From Balbiers and Ayala to Jarry: the best Chilean performances at Roland Garros

Nicolás Jarry (35°) writes his story. This Saturday, he beat Marcos Giron (75th) and qualified for the round of 16 at Roland Garros. The number 1 racquet in the country will play this phase of the French tournament for the first time in his career. Moreover, he becomes the ninth Chilean to enter the top 16 round.

Previously, Ricardo Balbiers, Luis Ayala, Patricio Cornejo, Jaime Fillol, Hans Gildemeister, Marcelo Ríos, Fernando González and Christian Garin had achieved this feat. However, not all of those mentioned have advanced to the so-called “second week”, due to the changes the competition has undergone over the decades.

Ricardo Balbiers was the first national tennis player to enter the round of 16. The Chilean passed all three phases in 1949 , beating the Israeli Rafael Gornitzky (6-0, 7-5 and 6-4), the Italian Enzo Pautassi (6-1, 6-2 and 6-2), to end up succumbing to Frankie Parker (5- 7, 2-6 and 2-6). He failed to play two weeks, as the quarter-finals started in second. Finally, the winner of this edition was the American who pushed him out of the way.

Luis Ayala is a name that has entered the history of national sport. Lucho, as he is nicknamed, he was a finalist twice at Roland Garros , achieving the best male appearance at a Grand Slam for the country. Plus, he was always hanging around the outposts. His legend is such that in 1959 he won the Masters 1000 in Rome and became world number 1 in the amateur era.

In Paris, the national gradually rose in its results. In 1955 and 1956 he reached the round of 16, in 1957 he had a seizure and was dropped in the second round. However, when he was at the height of his career, he reached the final. In 1958, he succumbed to the Australian Mervyn Rose in the decisive duel (6-3, 6-4 and 6-4). After saying goodbye in the quarter-finals in 1959, He sought his personal revenge in the early 1960s, but he did not succeed. Still in the last stage, but also with defeat: this time against the Italian Nicola Pietrangeli, a rival he knew, in a hard-fought match. The score was 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6 and 6-3 for the Europeans. The right-hander’s career lasted until 1971. However, his greatest successes came in the 1950s.

Jaime Fillol, Hans Gildemeister and Patricio Cornejo occupy a privileged place in the history of national tennis. The three were able to reposition Chile in the discipline. The first of them is precisely the grandfather of Nicolás Jarry and the prince remembered him after his victory over Marcos Giron. “It’s a great gift for him that I’m here, that I’m happy, that I play tennis and that I’m with my family. It’s much more of a gift than just a victory, so a very happy birthday to him,” he said. While Fillol was celebrating his 77th birthday, his grandson seized the instance which he came to contest four times (1970, 1974, 1975 and 1976).

Unfortunately for the aspirations of the one who reached number 14 in the ATP rankings, the knockout stages have become an insurmountable barrier. He was first passed by the Italian Martin Mulligan, then by Patricio Cornejo later by Adriano Panatta and finally by the Spaniard Manuel Orantes. It is understood then that Cornejo managed to enter the round of the best eight in Paris. It was in 1974 and in his best Grand Slam performance. He was eliminated by the Iberian Orantes, but before, in addition to Fillol, he had let down the Briton John Feaver (6-7, 6-1 and 6-2), the Swede Kjell Johansson (6-3 and 6 -1) away) and the German Jürgen Fassbender (6-1, 6-2 and 6-4).

Of course, of the three Chileans, the one who has been the most consistent at Roland-Garros is Hans Gildemeister. In 1978, the Bionic lost to Argentinian Guillermo Vilas in the eight phase. Same example in which he was overtaken by the legendary Björn Borg a year later. Consecutive quarter-final years ended in 1980. This season saw American Jimmy Connors beat him and he had to wait five years to be able to return in decisive instances. In 1985 he was fired in the eighth. Joakim Nyström was the executioner of his last major participation.

When we talk about Chilean tennis of the last 25 years the first figure that emerges is that of Marcelo Ríos. Number 1 in 1998, he became a favorite of the RGs on certain occasions. He had outstanding performances, however, he could never win a Grand Slam. His first adventure in Paris dates back to 1996. El Chino reached the round of 16 and lost to Frenchman Cédric Pioline. The same phase in which the Moroccan Hicham Arazi would say goodbye twelve months later.

The big year came later. After reaching the top of the ATP rankings in March, the remarkable athlete He was emerging as one of the main candidates for the crown in France. But I couldn’t. In the quarterfinals, Carlos Moyá beat them 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 and 6-4. Expectations would be maintained in 1999, but Ríos said goodbye again just before the semi-final, when he could not beat Slovak Dominik Hrbatý.

The people of the country did not wait long to see a new tennis player achieve great victories. Fernando Gonzalez she reached the quarter-finals in 2003, a year before winning the bronze medal at the Olympic Games. He fell to Juan Carlos Ferrero in five sets. Then, in 2008, already at the time of the big three , was beaten in the same round by Roger Federer, who then lost to Rafael Nadal in the final. A year later, Andy Murray sent Stone Hand also in the bedrooms.

Christian Garin’s best ranking dates back to 2021, when he reached 17th place in the world rankings. That same year, the native of Arica reached the round of 16 at Roland-Garros, where he could not beat the Russian Daniil Medvedev. Curiously, Gago’s third-round rival was Marcos Giron, the same tennis player Jarry beat on Saturday.

On this occasion, the opportunity to qualify for the quarter-finals This is for Nicolas Jarry (35°). The Chilean erased the American and this Monday he faces the Norwegian Casper Ruud (4th), a rival he knows and with whom he has an even record (1-1). This year has been special for South America in the French tournament, as four tennis players from this part of the world have managed to qualify for the round of 16, which did not happen 18 years ago. The Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas (94th), Tomás Martín Etcheverry (49th) and Francisco Cerúndolo (23rd) are the names that are next to the Tower in this part of the contest. So far, Jarry has managed to eliminate the Bolivian Hugo Dellien (160th), and the Americans Tommy Paul (17th) and Giron (75th).

* Contest in development