FRENCH OPEN
Venue: Roland Garros Date: 24 May - 7 June
Coverage: Live on BBC Red Button, live streaming and daily text commentary on BBC Sport website, updates on BBC Radio 5 Live plus second week commentary on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra. TV coverage on Eurosport.
 Hewitt reached the quarter-finals in 2001 and 2004 |
Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt came from two sets down to beat Ivo Karlovic 6-7 (1-7) 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 6-3 on day one of the French Open. Karlovic breezed through the first set tie-break and after breaks were traded, took the second in similar fashion. But Hewitt edged the third set on a tie-break and broke once in both the fourth and fifth for a fine win, despite 55 aces from Karlovic. Eighth seed Fernando Verdasco of Spain cruised past Frenchman Florent Serra. Marat Safin, another former world number one, overcame Alexandre Sidorenko 6-4 6-4 6-4 and will face either France's Josselin Ouanna for a place in round three. Playing at Roland Garros for the last time before retiring at the end of the year, 20th seed Safin eased through the first two sets before Sidorenko hit back in third. The 21-year-old, who has yet to win a singles match on the main tour, went 4-1 up but Safin stepped up a gear and won the remaining five games, converting his first match point.  | To play him on any surface is hard, especially when his ace-count is up in the 50s - you have to hang in there and go the distance |
Hewitt plays Andrey Golubev in round two after the Kazakhstan player beat Denis Gremelmayr, and the victor is likely to meet four-time champion and world number one Rafael Nadal in round three. Hewitt looked set to fall in the opening round for the first time since 1999 as Karlovic, seeded number 26, made a fine start. The big-serving Croatian's ace-count of 55 was an Open era record, beating the previous best of 51 set by Joachim Johansson at the Australian Open in 2005, a match the Swedish player also lost. But Karlovic, who has fallen at the first hurdle in four of his six appearances in Paris, began to wilt amid soaring temperatures and Hewitt was able to launch a sensational fightback. Once the Australian had levelled the tie at two sets apiece, Karlovic needed treatment for dehydration and the two-time quarter-finalist seized his opportunity, breaking decisively in game three of the deciding set. He wrapped up victory - overturning a two-set deficit for the fifth time in his career - when Karlovic, by now reduced to walking pace, went long with a dreadful overhead volley. | 606: DEBATE |
Hewitt was happy to gain revenge after famously losing to Karlovic in the first round of Wimbledon as defending champion in 2003. "My first thought when I saw the draw was that loss at Wimbledon and that it was a chance to turn the tables," said the 28-year-old. "To play him on any surface is hard, especially when his ace-count is up in the 50s. After losing the tie-breakers it's more of a mental battle. You have to hang in there and go the distance. "There's a lot of pressure there and he's improved a lot in the last five years. He's a better player from the baseline and his low volleys are a lot better." Gilles Simon, seeded seventh, was given a scare by American Wayne Odesnik but eventually prevailed 3-6 7-5 6-2 4-6 6-3. Next up for the Frenchman is another American, Robert Kendrick, who overcame Germany's Daniel Brands, also in five sets. Number 14 seed David Ferrer sauntered into round two with a 6-2 6-4 6-4 triumph over unseeded Portuguese Frederico Gil and next up for the Spaniard is Ilia Bozoljac or Nicolas Kiefer. Czech Radek Stepanek, the 18th seed, beat 2004 champion Gaston Gaudio 6-3 6-4 6-1 after the Argentine had taken a wildcard to enter the tournament.
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