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via Reuters

via Reuters

One expects the French Open clay clashes to be full of thrill, action, and drama. So far in the tournament, the audience got a feeling of such emotions resulting from many intense clashes. However, the scenario was different in the matches on Court Philippe Chatrier on Saturday. Despite the promise of enticing encounters involving some big names, the on-court action flattered to deceive. It prompted not just fans but the 2022 Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios to express his views, in a unique sarcastic manner.

Organizers had scheduled three matches on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Elena Rybakina was to face Spanish Sorribes Tormo in the third round. Last year’s Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud encountered the Chinese Zhang Zhizhen in the third round. And World No.1 Iga Swiatek faced Wang Xinyu, expecting an easy victory. However, the fans couldn’t get the taste and flavor of what Roland Garros is meant to be.

Nick Kyrgios sends out a sarcastic tweet after the dull Roland Garros action on Saturday

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After a few exciting weeks, the French Open seems to have hit a speed bump. One of the favorites to lift the La Coupe Suzanne Lenglen, Elena Rybakina, decided to withdraw from the tournament due to illness. And the top seed, Iga Swiatek finished the game in just 51 minutes.

The Polish star registered the win with staggering figures of 6-0, 6-0 on the board. The defending Champion Pole star didn’t lose a game, as she wreaked havoc on the French court. But this absolute devastation of her opponent did not prove to be as much entertainment. The win was more of a statement by the star of how she is going to deal with others in the tournament.

USA Today via Reuters

2022 Roland Garros finalist Casper Ruud’s third round match too proved to be a cakewalk for him. Ruud faced a setback in the first set, but later he showed his quality. He won the match in four sets of 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.

With matches turning into easy wins for the established stars, Nick Kyrgios wrote on his Twitter, “Tennis is in a good place“, followed by a face with a peeking eye emoji. It was a tongue-in-cheek moment that poked fun at pundits and fans who are hopeful of maintaining tennis’ popularity among the younger generation.

The heartbreak of Rybakina’s exit added to fan frustrations

The biggest heartbreak of Saturday was the exit of Elena Rybakina, as the Moscow born Kazakh star had a wonderful run this year. She is the defending Wimbledon champion. She also reigned supreme in the recently concluded Italian Open. Many analysts had expected her to take the momentum and confidence into the clay-court championships.

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Read More: “Decreasing My Energy”: Nick Kyrgios Opens up on Negative Impact of Tennis on His Life

However, the star revealed in a press conference about her decision to withdraw from the tournament due to a viral infection. She expressed hope to restart her wonderful year long run on the grass courts, again. However, the Kazakh star talked about prioritizing her health at the current time.

Despite Kyrgios’ sarcastic comment, a lot of action is yet to explode on the French courts. It remains to be seen if the matches that await the fans in the latter stages will satisfy their need for pulsating action.

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