Julien Benneteau completed a four set victory over Leonardo Mayer on Wednesday and in his post-match press conference he explained why he was so emotional.
The Frenchman completed a 2-6 7-6(4) 6-2 6-3 victory over Leonardo Mayer on Court one on Wednesday at Roland Garros to seal his place in the second round. The 36 year old will play his final Roland Garros this year and after his exhausting match with the Argentinian, he explained why he was so emotional afterwards, “Today, I must say, I didn’t feel that emotion. The only idea I had with my score was to continue with my game plan. And on the last game, the first two points were very important, and when I’m at 30-0, I realized if my first serve is good just after that, that’s where I feel very moved,” explained Benneteau.
The Frenchman also explained how special it is to play at a home slam at Roland Garros in Paris, “And I said, I have always said, as a Frenchman, to win a match at the French Open is something very special that you don’t feel elsewhere on the circuit. There is something magic when you play a Grand Slam tournament at home.For us, it’s not only a place where a tournament is held. I slept here. I have come here since I was 10 or 12. At the time you could go and sit on the stands of the central court, and you just dream of playing on that court. And it represents something very special for us, with the audience, with the public, with the atmosphere. So every time you win a match here, it’s an overwhelming feeling of happiness.”
Benneteau will now play fifth seed and another Argentinian, Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round in a match that could take place on either Philippe Chatrier or Suzanne Lenglen. It would be very fitting if the Frenchman could end his Roland Garros career with a massive win over a top 10 player on one of the two main courts.
