French Open: Caroline Garcia loss to Anna Blinkova ends best home hope

As Caroline Garcia made her final stand on Wednesday morning inside Court Philippe-Chatrier against Anna Blinkova, her effort was undeniable. Each time she faced a match point, the fifth seed brushed it aside to keep herself alive. In two Blinkova service games deep in the final set, Garcia saved seven match points as chants of “Caro, Caro!” pierced the air.

In the end, it did not matter. Blinkova steadied her nerves and served out the victory 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 on her eighth match point. With the defeat, France’s greatest hope for a home champion departed for another year.

The early morning had started far more positively. At midnight, Court Philippe-Chatrier was as alive as it has been in years. Nearly four hours after the night session had begun, the bulk of spectators remained, desperate to carry Gaël Monfils until the end. After losing 10 of 11 games to trail 0-4 in the fifth set, he was exhausted and cramping. Somehow, he won.

For much of the past 20 years, Monfils has arrived here as one of France’s top players, but recent seasons have not been kind to the 36-year-old. Having failed to win a match since August after a miserable time with various injuries, merely passing the first round meant the world to him.

The pressure rested entirely on Garcia, France’s only realistic hope of challenging for either singles title. A year ago, Garcia was ranked 79th as she lost in the second round here to Madison Keys. Garcia’s ranking drop was driven by a foot injury, but she later admitted her struggles had led to her suffering from bulimia for a while.

Between June and September, she compiled a 31-5 record, winning three titles, including the Cincinnati WTA 1000 event. Garcia reached her first grand slam semi-final at the US Open