The sun is shining on Nice. The temperature is summery. In other words, an ideal day for quality matches.
10 am, the crowd is streaming in. The matches don’t start for another hour. No matter. Many local schoolchildren invited by the city of Nice are present.
It’s just as well, the program is enticing. Baghdatis, Gasquet, and Montanes will be stepping onto the clay courts of Nice today.
An Improvised Baghdatis/Recouderc on the Center Court
The Baghdatis/Ancic clash didn’t happen. The current world No. 29 had to avoid the trap of a surprise opponent, the Frenchman Laurent Recouderc, a “Lucky loser” (qualified after the withdrawal of another player) following the last-minute withdrawal of the Croatian with a back injury.
Baghdatis “feels good, like at home” and it shows. Despite a lapse in concentration at the crucial point, the Cypriot tightened up his game and won in straight sets.
Match over, no time to rest. It’s time for the day’s event on center court. The tennis player rallies with young apprentices. An interview later, he can be seen smiling through the club walkways. In flip-flops and shorts, the Cypriot is relaxed before entering the press conference.
What does he think of the Nice Open?
“It’s like all French tournaments, you know, it’s nice to be here, it’s like a small family tournament, the organization is great, the weather is beautiful, people are relaxed…”
Here, players are neither overwhelmed by the spectators nor inundated with autograph requests. The crowd at Parc Impérial is knowledgeable but remains respectful.
In the middle of the afternoon, the Frenchman Florent Serra holds his ground. At the end of a hard-fought match, the Bordeaux native leads the way for the French victories in the first round.
For a place in the quarterfinals, the 67th-ranked player in the world will have a tough challenge against the Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, the No. 2 seed and serious contender for the title.
A Surprise on Court Number 1 
At the same time, the surprise of the day emerges in the match between Montanes and the young but talented Ukrainian Dolgopolov. The defeat of the former surprises. Having defeated Roger Federer, he had won the tournament in Estoril a few weeks ago.
The latter is to be watched, especially in his next match against a certain Richard Gasquet.
Gasquet Impresses
Speaking of which, after a season dotted with various troubles, the player from Béziers is gradually regaining his form. His victory in Bordeaux last week is proof of that. The Frenchman is back. The crowd in Nice is thrilled.
It was the match of the day that everyone was waiting for. The audience, mostly young, doesn’t leave, and even cheers. The now world No. 68, enjoying unwavering support from the spectators, left no chance for his opponent, the Slovak Lacko. A swift victory, 6 / 3 6 / 0.
We hope it’s the start of a long series….
