That’s the lot from us today. I’ll be back bright and early to bring you the live action from Roland Garros tomorrow, though. Keep it locked.
Here is Tumaini Carayol’s story from earlier about the alcohol ban now in force in the Roland Garros stands:
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And on Court 6, Alex de Minaur (11) has kicked off against Jaume Munar. The Australian De Minaur is a break up and serving at 2-1.
Tommy Paul (14) is now under way against Fabio Fognini, on Court 8. It’s 2-1 to Paul in the first.
If you missed Swiatek v Osaka last night, it’s well worth reading Tumaini Carayol’s report, and perhaps seeking out the highlights of a memorable encounter:
Siniakova 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-7 (6) Paquet
The aforementioned Chloé Paquet set up a third-round meeting with Marketa Vondrousova with a comeback win against Katerina Siniakova, Vondrousova’s Czech compatriot.
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While on Court 14, Holger Rune (13) has broken his opponent, Flavio Cobolli, in the first game of their second-round match.
Corentin Moutet 4-3 Alexander Shevchenko is a latest first-set score in the men’s singles from Court Simonne-Mathieu. Both players have two breaks already.
The defending champion, Novak Djokovic, was very briefly made to work hard by unseeded Spaniard Roberto Carballés Baena before sealing a routine 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 victory and motoring into the French Open third round on Thursday.
Djokovic has been some way from his convincing best in an erratic season where he is bidding to win a record 25th grand slam title and the top-seeded Serb was dragged into a battle by Carballés Baena after recovering an early break.
Having nosed ahead on serve in the ninth game, the 37-year-old Djokovic set up break point with a big overhead smash after a 24-shot rally and pounced to take the first set as spectators on Court Philippe-Chatrier sensed a return to a more familiar level.
Djokovic moved up a few notches in the next set for a 4-0 lead before his 31-year-old opponent even got on the board and the three-times Roland Garros champion tightened his grip on the contest in quick time.
The pair’s previous two encounters were both at hardcourt majors but the outcome was no different on Parisian clay as Djokovic sauntered ahead 5-1 in the third set before wrapping up the victory. (Reuters)
Ostapenko 6-7, 3-0 Tauson is another latest score in the women’s singles. Along with Collins 7-6 (3), 5-7, 3-3 Danilovic.
On Court Suzanne Lenglen, Mayar Sherif now leads Madison Keys 6-5 in the second set. Keys won the first 6-0.
Vondrousova beats Volynets: 6-0, 1-6, 4-6
The fifth seed is safely through to the third round of the women’s singles after a very decent test against the American world No 108. Chloé Paquet (ranked 136) will be Vondrousova’s opponent next.
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“Firstly thanks to the crowd,” says Djokovic, who will face Gaël Monfils or Lorenzo Musetti in the third round.
“Thank you for being here. I think it’s been a difficult few days for the fans. There’s been so much rain. But thanks for coming out to support.
“It was difficult against Roberto. He has a lot of quality, a lot of precision …
“I’m happy. I’m happy with my performance today.”
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Reaction from Djokovic coming up.
Djokovic beats Carballés Baena! 6-4, 6-1, 6-2
And that is that. The first set was a good contest. The rest was a bad contest, at least if you’re a big Carballés Baena fan.
Updated
Shapovalov and Tiafoe are locked at 2-2 in their fourth set.
*Djokovic 6-4, 6-1, 5-2 Carballés Baena (*denotes next server)
The Tenerife-born Spaniard manages to get over the line and forces Djokovic to serve this out.
*Djokovic 6-4, 6-1, 5-1 Carballés Baena (*denotes next server)
The Spaniard is serving to stay in the match. But pesky Djokovic is engaging the world No 63 in a deuce battle.
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On Court 10, Danielle Collins is in a duel with Olga Danilovic, who is a break up in the third! The Serb is ranked 125 and is threatening to upset the 11th seed in the women’s singles.
Volynets is serving to stay in her match against Vondrousova (5), over on Court 14.
6-0, 6-1, 3-5 are the scores on the doors there.
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There are some huge, regular roars audible on Philippe-Chatrier from a nearby court. Maybe it’s Shapovalov v Tiafoe, which is into a fourth set, and looks like a belter.
As it stands: Shapovalov 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2, 1-2 Tiafoe
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*Djokovic 6-4, 6-1, 4-1 Carballés Baena (*denotes next server)
Ouch. A speedy break to love from the Serb, stretching his opponent to breaking point over and over again with punishingly accurate groundstrokes to either side. He’s two games away from thinking about what he’s having for dinner. Maybe he already is?
Djokovic 6-4, 6-1, 3-1 *Carballés Baena (*denotes next server)
The Serb rounds off a dismissive hold to 15. He’s in total control, coming to the net once to crash an imperious smash beyond his helpless opponent.
Updated
Thank you Daniel. There is some blue sky in Paris. The commentators sound shocked.
Now, Djokovic is serving at 2-1 in the third against Carballés Baena …
Righto, I’m off to do the school run, so here’s Luke McLaughlin to chill with you through the next bit.
Sherif is finally on the board, holding in the first game of set two while Shapovalov serves out to 15; he leads Tiafoe by two sets to one, and the number 25 seed is in trouble.
Carballes Baena overhits a forehand and as he did in set two, Djokovic breaks in the first game of three, while Shapovalov will shortly serve for a 2-1 lead over Tiafoe at 5-2 in the third.
Hubert Hurkacz (8) beats Brandon Nakashima (2)6-7 6-1 6-3 7-6(5)
Yup, he’d already won, and a match that started yesterday morning but feels like it’s been in progress for a fortnight, is over. Next for Oor Hubes: Shapovalov or Tiafoe.
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On Lenglen, Keys completes a 19-minute set, bagelling Sherif, and Vondrousova might just do the same to Volynets, now up 4-0 in the decider. So assuming that match is did, I move to watch the fourth-set breaker between Hurkacz and Nakashima. Problem being…
Djokovic burns two set points but Carballes Baena eventually nets a backhand and there is it; he leads 6-4 6-1 and is hitting it very nicely.
Er yeah, about that last post. Djokovic regains his two-break situation and is now serving for set two at 6-4 5-1, while Keys leads Sherif 4-0.
Hold tight Roberto Carballes Baena! He might give it up but instead retrieves a break, now trailing only 4-1 in set two; and going around the courts, Hurkacz leads Nakashima 6-7 6-1 6-3 6-5; Paquet leads Siniakova 6-7 7-3 2-3; Samsonova leads Anisimova 3-2; Baez leads Offner 6-3 6-3 4-6; Fernandez leads Wang 6-3 0-1; Auger-Aliassime leads Squire 6-4 4-6 3-6; Collins leads Danilovic 7-6 4-3 with a break; and Tiafoe and Shapovalov are locled at 1-1 2-2.
Vondrousova is at it now, breaking Volynets in the first game of set three.; Djokovic also breaks, Carballes baena now trailing 6-4 4-0; Keys breaks Sherif first up; and Ostapenko is just under way against Tauson, leading 2-1 on serve.
Vondrousova quickly levels her match with Volynets at a set apiece; decider coming up. Meantime, Djokovic is starting to purr – Carballes Baena might, by virtue of playing well, have got him going.
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I hate to say it but this is no great surprise: Carballes Baena cedes a tame break and Djokovic now leads 6-4 2-0. He might just’ve broken the back of this match.
Vondrousova and Volynets are out, Volynets up 6-0 1-5. It must be brutal for the players having to hang about all keyed up and hoping the rain stops and who knows for how long the rain will pause. But it looks quite bright, so.
Elina, I love you but … no.
Now then! On the outside courts, covers are off and nets are up; lovely stuff.
Next on Lenglen: Madison Keys (14) v Mayar Sherif.
Back to that Zverev interview, he says the crowd is always unbelievable in Paris – his opponent might have some thoughts on that – and the crowd go wild for him. I don’t know, I really really don’t.
What a sickener that is for Carballes Baena. I don’t think he can play much better than he did in that say, and what’s he got to show for it? He’ll have to dig deep to keep maintain that level because the disappointment must be burning deep inside his soul.
Back on Chatrier, Djokovic makes 15-30 with forehands, then outlasts Carballes Baena in a sapping rally, raising two set points in the process … and he only needs one, again dominating the rally and taking it over with a backhand down the line, then smiting a forehand to the opposite corner and sticking away an overhead. He is quite good at tennis.
Zverev says the slowness under the roof didn’t help him, but he hit it well today against someone who’s given him grief in the past. Before Nadal there were nerves – the whole tennis world was speaking about the match – and he was glad to have two days off because emotionally he had to ground himself after it He’s really happy with his levle today and hopes he can keep at it.
Updated
Alexander Zverev (4) beats David Goffin 7-6(4) 6-2 6-2
Goffin waves to the crowd as he departs – I wonder if we’ll see him again here – and that’s another tremendous performance from Zverev. He meets Darderi or Griekspoor next, and looks a contender – but again, if the top three play close to their best, I’d still expect them to beat him.
Carballes Baena makes 15-30 and in the context, this is a chance. So Djokovic serves out wide and cleans up with the forehand, of course he does. No matter: at 40-30, Carballes Baena picks a second serve, smoking a winner down the line; Djokovic quickly serves out for 5-4 and can his opponent hold as relaxedly with the set on the line?
Carballes Baena is doing a tremendous job of sticking with Djokovic, holding for 4-4 in set one. Meantime, Zverev breaks Goffin a second time and will shortly serve for the match at 7-6 6-2 5-2.
Hang about! They’re mopping up on the outside courts, which tells us it’s stopped raining!
Goodness me, up advantage, Zverev races in to flick back a drop, Goffin slams at him, and hew proffers a racket, the ball somehow flying off it to invent a perfect volley down and on to the line! Zverev leads 7-6 6-2 3-2 with a break, and this is even overer than it was before.
Goffin has made a better start to set three, level at 2-2 and leading 40-15. But Zverev pursues a volley and digs out an incredible pass on the run – for a man so tall to get down to that requires some athleticism – and we wind up at deuce. Then, on game point, a double returns us to deuce while, on Chatrier, Carballes Baena – who’s playing pretty much at his maximum – sends a quality backhand down the line for 3-3.
This is good from Djokovic, his backhand slice zoning over the net to make 0-15. He soon reaches 0-40, but then sends a forehand wide and another long before losing out at the net, Carballes Baena retrieving a drop then hoisting a telling lob, noising up the crowd in celebration. Naturally the karma police are on to him immediately, a double ceding a fourth break point, but he saves that too, then reads a pat across the face of the net to charge after it and dig out a winner for his hold! Djokovic, though, assumed the rally was over, failing to cover the angle, and we’re level at 2-2 in the first.
Goffin has to survive break point, but he holds on to avoid being broken in the first game for the second successive set. Zverev leads 7-6 6-2 0-1.
Updated
Ah, and there it is: play will now not resume before 3.45pm BST.
Ahahahaha! Djokovic breaks back to love with the help of two luscious drops while, in comms, they ponder whether, if he was a superhero, he’d be Elastic Man. I refer the learned gentlemen to the following:
Might? Carballes Baena powers a forehand down the line, and he breaks Djokovic in the first game! I doubt it affects the outcome, but it gives us something to go at, and suggests, yet again, that all is not well with the champ.
Djokovic and Carballes Baena are under way; they’ve met twice before, both times at Slams, the Spaniard winning just 16 games total. Both times, though, they were playing on hard, things might be a little different on clay; might. Meantime, Zverev serves out to lead 7-6 6-2, looking pretty good in the process.
Tomorrow, by the way, play on every court will begin at 10am local, 9am BST. And as for today, there’ll be no play on anywhere but Chatrier and Lenglen before 3.15pm BST.
Yeah, this match feels over: Zverev makes advantage on the Goffin serve, he larrups a forehand long, and how often do we see this? A player sticks with a better one for a while, but once that first set goes, it’s effectively over as a contest. The German leads 7-6 5-2.
Goffin is still struggling to make an impression on the Zverev serve, another comfy hold meaning the number four seed leads 7-6 4-2. How well he does here depends a bit on those ranked higher – if Djokovic, Alcaraz and Sinner are really at it, you’d back them all to beat him, but the latter two are in the opposite half of the draw, so he’d only have to face one of them,
Next on Chatrier: Novak Djokovic (1) v Roberto Carballes Baena.
Asked about the second-set comeback, Svito says that with the match apparently lost, Parry started hitting the ball well and hard, while she was low on energy. It’s not easy to close out a match, she adds, and she’s sure that Parry has a big future ahead of her. Finally, asked about her husband, Gaël Monfils, who plays on Chatrier tonight, she says they’re not sure how long the two of them will be on the tour so they want to enjoy it and she enjoys watching him; she hopes he’ll have amazing support and she’s sure it’ll be “really electric”.
Elina Svitolina (15) beats Diane Parry 6-4 7-6(3)
Svitolina lost focus when the match looked done, but as soon as it was in the balance again, she upped her game and sorted things. She meets Bogdan or Pavlyuchenkova (20) next, while Parry can take heart too – she has a lot of ability, and if she can find consistency to complement it, she can do something.
Updated
Ach, Parry breaks a string, in the process handing over the mini-break, and that is so unlucky, the netted forehand that follows it – also on her serve – less so. Svitolina leads 4-1 and is nearly home. Meantime on Lenglen, Goffin is struggling to avoid losing his serve again, saving a break point down 6-7 0-2.
Time’s up? Zverev breaks Goffin immediately with the help of two doubles, and given how hard it is for anyone to do likewise to him – he faced neither chances nor deuces in set one – he’s halfway home, Meantime, a hold apiece means Svitolina and Parry are now playing a tiebreak.
Now then! Parry opens body and clouts an inside-out forehand on to the line to take her second break back. Svitolina must’ve assumed she was home after establishing so significant an advantage, and she’s paying for that now – though still leads 6-4 5-5.
On Chatrier, Svitolina is at deuce, serving for the match – Parry just relieved her of match point with a lovely drop – while Goffin saves the first of three set points. But he then goes long down the line, and after almost an hour, Zverev leads 7-6(4).
At 2-2, Goffin does everything right to snatch a mini-break, only to overhit his putaway volley; he’s aghast and soon yields one instead, the ball popping up off the net-cord and beseeching Zverev to do the rest. The German leads 4-2.
Down 30-15, Zverev misses a chance to make things tight, a forehand down the line sent wide. But he does get to deuce then dashes in to flick back a drop and earn the first break point of the match that’s also a set point. Goffin, though, finds a first serve and when he comes in, the attempted pass goes into the net when it needn’t have done. From there, though, he serves out for 6-6 while, on Chatrier, Parry has reclaimed one of Svitolina’s two breaks to trail 4-6 3-5.
And actually it’s Svitolina who secures the double-break; she’s been really aggressive today, and because she has greater control than Parry, it means she’s now only two games away at 6-4 4-2.
Two more swift service-games, neither man able to make an impression on the other’s serve, and at 5-6, Goffin will now serve for a breaker; Svitolina leads Parry 6-4 3-1, and she too looks good for further holds.
There appears to be a leak in the Lenglen roof – Zverev calls out a blazer to have a look – and I imagine it’ll now be addressed.
Updated
Goffin plays an excellent forehand to make 0-15, but Zverev holds for 5-4, and nine games into the match we’ve had neither break point nor deuce. If we get to a breaker, you have to favour the German because of his serve, but his forehand is there for the targeting.
Parry has a proper problem now, broken in the first game of set two to trail Svitolina 6-4 1-0. She’s played some good stuff, so credit to her for that, but against the best players, without the consistency it’s not enough. At 21, she’s plenty of time to improve and has a pretty big game, but the one-handed backhand can be a problem under pressure.
Zverev’s hearing is set for tomorrow.
Goffin is an interesting test for Zverev, a player with great speed around the court who won’t be cowed by power or do silly things in a panic. The German leads 4-3, but it’s tight.
There’ll be no further play on the outside courts before 2.15pm BST, but I’d be pretty surprised if that time doesn’t move later and later.
Svitolina makes 30-0, then chasing a ball to the corner, Parry returns fresh air. So, three set-points, the first saved via chased-down drop. But the second is soon snaffled, an ace that breaks the sideline giving her a 6-4 lead.
Svitolina consolidates for 5-3 while Goffin secures 2-2 with his first ace of the match. He’s serving well, hitting every first delivery bar one, and if he’s to make an impression against Zverev, he’ll need to stay at that level.
It’s taken a lot of time and effort, but Svito has broken Parry now, leading 5-3 in the first. It really something, how she’s come back from having a baby – she looks a much better player now then before, which I absolutely did not see coming.
“If the aforementioned players do become the Big Four of women’s tennis,” says Shreyas Eswaran, “where does that put players like Gauff, or even Jabeur who could quite easily beat any of them on the right surface and the right day? Would they be in the Wawrinka category of proper challenger or the Cilic category of couple of ‘good circumstances’ Grand Slams?”
First of all, you’re right: Gauff may well belong in that category and i shou;d have namechecked her. I must say, I was a little surprised to see her win her first major when she did – I thought her dicky forehand would hold her back – but Brad Gilbert is doing a great job with her. Jabeur is more Jana Novotna, and needs to win one before we start thinking about her as anything other than a terrific and terrifically likeable player.
I imagine we’ll see more matches on Chatrier and Lenglen than are scheduled because this tournament needs to get moving. I daresay the organisers are chuffed with how quickly things have progressed on the latter.
Well done Diane Parry! She eventually secures her hold for 3-2 while, on Lenglen, Zverev opens his match against Goffin with 29km/h ace.
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We’re in the middle of a 10-minute game on Chatrier, Parry struggling to hold at 2-2 hsving made deuce from 0-40 down. But I’m afraid we’ve to interrupt coverage for an oh eff eff ess: it’s raining again, we’re off on the unroofed courts, and I’m not certain we’re getting back on today given the forecast.
I’m afraid to report that I’ve extinguished wor Hubie from my third screen to watch the denouement of Volynets 6-0 1-4 Vondrousova. That’s because I think Vondrousova is a potential champion and she was given as much as she could handle yesterday.
After losing the second set, Auger-Aliassime leads Squire 4-2 in the third, while Shapovalov has levelled his match against Tiafoe at a set apiece.
Sebastian Korda (27) beats Kwon Soon-woo 6-4 6-4 1-6 6-3
Korda has a lot of talent, and if he focuses properly, he can start pushing into the second week of Slams.
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Donna Vekic beats Marta Kostyuk (18) 7-5 6-4
Vekic has had her injury troubles so it’s great to see her back winning big matches – she meets Collins or Danilovic next.
Matteo Arnaldi beats Alexandre Muller 6-4 6-1 6-3
Keep an eye on the young Italian, for his way around a tennis court does he know. He meets Rublev next, and that match should be a lot of fun.
Grigor Dimitrov (10) beats Fábián Marozsán 6-0 6-3 6-4
He meets Marterer or Bergs next, the former leading 6-3 2-2, ands is playing well enough to be a factor here.
Next on Lenglen: Alexander Zverev (4) v David Goffin.
Rybakina says that against a lefty, she’s trying to cover the wide channels of the court but she also focuses on herself. She’s glad not to have played three sets, unlike in round one, but she’s not that happy with herself; still, she’s through and it’ll take something decent to beat her.
Elena Rybakina (4) beats Arantxa Rus 6-3 6-4
That was a decent and close match, but you just can’t argue with Rybakina’s serve, especially on big points. She meets Mertens or Martic next, and either of those could give her a decent test.
Oh dear: it’s raining again, but we’re still playing for now.
Parry breaks Svitolina back immediately, Rybakina does likewise to Rus, and how often do we see that? Someone stays wtth a top player and asks a few questions, but once we get to the business end of sets, class tells. the world number four will now serve for the match at 6-3 5-4.
Email! “Your red steak comment about Sabalenka prompted me to search for vegan tennis players,” writes Yonatan Ginzburg. “It might or might not be reliable, but informs us of the Williams sisters (health for Venus, sisterly empathy Serena), Martina (an avid supporter of PETA), Novak (also gluten free) and Kyrgios (ethical reasons, justified more or less like the great Yiddish author Bashevis Singer I did not become a vegetarian for my health, I did it for the health of the chickens). If we’re, as they say, results-orientated, looks like veganism works well for tennis, no need for steak.”
We’re away again on Chatrier, Parry facing two break points in the opening game. She saves the first a big forehand cross-court, but sends another looping long, and Svitolina leads 1-0.
We’ve not properly reflected on last night’s match between Osaka and Swiatek, but how good was that?! It’s so good to see Osaka back playing like that and enjoying her tennis; we’ll see how she goes from here, but it feels like when the hard-court season starts, the rest of the tour are on notice. I wonder if women’s tennis might soon have its own big four of Swiatek, Osaka, Sabalenka and Rybakina; I’m fairly sure we’d all accept it.
The forecast is still telling us that from 2pm local time, Paris will be in the drink. So let’s enjoy the feeling of needing seven or eight sets of eyeballs while we still can.
Oor Hubie – ok, Hubez – has just taken the third set to lead Nakashima 6-7 6-1 6-3 and looks pretty decent now, while Rus leads Rybakina 3-2 in set two, on serve, Rybakina having taken the first.
Looking around the courts, Dimitrov is now up two sets and a break against Maroszan; Potapova has beaten Golubic 6-2 6-2 and meets Wang or Tomova next, Wang up a set and 5-3; Vekiv leads Kostyuk 7-5 2-3; Korda leads Kwon 6-4 6-4 1-6 3-2; and Shapovalov, though down a set, leads Tiafoe 3-1 in the second.
Next on Chatrier: Elina Svitolina (15) v Diane Parry.
Sabalenka is really happy with how she played – Mats notes she’s now into her touch-shots – and she says her team probably don’t like it when she drops, so she’s glad he does. Given the record, she’ll probably watch Netflix in her hotel room and also feels like going for a good steak – I’m not surprised she’s into devouring red meat – and she has lots more confidence in herself than she did last year. It’ll take something significant to beat her,.
Whlie that was going on, Rybakina opened her shoulders and broke Rus; she’s now serving for the first set and at 40-15, an errant forehand lands wide giving the world number for a 6-3 lead. This is a decent contest, but every time Rybakina has needed to find something, she has.
Aryna Sabalenka (2) beats Moyuka Uchijima 6-2 6-2
And looks absolutely excellent in so doing. She meets Putintseva or Badosa next – currently the former leads 6-4 2-0 – and all the best to whichever of them it is. They’ll need it.
Updated
A succession of evil forehands nab advantage and Sabalenka has match point…
Rus musters another break point … and another nails serve confiscates it, further excoets securing the hold. This is a good contest though, Rybakina up 4-3. Elsewhere, Tiafoe has won the first-set breaker against Shapovalov; Hurkacz has broken Nakashima for 3-2 in the third; Dimitrov now leads Maroszan 6-0 6-1; and Sabalenka is doing all she can to finish Uchijima here and now, making deuce at 6-2 5-2.
Down 2-3 but up 15-0 and with Rybakina powering towards the net, Rus clobbers a terrific forehand pass down the line and eventually secures her hold. Meantime, Sabalenka has to save a four break points, one with a ninja’s forehand into the corner, and two more terrifying forehands secure a 6-2 5-2 lead.
I like Arantxa Rus’s t-shirt (she’ll be relieved to learn when checking the blog at change of ends).
A glorious lob – we don’t see her disburse many of those – gives Sabalenka three break points, and another backhand cross return is again too much for Uchijima. The world number two leads 6-2 3-1 and in comms, they wonder if she can win here. My sense is that she can – her power gives her a chance on any service, especially as her touch-shots have improved and she now knows she can handle the pressure of finals. And, of course, we saw the problems Iga Swiatek had last evening with Naomi Osaka’s weight of shot.
Arantxa Rus is from a place called Monster; I enjoy that. And as i type, she makes 0-30 on the Rybakina serve and though it’s soon 30-all, a long forehand means break point … and, of course, a devastating serve down the T. From there, Rybakina closes out, and having that kind of power and height is just such an advantage.
Uchijima again starts the set well enough as we learn that not since the US Open 2020 has she lost a match at a major in straights. That might tell us she’s phenomenally consistent and very difficult to beat – she is – or that she struggles to get over the line – she has done. She leads 6-2 1-1, and her serve looks impregnable.
It has indeed stopped raining! The covers are indeed coming off! Badabing!
Updated
Yup, we could indeed have guessed. Uchijima did well enough at the start, but down break point she again can’t find a first serve, a booming backhand return too nails for her to keep her riposte in court. Sabalenka leads 6-2.
The weather, by the way, is absolutely minging … or at least it was! I wasn’t expecting this, but there are men sweeping water off covers and no brollies up, so perhaps it’s stopoped.
On Chatrier, Rus and Rybakina are knocking up.
Sabalenka is targeting Uchijima’s forehand now, raising break point at advantage before crushing a second serve return cross-court on the backhand. It’s taken her longer than expected, but she’s up 5-2 and we can probably guess how this is goig to proceed from here.
Updated
Uchijima is doing well against Sabalenka though struggling to handle the power; they’re level at 2-2. So a question: does the world number two hit the ball harder than any woman in history? I don’t think I’ve seen anything comparable.
Dayana Yastremska (30) beats Yifan Wang 6-2 6-0
She meets Coco Gauff next.
I guess we should round up the matches that have been suspended:
Men
Hurkacz (8) 6-7 6-1 1-1 Nakashima
Marozsan 0-6 3-5 Dimitrov (10)
Muller 4-6 1-6 2-0 Arnaldi
Ofner 3-2 1-2 Baez (20)
Bergs 3-6 2-2 Marterer
Squire 4-6 1-2 Auger Ailassime (21)
Korda (27) 6-4 6-4 1-3 kwon
Women
Siniakova (32) 6-3 2-1 Paquet
Wang 7-5 1-0 Tomova
Badosa 4-6 2-0 Putintseva
Vekic 7-5 Kostyuk (18)
Next on Lenglen: Arantxa Rus v Elena Rybakina (4).
Tiafoe and Shapovalov are playing a first-set breaker, level at 3-3 … and here comes the rain; off they go. Absolute sake.
Updated
Daniil Medvedev (5) beats Miomir Kecmanovic 6-1 5-0 retired
Ah that’s a shame, but that match was only going one way. He meets Navone (31) or Mahac next.
Updated
Auger-Aliassime is a set to the good, leading Squire 6-4 1-0; Yastremska leads Wang 6-2 5-0; Korda leads Kwon 6-4 6-4 1-2; Putintseva leads Badosa 6-4 0-1; and Arnaldi leads Muller 6-4 6-1 2-0.
Shapovalov and Tiafoe are locked at 5-5 in the first while, on Chatrier, Sabalenka and Uchijima are knocking up.
Hubie levels his match with Nakashima at a set apiece, serving out for 6-7 6-1, while Kecmanovic summons the trainer; er yeah mate, I’m that’ll sort this.
Shapovalov saves four break points to hold for 4-3 against Tiafoe, while Kecmanovic eventually finishes a 27-shot rally to regain deuce serving at 1-6 0-2 – though not without Medvedev returning all sorts of balls first. And it’s no great surprise when a succession of booming grondstrokes secure the double break; this is no kind of contest.
Goodish news as regards the weather: where first thing this morning, the thunder and lightning was due to start at 11am, that’s now been bumped to 2pm.
Updated
I’m certain it’ll be clipped up before long, so hopefully I’ll get to stick it up, but Hurkacz has just played a tweener lob. In fairness, Nakashia ought still to have put away the overhead, but perhaops the element of surprise befuddled him.
Hurkacz is giving Nakashima a going-over in set two, 5-0 up in no time at all, while Medvedev quickly raises three break points; Kecmanovic doesn’t move as well as him and can’t find the angles to trouble him. He does, though, close to 40-30, only for Medvedev to eventually find his length in the next rally, opening space to pound a forehand down the line. He leads 6-1 1-0 with a break.
Medvedev serves out easily for a 6-1 set. Kecmanovic has some thinking to do.
Griggzy Dimitrov has bagelled Fábián Marozsán in the first set of their match; Shapovalov and Tiafoe are 2-2; Siniakova leads Paquet 3-2 with a break; Arnaldi, who’s a prospect, leads Muller 6-4 3-1; Potapova leads Golubic 6-2; Badosa leads Putintseva 5-2; Fernandez leads Wang 5-3; Auger-Aliassime leads Squire 3-2; Vekic leads Kostyuk 5-1; and Korda leads Kwon 6-4 3-4.
Medvedev, having consolidated, absolutely spanks a forehand down the line from way out of court – that seemed to gather pace as it travelled, not unlike the below free-kick. We wind up at deuce, and after Medvedev makes advantage, he chops a delicious drop for 5-1 and the double break!
Updated
I’ll never tire of calling Hubie “Hubie”, and he breaks Nakashima at the first time of asking in set two only to find himself down 0-40 in no time; as it has so many times, his serve gets him out of trouble. He makes deuce then rushes through advantage to trail 6-7 3-0.
Up 2-1, Medvedev gets 0-30 on the Kecmanovic serve, and though it’s soon 30-all, a big inside-out forehand into the corner raises break point. And a decent return of a big first serve entices the Serb to go for a shot that’s not really there, a backhand down the line, and it’s wide by a fair bit. Medvedev leads 3-1.
And Nakashima quickly secures the first set so, as in round one, the number eight seed must come from behind if he’s to win.
Hubie Hurkacz is in a spot of bother. Having held to force a breaker against Nakashima, he’s now 5-1 down in it.
Just for the record, I know I’m majoring on three matches in the men’s competition – that’s not deliberate or desired, it’s just the best we’ve got first up.
We’re away on Lenglen, and Calv Betton, our resident coach, messages with his expectations: “There won’t be many volleys, variation or winners and the rallies will be long. Could get tricky for Medvedev coz Kecmanovic won’t make loads of errors and that’s really Medvedev’s s only way of winning points if his serve doesn’t do it. But Kekmanovic is hard to read really. He can often be disinterested, but when he’s interested he’s hard as nails.”
Updated
Hmmm, our commentator just hoped we’d get through all our matches today; that’s not what the weather forecast proclaimed, but perhaps things have changed since earlier this morning. I hope so.
OK, it’s not raining; that’s a start. So I guess I’ll start off by watching Kecmanovic v Medvedev, Shapovalov v Tiafoe and Hurkacz v Nklashima.
Preamble
Salut tout le monde et bienvenue à Roland-Garros – jour cinq!
“Thanks” to the rain, there’s an absolutely indecent quantity of glorious tennis awaiting us today … except the likelihood is that we see almost none of it, because the likelihood also is that it’s going to rain almost all day once more.
For that reason I’m not entirely sure why, given the first hour of play might be dry, we’re not trying to finish matches which started yesterday, but by and large, we’re not. However, we do have the buzz of yesterday’s classic between Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka to sustain us, along with a full programme on our two covered courts.
So we’ll begin on Lenglen with Daniil Medvedev, still not loving clay, against Miomir Kecmanovic, good enough to give him trouble; and after that, we’re getting some Elena Rybakina, Alexander Zverev v David Goffin, and a bit of Madison Keys.
On Chatrier, meanwhile, Aryna Sbalenka opens up against the young Japanese, Moyuka Uchijima, after which Elina Svitolina takes on the dangerous Diane Parry and Novak Djokovic meets Roberto Carballes Baena. Or, in other words, it’s not what we came for … but it’s plenty.
Play: 11am local, 10am BST
