French Open 2025: Hitesh Chauhan deals with Swede challenge

The Times of India at Roland Garros: India’s Hitesh Chauhan let his forehand do the talking in the first round of the French Open boys singles, coming away with a 6-4, 6-3 win in one-hour and 25-minutes against Sweden’s Ludvig Fredrik Hede on Roland Garros’ Court No.13 .Hitesh, ranked 83, the last player to make the cut for the junior qualifying draw, which he survived over the weekend, was up against Fredrik Hede, ranked 42. Hitesh, 17 from Ludhiana, who trains with Aditya Sachdev, strikes a big forehand and likes to run around his backhand, he swept to a 4-1 lead in the first set. When the Swede broke the Indian at love in the sixth game it looked like trouble, but Hitesh came back with a strong hold before serving out the set in the tenth game.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!In the second set, Hitesh broke in the seventh game, going after Fredrik Hede’s backhand, and when the Swede sent one long, the Indian was on the home stretch.

“In the first set I didn’t play a good service game in the sixth game, then I was thinking if he breaks it’s ok, that way I can buy myself some time because he serves in the next game. I settled down after that and my level improved,” he said.

Hitesh, who will turn pro next year, plays the sixth seed Benjamin Willwerth in the second round on Tuesday