Paris 2024 Olympics: Fritz, Gauff/Pegula complete perfect opening day for Team USA
A singles win for Taylor Fritz and a doubles victory for Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula completed a perfect Day 1 for Team USA at the Paris 2024 Olympics. While rain postponed Saturday's action on the outer courts, the Americans competed under the closed roofs of the Roland Garros stadium courts to kickstart the U.S. effort on the opening day of tennis competition.
Fritz was a 6-4, 6-4 winner against Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik on Court Philippe-Chatrier, before Gauff and Pegula closed the evening's play on Court Suzanne-Lenglen with a 6-3, 6-3 result against Aussies Ellen Perez and Daria Saville.
Fritz fires past Bublik
After waiting out the rain, Fritz's match was moved to the Chatrier day session. The seventh-seeded American wasted no time on center court, beating Bublik in exactly one hour.
"It feels really good to go out and be done for the day. Obviously we could be stuck here all day with the rain," he told USTA.com. "Initially on the schedule I was going to be the last American to play. It was good news to hear that I was moving to Chatrier. It definitely pumped me up to play a big match on center court and I'm super happy to be through."
Fritz did not drop serve in the match, saving the only two break points he faced while converting on two of five break chances. He hit 12 aces while being cheered on by his fellow Olympians on Team USA.
"I loved seeing the guys in the box. It wasn't too surprising because with all the rain, they've got nothing else to do," he joked. "But it was good to see them support me. If I have the time and if they're on, I'll definitely be out there rooting for them too."
Next up for Fritz will be Great Britain's Jack Draper or Japan's Kei Nishikori in the second round. The 26-year-old is also teaming with Tommy Paul in men's doubles and with Gauff in mixed doubles this week.
Gauff/Pegula dominate in evening victory
After surrendering an early break in Pegula's opening service game, the familiar American duo dominated their Aussie opposition. From 2-1 down in the first set, they won 11 of the last 13 games as they lived up to their billing as the women's doubles top seeds.
The Americans were especially dominant on second serve, winning 18 of 19 points (95%) behind their second deliveries.
They will next face either Czechs Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova or Ekaterina Alexandrova and Elena Vesnina in the second round.
Both Gauff and Pegula are also competing in the Olympic women's singles competition. Gauff, seeded second, will face Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic in the first round, while the fifth-seeded Pegula will open against Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic.
While Gauff admitted to feeling some nerves in her first Olympics, the familiar setting at Roland Garros has helped her stay grounded: "I think the Olympics feels a little bit—at least my first time—more nervous, because you know this is not for another four years," she said. "I'm just approaching it as if it were Roland Garros, which helped me calm my nerves. Being here for my first Olympics I think is a good thing because everything feels the same, except for the USA chants."
Pegula also compared the event to the clay-court major: "It doesn't feel that much different. It feels more quiet maybe, like a quiet Roland Garros," she explained. "But at the same time obviously when you get out there you obviously feel a little bit different as far as it being an Olympic event and representing your country. But we did a great job today, kept the energy throughout the whole match, so it was great."
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