On Monday, May 23, Diane Parry outplayed Roland-Garros defending champion Barbora Krejcikova 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the overheated atmosphere of the closed-top Center Court. The 19-year-old Niçoise, ranked 97th in the world, created a surprise by eliminating the current world No. 2 in the first round.

Diane Pary has only reached the 2nd round once (2019), on Parisian clay. She will try to do better this year against the Colombian Camila Osorio (66th), winner the day before of another Frenchwoman, Harmony Tan. “It really is a dream for me. I always dreamed of being able to play on this court, in addition almost full with the French public behind me to support me and who clearly pushed me today to go and get this match, “commented the Frenchwoman.

As the rain bounced noisily on the roof of the Philippe-Chatrier court, Diane Parry was dominated in the first set where she gave up her serve three times. “It’s never easy to start on this kind of court, especially against the defending champion. We obviously want to do well, and sometimes we overplay a little, that’s what happened to me. Afterwards, I told myself to be aggressive, to play my game, to let go of my punches: I had nothing to lose. »

The game seemed made when the Czech made the entry break in the second set and confirmed to lead 2-0. Except that, supported by the public, the Frenchwoman then lined up six games in a row to equalize at one set everywhere. The deciding set started like the previous one, with Barbora Krejcikova winning the first two games. But once again, Diane Parry has raised the bar by aligning three games in a row.

Faced with an opponent who made gross mistakes, the Frenchwoman tightened the game. On a high forehand volley that Barbora Krejcikova completely missed when the court was wide open, Diane Parry scored the decisive break (5-3) and served straight away for the match. Krejcikova had not played since her elimination in February in Doha, suffering from elbow pain and mental fatigue. But before Roland-Garros, she had assured to have returned to 100%.