Boxing and Roland Garros, the story goes on

Round 1: Thil vs Dundee, 11 July 1931

Built only two years earlier, the court central provided a fitting setting for this night-time contest in the open air, the first such fight to be held in France.

With the stage set for a typically Parisian spectacle, Parisians converged in their thousands on the Porte-d’Auteuil to see France’s Marcel Thil take on USA’s Vince Dundee.

Thil shook off his underdog status to win a thrilling bout.