Silly question, but what is a seed? I asked the newsroom on Wednesday evening, while watching the results from Paris. I was told a seed is a protected player, placed in the draw so he doesn’t meet the other favourites too early. Protected from what, then? Because on Wednesday, it didn’t work.
I’m making the list in my notebook. Djokovic, the number 10 seed, beaten 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 by Rinky Hijikata, an Australian qualifier ranked 83rd. Zverev, world number 1, beaten 7-6, 6-2 by Musetti. Medvedev, beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Peru’s Ignacio Buse, ranked 33rd. De Minaur, beaten by Etcheverry. Tiafoe, beaten by Quentin Halys, who saved four match points. Five seeds out of sixteen are left. Unprecedented for the Paris tournament, apparently.
What intrigued me most is the word “qualifier”. Hijikata had to win two matches before even entering the draw, against Jaime Faria and Vit Kopriva. Then he beat Darderi 6-2, 6-2. Then Djokovic, who has won this tournament seven times. So the player who wasn’t ranked high enough to get in directly has played four matches and is still here. The protected player played two. I checked, and actually nobody in the newsroom finds that odd.
I also learned that at 3-5 in the third set, Djokovic began his service game with two double faults. I was told that “serving to stay in the match” means you can no longer afford to lose your serve. I asked why we don’t just say “serving not to lose”. I was told it’s tradition. Fine, but what does that mean?
The level in club league has gone way up, people don’t realise. At our club too, on Sundays, the ranking protects nobody.
Hijikata plays Etcheverry in the last 16. Etcheverry is the one who knocked out De Minaur on the same Wednesday. I’ve written his name in big letters, just in case. Anyway, I still have a lot to learn.
It’s true, we checked: Tennis Majors (FR).
