Friday 31st May: Weather: 12°C to 23°C: Sunny and hot at times
Paris: French Open 11am to 10pm
Accommodation: Air BnB 20 Place de Nation
20k walk around Chevreuse
20k walk around Chevreuse
20k walk around Chevreuse
20k walk around Chevreuse
20k walk around Chevreuse
20k walk around Chevreuse
20k walk around Chevreuse
20k walk around Chevreuse
20k walk around Chevreuse
High light to day was spending almost 11 hours sitting at the French Open in the Philippe- Chatrier Stand from 11am til 9.50pm when play was suspended because it was dark. Ian had been really hopeful of seeing Rafael Nadal. He did play and as you can tell from the “Nadal Only” photos, the other 4 matches were minor highlights. It was amazing watching the last match between Tsitipas and Krajinovic. They didn’t start this match til 8pm and played on and on in the twilight long after the sun had gone down with no lights. We were struggling to see the ball, but they continued to play first class tennis until the match was called off. It was quite surreal and the crowd booed when the players were forced to leave.
By 9.30am, it’s a beautiful warm morning as we pack two small bags with lunch and water to take to Roland Garros. The Metro is only 50 metres across Place de Nation and we follow the signs to Line 9 Direction Sevres. After 35 minutes and 26 stops around teh northern outskirts of Paris, we Arrive at Michel Ange Molitor along with hundreds of other tennis fans and walk the 1k to Roland Garros and join the long queue to Porte D. Security is a bit slap dash and we get through fairly quickly to walk to Gate 47 just in time for the start of the first match.
Our seats are pretty good, half way up the stand and in a corner with a good view. We’ve brought foam padded seats with us, probably the only ones in the whole stand with cushions, but well needed for the long day. Facing south, we’re in the full sun all day, except for some short spells of overcast sky to give some relief from the sun but between 2 and 4pm, it was cooking hot.
The stands were almost empty at the start of the first match between Martic and Pliskova - Martic wins 6 - 3, 6 - 3
The second match between Muguruza and Svitolina, Muguruza wins 6 - 3, 6 - 3
By the start of the third match, the stands were full as there was a Franchman playing the last two sets of a match suspended from yesterday between Klizan and Pouille which Klizan won 7 - 6, 2 - 6, 6 - 3, 3 - 6, 9 - 7. The crowd was very vocal watching the Frenchman Lucas Pouille play, chanting Luca, Luca. Lunch was a ham baguette.
The fourth match between Nadal and Goffin had the crowd on their feet watching the amazing skills of Nadal who won 6 - 1, 6 - 3, 4 - 6, 6 - 3. I’m sure Ian enjoyed this match the most.
Finally at 8pm, Tsipas played Krajinovic. The stands had emptied after Nadal played, but by 8.30pm, the stands were open people from outside courts and people streamed in to fill teh stand almost to capacity. The sun set at 9pm and it became darker with twilight but they played on until play was finally suspended at 9.50pm, the crowd booing their dislike. At that stage, Tsipas was leading 7 - 5, 6 - 3, 5 - 5, but he finished up winning the next day in 5 sets.
We left the stadium after a most memorable day to walk teh 1k back to Michel Ange Molitor and joined the throngs catching the line 9 back to Nation, standing room only on the train. Arriving back at our lovely appartemente at 11.30pm, dinner was a few nuts with a few beers and bed at midnight.