And on that note, that’s all from us. I’ll leave you with today’s report. Thanks for reading!
Gauff huffs and puffs, and at the fourth time of asking wins a break point to take it to 1-1 in the first. Zverev wraps up the second set, 6-4, and gets to work on the third.
Ruse has won three straight games against Mertens to pull it back to 4-3! And Gauff and Mairno get going, the latter breaking in the first game of the match! And Zverev is 5-4 and serving for the second set.
Zverev attacks the second set the same way he did the first, a couple of pinpoint backhands easing him into a 4-2 lead. No breaks in the second set between Sakkari and Burel. And Mertens has stormed into a 4-2 first-set lead against Ruse.
Next up on Simonne Mathieu is 18th-seeded 18-year-old Coco Gauff against Rebecca Marino. Meanwhile …
Popyrin buys himself a bit of time with a strong service set to claw it back to 5-4 in the third, but Fognini is hungry for the win and a predatory final set – letting one match point go before snatching up the second – does the job.
Zverev sees out the first set clinically, 6-2, Sakkari the same. Who will complete their win first? Over on Simonne Mathieu, Popyrin is serving to stay in the tournament. Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Elise Mertens, the 31 seed, are under way on court 6.
Ofner, fighting the tide, concedes another service game to Zverev who has the first set all but wrapped up. Likewise Sakkari against Burel, who leads by the same margin, 5-2 in the first.
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A no-nonsense forehand from Zverev takes him 4-2 up against Ofner, who has a task on his hands. Fabio Fognini looks to be on his way to a straight-sets win against 22-year-old Australian Alexei Popyrin. Burel and Sakkari still neck and neck at 3-3.
Righto, my watch is over. Here’s Alex Hess to guide you through the remainder of the day. Thanks for your company, and ta-ra.
Ofner gets to 0-30 as Zverev looks to consolidate, then Zverev wins four consecutive points to make 3-1. Meantime, Burel makes deuce from 40-15 down, and from there breaks straight back! Burel 2-3 Sakkari
Zverev raises a break point but goes long on the forehand, handing Ofner deuce ... then rockets a forehand winner for advantage and cleans up the next point at the net; he leads 2-1 with a break. Meanwhile, on Chatrier, Bufrel saves two break points, then sends down a double, so Sakkari moves further ahead at 3-1.
Sakkari and Burel both look in decent nick, so this might be another proper match. On Mathieu, Fognini now leads Popyrin by two sets to love.
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Ah, Sakkari’s top is a sleeveless version of Auger-Aliassime’s, which is a bit odd. The design made me think it was of particular personal significance, but I guess that’s what Adidas want us to think.
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Zverev and Ofner are underway; Ofner, ranked 218 in the world, holds in game one, while Burel and Sakkari are tied at 1-1.
Borges has levelled his match with Khachanov at 1-1, while there’ve been developments in the football! Liverpool are drawing 1-1 with Wolves, and Villa have scored at City!
Mats is courtside and says it’s pretty windy, which will make Burel’s top-spinning forehand hard to play. it’s still hard to look beyond Sakkari, but already today we’ve seen Jabeur and Muguruza eliminated, despite taking the first set.
While, on Chatrier, Burel and Sakkari are out. Sakkari got to the semis last term and will think she’s a serious chance at doing better here – she also made the last four in New York, and looks more at ease with her game than ever before.
Next on Lenglen, we’ve got Zverev [3] v Ofner [Q]. they’ll be out shortly.
Ramos-Vinolas now leads Kokkinakis 6-4, but our coverage is on Felix, who says he needed to get used to the court-space – there’s lots of it. He also notes that his opponent played really well but after the second set, he had a better idea of the court so was able to slow the game down and dictate.
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Auger-Aliassime had never won a match at Roland Garros before, and in so doing today, he also showed improved mental strength. I doubt he’s going to win here, but he could properly do something at Wimbledon.
Isner, the number 23 seed, has beaten Halys, a French qualifier, 7-6(3) 4-6 7-6(1) 7-6(6).
Felix says it’s a joy to compete at Roland Garros, does the obligatory crowd-thanking, and after a year or two of stagnation, he’s coming along nicely again. A tennis-coach mate reckons he’s the best mover on tour, and the first time he saw him was certain he’d seen a major champion. Him and Alcaraz look to the be the future of the men’s game; Alcaraz is on once Sakkari and Burel are done, and they’re next on Chatrier.
Felix Auger-Aliassime beats Juan Pablo Varellas 2-6 2-6 6-1 6-3 6-3!
Auger-Aliassime raises three match points and though Varellas saves one, a booming forehand finishes off another splendid match. Auger-Aliassime meets Ugo Carabelli or Karatsev next; currently, the former leads by one set to love.
I’d love to know if there’s a story behind Auger-Aliassime’s top, incidentally.
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A lovely backhand down the line gives Auger-Aliassime 0-30 on the Varellas serve, then he opens up body and shoulders to smite a forehand winner cross-court from corner to corner and has three break points! Varellas saves the first, whips a wrong-footing forehand that has his opponent eating the clay, then follows a big serve with a clean-up forehand! Pablo Varellas has stones! But after getting to deuce, he overhits a forehand, Auger-Aliassime then hits three consecutive monsters, and the last is another corner-to-corner winner! He’s 5-4 in front, and will shortly serve for the match!
Auger-Aliassime hasn’t lost a point after landing his first serve for a set and a half, but Varellas is still there with him; it’s 4-3 to the former in the final, which is to say we’re not far off a 10-point breaker. Elsewhere, Khachanov has taken the first set off Borges 6-3, Ramos-Vinolas is a break up on Kokkinakis, who he leads 4-2, and Griekspoor leads Davidovich Fokina 2-6 6-0 5-4.
You may be aware there’s some association football going on this afternoon...
Popyrin fell apart at the crucial moment to lose the first set to Fognini 6-4, while Varillas is playing much better than before; serving at 1-2, he’s 40-15 up. But though Auger-Aliassime annihilates an inside-out forehand for 40-30, Varillas turns up the power on a backhand and it’s enough to get him home in the game. Auger-Aliassime 2-6 2-6 6-1 6-3 2-2 Varillas
Well done Juan Pablo Varillas! He closes out from 30-all to level the decider at 1-1 while, elsewhere, Borges [Q] v Khachanov [21] is under way, likewise Popyrin v Fognin and Ramos-Vinolas v Kokkinakis.
Yupyup, Auger-Aliassime holds to 30 so he and Varillas , who qualified, will now play a decider. It’s been one-way traffic for the last hour, though.
Barrere beat Daniel in the fifth of that match we discussed earlier, and Isner did indeed take the third set against Halys on the breaker; he leads 2-1.
Varillas has stayed in the set without getting close to break, and and ace gives Auger-Aliassime 5-3. He’s a game away from forcing a decider, and has responded really well to going two sets down – though Varillas also ran out of form around then.
Isner and Halys are playing a breaker at 1-1 – Isner leads 5-1 – Van de Zandschulp is serving for the match against Kotov, and Auger-Aliassime now leads 4-2 in the fourth against Varillas.
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Davidovich Fokina [25] has taken the first set off Griekspoor 6-2, and Fognini and Popyrin are about to start on Mathieu. Meanwhile, Varillas has just one his first game in seven to trail Auger-Aliassime 2-1- in set three having won the first two.
Auger-Aliassime is now 2-0 ahead in set four, and it’s hard to look past him now. he still trails by two sets to one, but Varillas has lost the pep he had to begin with.
“Is it just my imagination,” wonders Simon McMahon, “or are there more five set matches at Roland Garros than other Grand Slams? And more extremes in the set scores, too. Like the 6-3, 2-6, 6-0, 3-6 of the first four sets between Taro Daniel and Gregoire Barerre on Court 14 …”
I’m not sure, but I don’t think so, on either count. My guess is that the big serving surfaces allow for wider set-margins, and the competition with most five-setters was the 1983 US Open (the internet advises me).
Still to come today, we’ve got Sakkari, Alcaraz, Zverv and Gauff. Not bad, mates.
Varillas goes long with a forehand from the back, the swat of a bloke who knows the jig is up, and that’s the set. But if he can just get some first serves in, he’s got a chance. Auger-Aliassime 2-6 2-6 6-1 Varillas
Auger-Aliassime is now 5-1 in front in set three, and Varillas needs to take stock. He served so well in the first hour of this match, but he’s cooled since, and class is beginning to take control of form.
It’s raining pretty heavily now, but we’ve still got play everywhere. Halys has levelled his match with Isner at a set apiece, Barrere leads Daniel 4-2 in the fifth, Cuevas leads Brooksby [31] 6-2 601 and Siniakova is a set up on Martic.
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On Chartier, Auger-Aliassime has broken Varillas for the first time. He still trails, 2-6 2-6 3-1, but you wonder if momentum has switched.
Kaia Kanepi beats Garbine Muguruza [10] 2-6 6-3 6-4!
It looked for all the world like Muguruza had this sorted at a set and a break up, but in classic style she lozzed five games in a row, then in the decider it was the 36-year-old Kanepi who hung tougher. She meets Haddad Maia next.
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At 0-15, Muguruza does most of the hard work, then sends a forehand long. A return off the frame opens the court for a forehand winner that gives her 15-30, only for another error to allow 30-all, and Kanepi is two points away. Muguruza then goes long, and Kanepi has match point!
Shonuff, Muguruza finds herself at 15-40, clips the net cord with a backhand, and Kanepi strides confidently onto the ball, despatching a wrong-footing forehand winner. Leading 5-4 in set three, can she serve out?
We’re at 4-4 on Mathieu now, and both players know that any error and they’ve got a problem. I still fancy Muguruza – I’m really sticking my neck out here – because she’s both better and playing better. But there’s very little in it.
Diego Schwartzman is through, having beaten Andriy Kuznetsov 6-3 1-6 6-4 6-2. He meets Jaime Munar next.
Muguruza v Kanepi is getting tense – it’s 3-3 in the decider. The former looks the better player now, but with her you never know what’s around the corner.
Varillas is directing Auger-Aliassime about the court beautifully – he might be the best mover on tour, but he’d much rather be hitting from a base. He holds to 15, and the qualifier leads the number nine seed 6-2 6-2 after two one-sided sets!
Kanepi has, eventually, held; it’s 2-2 in the decider, and Muguruza will be rueing her inability to convert those break points. It’d be very her to lose her own serve now...
Muguruza holds from 15-40 down – she’s doing what she needs when she desperately needs to, and consecutive forehands onto the line give her 30-all. This is another really fun match – women’s tennis is so enjoyable at the moment because there are so many talented players – and Muguruza earns herself a break point, only to send a return long. Another follows and this time, Muguruza defends well, but can’t stick in the point; no matter, she forces another shy, Kanepi yanks her back again, then on Chatrier, Varillas wears two saved break points before converting his third! He now leads Auger-Aliassime 6-2 5-2! What a shock we’ve got on the cards here!
Goodness me, Varillas is on one here, racing to 0-40 with three points for the double break ... but Auger-Ailassime saves them all then closes out the hold. Can that spark him into life? He trails 2-6 2-3 while, on Lenglen, Isner took the first set against Halys on a breaker and we’re on serve at 2-3 in set two.
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Has Muguruza gone? In double-quick time, she trails 0-40 in the opening game of the decider, saving the first break point with a banging forehand down the line. Kanepi then goes long, and Muguruza wins the next three points too for her hold. She leads 1-0 in the decider, and will be encouraged by how she took hold of herself there.
With a look of intense disgust, Muguruza saves Kanepi’s first set point, but a forehand onto the baseline is too good at that’s five games in a row, delivering to her the second set! Muguruza was leading 2-0 and 15-40, so Kanepi decided to be more aggressive, and now look! Muguruza 6-2 3-6 Kanepi
Hello! Kanepi breaksa again, and out of nowhere, we got ourselves a ball-game! That’s the thing with Muguruza the speed at which she can collapse – and Kanepi will now serve for the second set at 5-3! And as for Varillas, he’s still playing beautifully, reaching to take a volley from above his shoulder on the backhand side in the process of breaking for a 6-2 2-1 lead! Auger Aliassime is in all sorts!
Schwartzman, the number 15 seed, has just taken set three to lead Kuznetsov 6-3 1-6 6-4.
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Muguruza lets a ball that looked like dropping long go, it dips in, and we’re back on serve at 3-3 in set two – Muguruza having taken the first 6-2.
Varillas gets to 40-30, Auger-Aliassime nets a forehand return, and that’s the set! Varillas was extremely animated all the way through it and he celebrates with some grand fist-pumping. He’s playing like someone who knows he’s in the form of his life, and doesn’t intend on wasting it; we are cooking! Auger-Aliassime 2-6 Varillas
Auger-Aliassime holds, so Varillas will have to serve for the first set. He’s been so confident and pumped so far, but this is different gravy. Can the 26-year-old Peruvian see it out?
On Lenglen, Isner and Halys are at 5-5 in set one, whole a decent hold from Kanepi keeps her deficit at a set and a break. But the best of the action is on Chatrier, where Auger-Aliassime still trails Varillas; he’s serving at 1-5 and deuce.
Varillas is all over Auger-Aliassime! A wild backhand sliced wide, and the qualifier leads the number nine seed 4-1!
Muguruza breaks again at the start of set two, and Kanepi is getting absolutely rousted here; as I type that, the consolidation is achieved, and the lead is 6-2 2-0.
Muguruza breaks again for 5-2, then serves out. She’s looking good though, at 35, Kanepi is well past her best. Auger-Aliassime, meanwhile, is on the board, 2-1 down to Varillas – who has a break.
Kanepi is struggling to close out games but a large backhand gets her 2-3; can she make an impression on the Muguruza serve? She can, but at 30-40 a backhand drops long and Muguruza closes out to lead 4-2 while, on Chartier, Varillas has broken Auger-Aliassime at the first time of asking. That’s the thing with qualifiers – the’y’re confident, and used to the conditions.
Auger-Aliassime and Varillas take to Chatrier.
She’s also already a break up, and consolidates to love for 3-1. Meantime, Diego Schwartzman is away, the number 15 seed winning the first set against Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3 – but trailing 1-5 in the second.
It’s still raining a bit, but Kanepi and Muguruza are still at it. The latter is one of the best players on tour, and her talent demands more than the two majors she’s got. She won in Paris in 2016, but since making the Aussie final in 2020, she hasn’t done better than round four of a slam, and that’s only happened twice.
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Back to Jabeur, I feel for her. She’s had such a great season and I’m shocked she lost that from a set up, as she really started to play at the business end of the first. She’ll be hurting something fierce.
On Mathieu, Muguruza and Kanepi are away. That should be a great match, so I’ll watch that and, when they’re out, Auger-Aliassime v Varillas.
Linette says she tried to increase he racket-speed after the first set, but we don’t get much tennis chat as it’s far more important she be incited to praise the crowd, who then praise themselves.
Magda Linette beats Ons Jabeur [6] 3-6 7-6(4) 7-5!
That is the win of Linette’s career and a colossal shock! Jabeur has been so good lately, and looked to have found the consistency that meant this stuff didn’t happen to her. But she’s gone! Linette meets Dart or Trevisan next.
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Linette gets back from 40-0 to deuce, and Ons serves a double! Match point Linette!
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Stephen is through, beating Niemeier 5-7 6-4 6-2. But she’ll need to improve a lot to do anything here, because that wasn’t a great performance, at all. She meets Cirstea next.
Linette holds easily, so Jabeur must now serve to try and force that breaker. Jabeur obviously has the game to win it, should it happen, but she’s not the better player currently. Oh, and it’s raining again, more heavily than before.
Meantime, Niemeier is now playing some tennis, and if she can hold here – she trails 7-6 4-6 2-5 – Stephens will start to winder.
The rain seems to have chilled out, but Linette and Jabeur have not, again at deuce on the latter’s serve. She finds a first serve when she needs one, though, and a wild backhand return gives us 5-5 in the decider. If we get to 6-6, it’ll be a 10-point breaker to settle things.
I meant to say, Dimitrov beat Giron 1,1 and 1; he meets Coric or Taberner next, with the former currently leading 6-2 2-3. Back on Chatrier, Linette holds for 5-4, so Jabeuar will now serve to stay in the competition.
Jabeur’s first serve hasn’t been there for her today, and she’s soon hitting a second at 15-40; this is a chance for Linette, but she can’t find the return, and eventually a forehand punished down the line closes the gap. A big serve follows and that gives us deuce, quickly converted into 4-4 while, on Lenglen, Stephens – who’s not won a match since March – leads the injured Niemeier 5-0 in the decider, having ceded just one point in the set. Jabeur 6-3 (4)6-7 4-4 Linette
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Dellien has beaten Thiem 2,3, and 4; he was really solid today, more than earning the right to meet Borges or Khachanov next. Thiem, meanwhile, needs to play matches – his best shots are there, but the consistency is miles away.
Linette whams a backhand into the top of the net, and Jabeur has her break-back! she’s found something when she needed it most – that’s the new Ons I was talking about earlier! She now trails 3-4 in the decider while, on Lenglen, Stephens leads Niemeier 3-0 in the decider and it’s raining pretty heavily.
Linette misses two forehands in a row, but at 30-40, hangs in there, skids into a drop, and puts away the overhead; that is excellent behaviour, but at advantage, Jabeur takes a backhand return early, hauling it cross-court, then finds a drop set up by a whipped forehand, that saves the next game point. Increasingly, it feels like the match is here...
Niemeier is struggling with injury here – her left thigh is heavily strapped, and she’s even struggling to walk properly. It’s 1-0 Stephens, on serve, in the decider.
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Linette breaks Jabeur and now leads 4-2 in the decider! She’s been superb today, especially in this set and especially given she’s injured, while Ons looks extremely displeased with life.
Stephens wins set two 6-4, then Niemeier takes a medical timeout before the decider. There is, though drizzle in the air, so let’s hope that clears.
Jabeur goes long on the backhand to give Linette, leading 2-1 in the decider, a sniff at 30-all. But jabeur quickly closes out, and this is getting tense.
Stephens now leads Niemeier 5-4 in set two, having lost the first. I might move to start watching that, as this team match looks extremely over.
Back on Mathieu, Thiem is showing no signs, though he’s just saved a break point. Thing is, he can hit winners here and there but the consistency is totally lacking, and to try and force the issue he starts serve-volleying, eventually staving off the double break. He’s still in this, just. Dellien 6-3 6-2 3-2 Thiem
A Jabeur backhand drops long, handing Linette two set points ... and she only needs one! A wild forehand flies wide, and the number six seed, played an opponent who’s movement is hampered by injury, must play a decider! This has been a really fun match, and though Jabeur looks the better player, I’d not be staggered if Linette did enough to win the big points!
Jabeur gets the first mini-break but Linette clouts a forehand that breaks the sideline to redress the balance forthwith. Then, an error from Jabeur hands Linette a mini-break at 5-3...
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Tremendous work from Linette to get to 40-0, but then a glorious forehand to the backhand corner gives Jabeur a minor sniff; she goes long, and we’ve got ourselves a breaker in set two...
An ace out, her seventh, wide gives Jabeur 40-30, an error from Linette follows, and at 4-6 5-6, Linette will again serve to stay in the match, while Thiem has ceded a break to Dellien in the first game of set three. He’s not long for this competition.
Grigzy Dimitrov now leads Marcos Giron 6-1 6-1 3-0.
Dellien serves out easily, and now leads Thiem 6-3 6-2! Thiem looked alright in the first, but was very poor in the second when I assumed he’d improve.
Thiem hangs in there, forcing Dellien to serve for the second set at 5-2, while Jabeur saves a break point with a booming serve at 6-3 4-4, then Linette makes a mess of a gimme. A service-winner down the T follows, and Linette must now serve to stay in the match.
Cirstea has beaten Maria 3 and 3 – she meets Stephens or Niemeier next, on which point Niemeier has broken back in set two and now leads 7-5 1-2.
Thiem walks back to his seat, a look of resignation smeared across his coupon – he’s been broken a second time in set two, and what looked like a decent contest now feels quarter to over Thiem just can’t stop the cheap errors. Dellien 6-4 4-1 Thiem
Stephens is a break up on in Niemeier in set two now, trailing 5-7 2-0, while Cirstea, the number 26 seed, leads Maria 6-3 5-3.
It looked like Jabeur might stamp on the gas and leave Linette – the gulf in class was apparent at the business end of set one – but we’re on serve in set two at 6-3 3-2. Except after making an ace for 40-0, Linette loses focus, at 15-40, Jabeur finds a nasty drop, the sidespin taking it away from her opponent, and we wind up on deuce; Linette saves a break point, then rips a a gorgeous forehand cross-court to eventually level things up.
Niemeier did indeed win that first set against Stephens, the 2018 finalist; she leads 7-5 0-1.
As I was saying would happen, Dellien has broken Thiem in the opening game of set two; he’s won nearly all the big points so far, while his opponent has given away too many cheap ones trying to hit his way into form. Dellien 6-3 1-0 Thiem
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Dellien serves for the set at 5-3 and Thiem gets to 40-30, but a colossal forehand from the former, taken from well above shoulder-height, incites a backhand into the net. There’s a long way to go here, though – Thiem is actually playing pretty well, he’s just not quite winning the points he needs to, while Dellien has only made four unforceds. Meantime, Niemeier, a qualifier, is serving for the first set against Stephens at 6-5.
Linette takes a medical timeout for a thigh injury as Dellien holds for 5-2 – she’s gone six minutes or so, but they’re back at it now.
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Dimitrov has taken the first set off Giron 6-1 and Cirstea has done likewise to Maria 6-3.
Yeah, Jabeur is into this now, serving out easily to take the first set 6-3. Linette made it hard at the start, but there’s something different about her opponent this last year or so, and it’s hard to see her losing these kinds of matches now.
Thiem is pushing, forcing Dellien to deuce, but a drop on advantage maintains his advantage – it’s 4-1 now – while, on Chatrier, Jabeur leads Linette 5-3 and even if she loses the next game, will serve for the set after it.
Jabeur breaks Linette then struggles through a hold for 4-2 – she’s being made to fight, but she’s more than capable. Back on Mathieu, Thiem is 0-40 down, and though he gets to 40-30, this time Dellien secures the break for 3-1. However, you can see the Austrian is settling.
Linette breaks back immediately, and to love too. She and Jabeur are level at 2-2 now; Stephens and Niemeier are 2-2; Grigzy Dimitrov is a break up on Giron, likewise Cirstea on Maria. Meantime, Dellien has been warned for taking too long over his serve, taking issue with the umpire over spectators moving his eyeline. The umpire immediately apologises and retracts his call, no he doesn’t.
Thiem saves break point with a trademark backhand down the line, taken early doors, then clinches the game by hitting to the backhand corner, opening the court, and cleaning up with a forehand into the space. Dellien 1-1 Thiem
Linette has started confidently, and Jabeur has to dig in to hold for 1-1 – she comes back from 15-30 behind. Meantime, Thiem is slowly easing himself in from 0-1 and 0-30 behind, making game point with a forehand drop. But he can’t quite close it out, finds himself facing a break point and, as I type that, Jabeur converts one against Linette to lead 2-1 in set one.
As for Thiem, how good is it to see him back? He’s been injured and out of form during the last bit, so is ranked well outside the top 100 in the world – which makes him an extremely dangerous floater in the draw.
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For now, at least, I’m watching Jabeur v Linette and Thiem v Dellien. Jabeur reckons she can win a major, and who wouldn’t be overjoyed to see that. I guess she can, given who has, and given women’s tennis is currently the least predictable sport in the world, but as an all-round package she’s never be a favourite.
Order of play: show courts
Chatrier
Jabeur [6] v Linette
Auger-Aliassime [9] v Varillas [Q]
Burel v Sakkari [4]
Londero [L] v Alcaraz [6]
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Lenglen
Stephens v Niemeier [Q]
Isner [23] v Halys
Zverev [3] v Ofner [Q]
Mladenovic v Fernandez [17]
**
Mathieu
Dellien v Thiem
Kanepi v Muguruza [10]
Fognini v Popyrin
Gauff [18] v Marino [Q]
Preamble
Morning all, and welcome to Roland Garros 2022! It’s almost embarrassing how much brilliant tennis we’ve got for you today – Ons Jabeur, Dominic Thiem, Sloane Stephens, Garbine Muguruza, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and yet still more. Like everyone else, I’ve not a clue who – if anyone – will succeed Barbora Krejcikova and Novak Djokovic as French Open champions, but also like everyone else, I know precisely how much fun it’s going to be finding out. On y va!
Play: 11am local, 10am BST
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