Some Changes in France ahead of Rolland Garros
The French Open Grand Slam is quickly approaching the start date as we near September 27th following the initial delay due to the coronavirus back in May, and heading in it will certainly be an interesting event.
With a big mix-up for the top spots at the US Open just behind us, players such as Djokovic may feel he has something to prove, and with a different environment, it may put some players off their game.
Of course, the biggest news going in is with Djokovic, after hitting a ball out of frustration directly at the umpire, he had been ejected from the US Open by default after being favoured to win the tournament – there has been a lot of back and forth on the news and social platforms, but it is clear it wasn’t intentional and he does regret what had happened however unfortunate it may have been.
It did lead to an interesting final as Dominic Thiem turned a reverse sweep coming from two sets down to win, but all eyes will be on Djokovic in France.
There is the different environment to consider too – for the first time since the circuit got started again, fans will be allowed to attend the games once again. A silent demeanour is typical on the tennis court for fans except for the odd burst of excitement here and there, but with the fans eager to get back some might seem a little more lively than usual.
And for the players, with so many eyes on them once more it may be a little unnerving.
The good news is that most of Europe is still in the midst of a heatwave, if current temperatures hold then we may be going into a late September event whilst still experiencing sunny thirty-degree days.
The upset at the US Open could mix things up a little for punters too – whilst favourites such as Djokovic will still likely remain at the top of the odds for many, it has become apparent that some of the underdogs could be a good shout too – this comes as tennis betting shows a strong return to form, despite some changes throughout the pandemic for many operators such as the Gamstop initiative, many punters are back to their old ways when looking at casinos not on gamstop and the growing opportunities for them without restriction.
On the clay it is difficult to ignore just how good Nadal looks though and he’ll certainly be another name up there in contention, US Open winner Dominic Thiem is carrying much of that steam and is looking like he may be a safer bet too and with the recent announcement that Andy Murray will be granted a wildcard appearance at the tournament, there may be hope that the former world number one can start showing a return to form after requiring hip surgery back in 2019, and hopefully recovering from what had been to a bit of a poor showing in the US.
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