Williams (USA x10) bt Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) 2-6, 6-1, 6-0
Sofia Kenin (USA) bt Giulia Gatto-Monticone (ITA) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE x25) bt Viktorija Golubic (SUI) 6-4, 3-6, 6-0
Andrea Petkovic (GER) bt Alison Riske (USA) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
Danielle Collins (USA) bt Tatjana Maria (GER) 6-0, 6-2
Ashleigh Barty (AUS x8) bt Jessica Pegula (USA) 6-3, 6-3
Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) bt Mihaela Buzarnescu (ROU x30) 6-4, 6-4
Samantha Stosur (AUS) bt Barbora Strycova (CZE) 6-2, 7-6 (7/3)
Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov (ESP) bt Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 6-4, 6-2
Sorana Cirstea (ROU) bt Kaja Juvan (SLO) 5-7, 6-4, 7-5
Jennifer Brady (USA) bt Ivana Jorovic (SRB) 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-5
Polona Hercog (SLO) bt Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR x32) 4-6, 6-2, 8-6
Rebecca Peterson (SWE) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 6-3, 7-5
Donna Vekic (CRO x23) bt Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) 6-2, 6-4
Johanna Konta (GBR x26) bt Antonia Lottner (GER) 6-4, 6-4
Lauren Davis (USA) bt Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 6-2, 6-4
Viktoria Kuzmova (SVK) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-4, 6-3
Kiki Bertens (NED x4) bt Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 6-3, 6-4
Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Astra Sharma (AUS) 6-3, 6-3
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x28) bt Dayana Yastremska (UKR) 2-6, 7-6 (7/0), 6-0
Elise Mertens (BEL x20) bt Tamara Zidansek (SLO) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Diane Parry (FRA) bt Vera Lapko (BLR) 6-2, 6-4
Mandy Minella (LUX) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-4, 6-2
Anastasija Sevastova (LAT x12) bt Luksika Kumkhum (THA) 6-1, 6-4
Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) bt Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x13) 0-6, 6-3, 6-3
Zarina Diyas (KAZ) bt Audrey Albie (FRA) 6-2, 6-2
Zhang Shuai (CHN) bt Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 6-1, 6-1
Kaia Kanepi (EST) bt Julia Goerges (GER x18) 7-5, 6-1
