French Open Sets Marquee Matchups but Virus Still Looms

It will not be the only men’s first round match between Grand Slam singles champions. Dominic Thiem, who joined that club earlier this month by winning the United States Open, will face Marin Cilic, another former U.S. Open champion.

Thiem, seeded No. 3, was also placed in the same half of the draw as Rafael Nadal, who has won a record 12 French Open singles titles and will play the 83rd-ranked Egor Gerasimov in the first round.

Nadal defeated Thiem in the last two French Open finals, and they and No. 1 Novak Djokovic are considered the main threats for the men’s title this year.

While Nadal and Thiem could be on course for a semifinal match, Djokovic has what appears to be an easier path. He will face Mikael Ymer of Sweden in the first round and has No. 5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in his quarter of the draw and No. 4 Daniil Medvedev in his half. But Medvedev, the versatile and tactic-shifting Russian, has a losing tour record on clay.

In the women’s tournament, Serena Williams got a rematch with Kristie Ahn, a fellow American, in the first round. Williams defeated Ahn in the first round of this year’s U.S. Open on her way to the semifinals, where she was beaten by Victoria Azarenka.

Williams, the No. 6 seed, also could have a second-round rematch at the French Open with Tsvetana Pironkova, whom she beat in the quarterfinals in New York. Williams and Azarenka, the No. 10 seed, could meet again in the fourth round as Williams continues to chase a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title.

She won the French Open in 2002, 2013 and 2015, but withdrew in the fourth round in 2018 and lost in the third round in 2019 to Sofia Kenin of the United States.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/sports/tennis/french-open-draw-coronavirus.html