Like last April 26 in Madrid, where he had not weighed heavily against Hugo Gaston for his first match since the Australian Open, Jérémy Chardy was beaten in two short sets (6-2, 6- 1), against the Italian Lorenzo Sonego, Thursday in the 1st round in Rome. The Palois also scored fewer games than against his young compatriot a fortnight earlier.
Hard return to the courts for Jérémy Chardy (36 years old). The Palois had not played a single match since the last Australian Open, which he had left in the second round after being swept away by the Briton Daniel Evans. He has just played two in two weeks for his return to the courts, more than three months after having precisely made his… comeback in Melbourne after nearly five months of absence. Unfortunately for Chardy, today 591st in the standings, both times he did not weigh heavily.
And if, a fortnight ago in Madrid, he had had the merit of resisting as well as he could a Hugo Gaston yet far from being impressive at the moment (the Toulousain lost 6-3, 6-3 in the next round against Borna Coric), this Thursday, for his debut at the Masters 1000 in Rome against Lorenzo Sonego, he took on water. The Italian, much too strong for the one who had taken advantage of his convalescence to test himself in the coaching costume, at the bedside of Ugo Humbert (eliminated a little earlier against Emil Ruusuvuori, who had already beaten him from the start in Madrid, despite two match points), left only three games (6-2, 6-1) to the comeback and French veteran.
Not a very good omen before Roland-Garros
Already clearly dominated in the first set, Chardy, abandoned by his serve (seven double faults and only 29% of points won on his second balls) and far too irregular (21 unforced errors) held two games against the 48th world (led 1 -0, he had equalized at 1-1) before not scoring a single one. A new dry defeat which does not bode well for the winner of the Davis Cup in 2017 with the Blues at the dawn of Roland-Garros. Reached twice in the round of 16 Porte d’Auteuil (in 2008 and 2015), the former member of the Top 25 will be able, like Gaël Monfils, to participate in the tournament thanks to his protected classification. However, if he does not show a better face than in Madrid or Rome, there is reason to think that he should not go very far, he who remains on three entry eliminations (in 2019, 2020 and 2021 ).
