Alcaraz Rolls In Opener At French Open, Wawrinka Ousts Murray, Jarry Upset

Carlos Alcaraz showed zero signs of a forearm issue that has plagued his clay season. Sunday at the French Open, Alcaraz played like the tournament favorite hammering American JJ Wolf 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 to improve to 13-0 in Slam first round matches.

Alcaraz was broken right off the bat but then cruised winning 18 of the next 21 games to fly past the 25-year-old Buckeye.

“Before coming to Paris I practiced this week with top players and I felt really well moving, hitting the balls,” Alcaraz said on court after. “My forearm is getting better and better.

“I feel like I didn’t stop playing tennis so I think it’s a really good point for me. I think I don’t need too many matches to play my best.”

Sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev sent off Taro Daniel of Japan 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-3, 7-5. Rublev is hoping to erase an 0-10 mark in Slam quarterfinals.

French veteran thrilled the Lenglen capacity crowd easing past Borna Coric 7-6(5), 7-6(2), 6-4.

Elsewhere, No. 10 seed Grigor Dimitrov overcame Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. Eighth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz needed five to put away Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.

Corentin Moutet of France scored the upset of the day ousting Rome finalist and No. 16 seed Nicolas Jarry 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0.

No. 27 seed Sebastian Korda shrugged off some leg niggles to topple Frenchman Harold Mayot in straights 6-2, 7-6(74), 6-4. Lorenzo Sonego upset No. 17 Ugo Humbert 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.

In the old man battle at night, Stan Wawrinka got the better of Andy Murray 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. Wawrinka won a tough opening set and then rolled his rival. He’s now 7-1 against Murray on clay. The 39-year-old Swiss won the French Open in 2015.

“My first words to him were respect to a great champion. As a tennis fan, I enjoyed watching Andy [play] tennis against the best players of all-time,” Wawrinka said. “We had battles with those players for nearly 20 years. We are not all that young anymore, and we’re trying to make the best of what we have left.

“As years go by, you have to be disciplined, you have to make sacrifices, but the reason why we do that is to be here in front of the public, with the great support that we get, because it’s creating a lot of emotions for everyone.

“I get a lot of emotions out of this as well, and it also gives me the courage to continue. I’m the oldest in the draw, but I’m still very young in my head. I just want to carry on playing: It’s as simple as that.”

And Japan’s Kei Nishikori returned to the sport by what else, winning another five setter defeating Gabriel Diallo in 7-5, 7-6(7-3), 3-6, 1-6, 7-5.

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