Portuguese tennis No1 Rui Machado will be hoping for a favourable draw today (Friday) at the French Open which is due to get under way on Monday in order to sustain his effort to qualify for the London Olympics.
The 28-year-old from Faro enjoyed mixed fortunes during his preparation for the second Grand Slam event of the year, following his early exit to Juan Martin del Potro in Estoril with a semi-final appearance in Rome and a flu-affected opening round defeat at the most recent Bordeaux Challenger.
Machado is the only Portuguese player ranked high enough in the world to make the main draw at Roland Garros but several of his compatriots were fighting to join him during this week’s qualifying tournament. Among these are Davis Cup team mate Frederico Gil, Pedro and João Sousa, Gastão Elias and Michelle Brito in the ladies competition.
