Coming from the qualifiers and for his first appearance, Enzo Couacaud came close to the feat against John Isner but did not go through, while Caroline Garcia came close to disappointment before finally qualifying in the first round at Wimbledon on Monday.

Of the eight Frenchmen who competed in this first day of the Major on grass, five passed. Océane Dodin’s match against Jelena Ostapenko, a semi-finalist in 2018, was postponed to Tuesday due to rain.

. Pass (Humbert, Halys, Mannarino, Parry, Garcia)

Ugo Humbert, 112th in the world, snatched the classification after three and a half hours of combat by beating Argentine Tomás Etcheverry (77th) 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

The 24-year-old Frenchman, who reached the round of 16 on his first appearance in 2019 but lost in the first round last year, will take on Norwegian Casper Ruud (6th), a runner-up at Roland-Garros earlier this month and ground whipped court specialist.

Halys (82nd), dominated a newly unmotivated Benoît Paire (73rd), 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

For his first participation, Halys thus goes up to the second round -his best Grand Slam result has already been achieved twice, in 2016, in Australia and at Roland-Garros-, where the Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili (26th) awaits him.

Adrian Mannarino (86th) had the greatest difficulties to unseat Australian Max Purcell (209th and coming from the table) 6-3, 7-6 (7/0), 4-6, 4-6, 6-4 in almost four hours.

In the next round, he will face American Tommy Paul (32nd).

Among the ladies, Caroline Garcia (55th), all crowned with her title on Saturday in Bad Homburg, was pushed to a super tie break by the British Yuriko Miyazaki (204th and beneficiary of a wild card) whom she finally beat 4-6 , 6-1, 7-6 (10/4).

Caroline Garcia opposed Britain’s Yuriko Miyazaki at Wimbledon, June 27, 2022

Glyn Kirk – AFP

The sequel, however, risks being even more difficult for the 28-year-old Frenchwoman, as she will face another Brit in the next round, Emma Raducanu (19th), the surprise winner of the US Open last year.

For Diane Parry, on the other hand, the first round went smoothly: it only took her 1h19 to beat former N.15 and 2013 quarterfinalist Kaia Kaneppi (38th) 6-4, 6-4.

In the next round she will face the Japanese Mai Hontama (139th).

. Break (Couacaud, Par, Mladenovic)

For his first participation, Enzo Couacaud (206th) came very close to the feat: he pushed the American giant John Isner (24th) in the deciding set before losing 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/3) , 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

The 27-year-old Frenchman had made it through all three qualifying rounds and fought to the last against Isner, but gave in to 54 aces and 97 winners from his opponent.

Benoît Paire was helpless against Quentin Halys in the first round at Wimbledon, June 27, 2022

SEBASTIEN BOZÓN – AFP

The outlook is much darker for Benoît Paire and Kristina Mladenovic, who definitely cannot regain their stature as the leaders of French tennis.

In 17 tournaments this year on the ATP Tour, Paire has won just three matches: one in Geneva in May and two at the Australian Open in January.

Following his first round failure in Stuttgart in early June, he spoke of an “indefinite break from tennis”. On June 20, however, he joined the Challenger (2nd division) in Milan, where he lost again in the first round.

“I didn’t have a very long physical autonomy. I haven’t played much since Roland-Garros,” he explained on Monday.

“I knew it was going to be tough, but there was cash to go (€60,000) at this exhibition (Wimbledon doesn’t dole out points this year, editor’s note). What’s a shame is there was a nice check in the second round.” , he declared between frankness and irony, explaining then making “a rejection” of tennis at this time.

Kristina Mladenovic logically dominated by Angelique Kerber in the first round of Wimbledon, June 27, 2022

SEBASTIEN BOZÓN – AFP

As for Mladenovic (120), despite the resistance in the second set, she was logically defeated 6-0, 7-5 by the German Angelique Kerber (19), winner in 2018.

As in Roland-Garros where she had lost from the beginning and on the same scoreline against the Canadian Leylah Fernandez (18th), finalist of the last US Open, the 29-year-old Frenchwoman was completely overwhelmed in the first round before showing herself to be more effective. in the second, but to no avail.

By Igor GEDILAGHINE / Wimbledon (UK) (AFP) / © 2022 AFP