Day 1 - Match of the day session: Southpaw showdown

2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez meets Olga Danilovic on Day 1 of Roland-Garros

 - Alix Ramsay

Court 8, fourth match
Leylah Fernandez (CAN) v Olga Danilovic (SRB)

In many ways, Leylah Fernandez has played her career in reverse. Most players dream of reaching a Grand Slam final and strive for a lifetime to get there.

Leylah did that one week past her 19th birthday – she made it to the 2021 US Open final only to be beaten by another teenager in Emma Raducanu. Since that day, she has been trying to get back to the same level while, at the same time, learning the basics of life on the tour. And it has been anything but easy.

This year, though, she thinks her tennis is back to its best and she is building on that foundation to become more aggressive. Defence has always been the bedrock of her game and, coupled with good hands, a sharp brain and a bamboozling forehand, she feels ready to make her next big move. 

A hard court player by nature, her clay court pedigree is still impressive. She was the Roland Garros junior champion in 2019 (she never lost a match on clay in her junior career) and a quarter-finalist in the main draw here in 2022.

In Olga Danilovic, she is up against a fellow left-hander who, a couple of years older at 24 and almost half a foot taller at 5ft 11.5ins (182cm), comes into Paris as the finalist at the WTA 250 in Rouen and the winner of the WTA 125 in Antalya.

Two to watch on Sunday

Court Suzanne-Lenglen, second match
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (FRA) v Zizou Bergs (BEL)

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard could not have picked a worse time to play his Belgian rival: he has not won a completed tour-level match since February (although he did win the Bordeaux Challenger a couple of weeks ago) while Zizou Bergs has been making steady progress up the rankings from No.100 a year ago to his career-high No.49 today.

Most of that success has come from the simple fact of cracking the cramping conundrum. Throughout his career Bergs has struggled with cramp and knew that if he could not win in straight sets, he was in trouble. Better hydration and a few tweaks to his preparation and the problem has been solved. Everyone knows what the 6ft 8ins (203cm) Mpetshi Perricard brings to the court – a serve that could split concrete and a forehand to match – but we wait to see whether he can get them both firing on Sunday.

Court Suzanne-Lenglen, fourth match
Jasmine Paolini (ITA) v Yuan Yue (CHN)

Last year was the stuff of dreams for Jasmine Paolini: never before had she got beyond the third round at a Grand Slam and then, in the space of seven weeks, she made her way to the finals of Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. The diminutive Italian (she stands just 5ft 4ins, or 163cm, and her greatest wish is to be taller) was having the time of her life.

Twelve months on and she feels that she has built on those experiences and is ready for the challenges ahead. “I grew up a lot, I think,” the 29-year-old said. “I think last year gave me so much confidence that I can keep with myself to try to step on court with this experience, and trying to bring this confidence.” By contrast, the 26-year-old Yuan Yue has never won a main draw match here.