PARIS: On tennis’s biggest stages, he told stories in Japanese inspired by sakura, the cherry blossoms that symbolize beauty, renewal and the fast-paced nature of life. They feature a runway in Harajuku, a street in Tokyo, bushes and bows. Most talked about was the dramatic jellyfish-inspired ensemble she wore at the Australian Open in January, walking the court in a large white hat with a veil and matching umbrella.“I don’t talk much, so this way I can talk through my clothes,” the 28-year-old Japanese said at Roland Garros. “It means I can go as loud as I want with colors or patterns or fabric.”With temperatures sweltering in Paris on Tuesday, the French Open reached 30 degrees for the third day in a row and volunteers roamed the grounds carrying 500ml bottles of water that cost 3.80 euros (about Rs. 420), 17-year-old former Paris champion Moussa Koumme told the world. 3 Marin Cilic defeated Simon Mathieu 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-1 in his debut. On Court Suzanne Langlin, sixth seed Daniil Medvedev lost 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 to Australia’s Adam Walton in a tense encounter.That set Osaka up against Germany’s Laura Siegmund for her Roland Garros opener. The four-time major champion arrived in a black two-piece, waistcoat and skirt. After the toss, she peeled off the black ones designed by Kevin Germanier, a Swiss fashion designer based in Paris, to reveal a layered brown dress, with gold sequins running vertically down the fabric. Under the relentless sky of Paris, she resembled a moving chandelier.Someone in the crowd shouted: “Love your dress, Naomi!”The excitable Sigmund, 38 and ranked 47, has trouble wherever she lands in the draw. For the heavy-hitting Osaka, a decade her junior, the toughest test came in the second set when she trailed 3-5. The 16th seed stepped up at the right time to seal a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory.By the end of the nearly two-hour contest, it felt like Langlin had saved her loudest applause for her outfit.“I feel like the Eiffel Tower at night when it lights up,” he said during his on-court interview.Later, in his post-match exchange, the Japanese was asked if it was difficult to get into match mode after such an entry.“I don’t really feel like it’s a big deal to do. I could see where people would think I felt a little pressure or whatever. I think that’s kind of the thing about it,” she said. “I think the Grand Slam walk-on is the only time I can possibly feel like I’m an entertainer.” Osaka is helping to bring the theater of fashion back into play.“I think we’ve lost that a little bit in tennis,” he said. “I grew up with great revelations from Serena and Venus (Williams). I can literally look at a picture and probably tell you what year the dress is from. I’m a little dramatic when it comes to my fashion sense.” If Osaka expressed herself through clothes, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka turned to diamonds. The Belarusian wore a layered necklace, encrusted with garnets and diamonds, to complement her black dress, which she cut into two.“Diamonds, I don’t really feel the weight of it, but I can imagine what it looks like from the outside,” he added. “There was supposed to be a third necklace, but I, like, it’s too much, so I decided to just keep it to two (strings).“If I feel good about what I’m wearing, or how I look on the court, I perform a lot better,” emphasized the top seed, who reached the final here for the first time last year.If the 6-4, 6-2 scoreline was anything to go by, Sabalenka must have really enjoyed it.
