Paris, May 19: Jamie Faria delivered the biggest upset of the first week of the French Open qualifiers. On Tuesday, Faria defeated former world number 3 Grigor Dimitrov in an exhilarating three-set match.
The Portuguese player made a remarkable comeback after losing the first set, winning 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(10-6) to secure a spot in the second round of qualifying. This defeat dashed Dimitrov’s hopes of returning to the main draw at Roland Garros.
This marks the first time since 2010 that Dimitrov will miss the main draw of a clay-court Grand Slam. The Bulgarian, who has regularly reached the later stages of major tournaments and was a quarter-finalist at Roland Garros in 2024, entered this year’s qualifiers ranked 170th in the ATP standings.
Dimitrov appeared to be in control for much of the match, even serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set. He also had a break advantage in the deciding set, but Faria mounted a strong comeback, pushing the final set to a tiebreak.
Earlier this season, Faria successfully navigated the qualifying rounds of the Australian Open. He will face Colton Smith in the next round, who defeated Ecuador’s Alvaro Guillen Meza 7-5, 6-1.
In another match, Coleman Wong secured victory in a lengthy contest against Britain’s Billy Harris, winning 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(10-7). The 21-year-old kept his hopes alive for a spot in the main draw at Roland Garros, having previously exited in the qualifying rounds in 2024 and 2025.
Croatian Borna Gojo and Brazilian Gustavo Heide also advanced to the next round with relative ease despite rain-affected conditions in Paris. Gojo defeated French player Sasha Guemard Weyenberg 6-3, 6-4, while Heide triumphed over local player Dan Edded 6-3, 6-0. Dusan Lajovic faced disappointment, losing to Austria’s Jurij Rodionov 6-2, 7-5, which means he will miss the main draw at Roland Garros for the first time since 2013.
The French Open qualifying matches began on Monday, showcasing impressive performances from both emerging and seasoned players. Former world number 7 David Goffin defeated Chun-Hsin Tseng 6-3, 6-1, while top seed Jesper de Jong advanced after a tough match against Sun Fazing.
French teenage wildcard player Daniel Zed caused a major upset by defeating Daniel Evans in straight sets. Italy’s young talent Federico Coria also advanced easily, while American college star Michael Zheng continued his strong performance with a straight-set victory.
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