Top Seeds into semis

We nearly saw the exit of the top seeds in both the women's and men's draws on Day 12 at Roland Garros,  one for less than normal quality tennis, the other for loss of temper.

Serena Williams, in her quarter final, had the basic task of eliminating Kazakhstan's favourite adopted Russian Yulia Putintseva, ranked outside the world's top 50.  However, Yulia wasn't playing Serena's victim in the first set.  She broke the defending champion's serve in the third game to lead 2-1 and although Williams levelled at 3-3, the eleventh game sent shockwaves through the stadium.  From 40-0, Serena's backhand fell apart, while Yulia's was set alight.  The break came and was consolidated with a service hold and the set 7-5.

If Williams didn't feel pressure at that moment, she must have after the next game when she dropped serve yet again.

The tables were turned as they usually are when Serena is in trouble, and she broke back immediately, proceeding to take the match 5-7 6-4 6-1, and book a semi final place against Kiki Bertens.

Yes it's true - for the first time in forty five years, a Dutch woman has made the RG semi finals.  Kiki destroyed the hopes of yet another seed, this one number eight Timea Bacsinszky from Switzerland.  It was quick and painless - well Kiki didn't feel Timea's pain anyway.  7-5 6-2 was enough to guarantee a match against the world number one.

Before Serena and Yulia crossed swords, Novak Djokovic had beaten Tomas Berdych for the 24th time from 26 attempts, the last eleven in succession.  Tomas began fairly well, but was caught inevitably in the trap which Novak weaves so well.  Leading 6-3 7-5 and in no trouble in Set 3, Novak lost a break point chance, but instead of taking it in his stride as is his norm, he lost his cool and threw his racquet down, whereupon it bounced backwards, barely missing a line judge. 

The risk of disqualification was avoided by a matter of millimetres. Lucky boy !

The win was comprehensive, 6-3 7-5 6-3, and Novak will play in his umpteenth semi final at Grand Slam level against GS semi final debutant from Austria, Dominic Thiem, who thumped David Goffin after giving the Belgian a one set start.

Day 13 will be lucky for some as the four singles semis are played - Muguruza should beat Stosur, S Williams will finish the fantastic Bertens run, and I predict a men's final featuring the same combatants as last year, after Wawrinka rids Paris of Murray and Djokovic bids farewell to Thiem.

Andy, Stan, Garbine, Sam win 1/4 finals

Day 11 of the French Open provided one major shock and three surprise results.

The shock was a schedule completed without interruption (the final Girls Doubles match on Court 18 was only stopped due to bad light at 3-3 in the second set)

The surprise result in the men's draw was Tomas  Berdych defeating David Ferrer in a fourth round encounter.  The seedings suggested this was an expected win for 7th seeded Tomas, but 11th seeded David is the better performed on this surface and at this Major, having made the final in 2014.

Berdych handled the conditions remarkably well and sent the Spanish terrier packing 6-3 7-5 6-3.

The male version of the 2016 Spanish Inquisition was dismantled further with the defeat of 14th seed Roberto Bautista Agut by top seed Novak Djokovic.  The fourth round clash had included before today the mysterious loss of the opening set by Djokovic.  Police are still investigating the missing set, and have not ruled out suspicious circumstances.  Meanwhile Novak was advised to go about his normal business, which he did, ensuring that the remaining three sets were securely in his possession, and he could happily take his rightful place in the quarter final against Berdych.

Dominic Thiem resumed his fourth round battle with Marcel Granollers at one set all, and cruised to a four set win.  The Austrian is favoured to continue his cruise to a luxury resort where a semi final will be held.  Before he reaches that spot, he will need to survive the sea storm served up by Belgian 12th seed David Goffin who also gave his opponent a first set start before triumphing in four over Latvian Ernests Gulbis.

The women's draw saw its remaining fourth round matches completed, and Serena Williams was quickest of the four to make the quarter finals, obliterating the chances of 18th seed Elina Svitolina from the Ukraine 6-1 6-1.

Spain lost another player in a result no one saw coming.  12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro left the tournament in straight sets courtesy of Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva, who will find her quarter final opposition slightly more difficult.  It is Serena.

Kiki Bertens is the fourth unseeded player to feature in the women's quarter finals at Roland Garros 2016.  Not content with the upset of Angie Kerber in round one, the Netherlands player has looked the goods throughout, and 15th seed Madison Keys had no answer in their fourth round match.  7-6 6-3 for Kiki, and the quarter final against Timea Bacsinszky should be exciting.

Swiss 8th seed Timea made the semis last year and she is on track to do likewise this year.  Venus Williams, playing some of her best tennis in the past week or so, was thrashed 6-2 6-4 by Bacsinszky, and I believe the semi final will be Bacsinszky v the other Williams sister.

The first of the quarter finals were also played and Spain finally had a victory, with Garbine Muguruza putting an end to the fairy tale run of American Shelby Rogers in a routine straights sets dismissal.  

The fourth seed will face 21st seed Sam Stosur in the semi final, following the Australian's 6-4 7-6 win over Tsvetana Pironkova.  This wasn't as straightforward as the score may indicate, with Stosur needing to come from a service break down in each of the sets. 

Although Sam won the only previous match her and Muguruza have played, it was a while ago, and in that time Garbine has jumped into the world's top five, deserves favouritism for the semi final, and to reach her second Grand Slam tournament final.

The first semi final in the men's draw will, as has always been predicted, be a battle between the second and third seeds, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka.  Stan won his quarter final against Albert Ramos-Vinolas, smashing another Spanish player 6-2 6-1 before Albert fought out a much better third set, only to lose in a tie breaker.

Andy played the last French player standing in singles, Richard Gasquet, and raced to 5-2 in the first set before surrendering the final five games and the set.  Murray was again leading 5-2 in the second set, but once more let Gasquet back in so games were on serve.  Andy almost went down another break, but instead steadied and a tie break was ultimately required.  Gasquet had the early advantage in the tie break, but once Murray levelled he raced away, won the tie break and the second set, and then the third set incredibly 6-0.  

Gasquet was spent mentally as much as physically and Murray won 5-7 7-6 6-0 6-2.

Day 12 will see the rest of the quarter finals played, with Thiem v Goffin possibly the more intriguing from the men's draw.  Unknown quantities this far into a major.

And the big question in the women's draw: Is the Sam Stosur revival enough to overcome the power game of Garbine Muguruza ?

Sam Stosur resurgent

Day 10 at Roland Garros 2016 was less miserable than Day 9 in that there was some tennis played.

For Simona Halep and Aga Radwanska, however, it was as miserable as it could possibly be.  The two players, seeded 6 and 2 respectively, had waited since Sunday with leads in matches against their fourth round opponents,  but both saw those advantages washed away.

Aga led unseeded but highly capable Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova 6-2 3-0, but proceeded to lose ten consecutive games, and was dumped from the tournament 2-6 6-3 6-3.  I had tipped Aga to reach the final so another selection bit the dust, or more correctly the red mud.

Simona resumed her battle with Sam Stosur ahead 5-3 in Set One, but was taken apart by a resurgent Queenslander, who simply adapted to the heavy conditions magnificently, while Halep wanted to be elsewhere.  Stosur broke back immediately and the Romanian to her credit fought hard to avoid a second straight break, forcing a tie break.  Simona need not have bothered as she failed to win another point, and Sam was a set up 7-6.

Set two was dominated by Stosur, and the 6-3 scoreline could even be described as a little flattering to Halep.

The first quarter final in a major for four years for Sam, and without any warning she has the form and belief to do further damage, as she did when a finalist in 2010.

The horrible conditions provided the setting for poor performances by top seeds, Novak Djokovic another to struggle, dropping the opening set to Roberto Bautista Agut.  He fought hard to level at a set apiece and then to lead 4-1 in the third before rain stopped play for the day.

Other matches yet to be completed at the end of Day 10 included Thiem v Granollers, currently at a set each, Ferrer leading Berdych 2-1, on serve, in Set One, and Gulbis leading Goffin 3-0 with a break in the opening set.

Several matches hadn't even started and more rain is forecast - there is little chance of the tournament finishing on the final scheduled Sunday.

Rain prevails in straight sets

With a strategy of constant attack, precipitation was successful in controlling all activity on all courts on Day 9 at Roland Garros, and ultimately registering a memorable, if not universally popular victory

Shelby Rogers rocking Paris

Rain prevented two matches from being completed on Day 8 of Roland Garros 2016.  However, in the six singles matches that were decided, two players managed to take their places in quarter finals to the great surprise of everyone except maybe their most loyal followers.

Milos Raonic had been cruising through all his three matches, without dropping a set, or even being threatened at any point.  However his ship ran aground and was destroyed thanks to Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas.  The score was 6-2 6-4 6-4 and Stan Wawrinka would have been shocked to discover that his quarter final opponent was not going to be Raonic after all.  Still, Ramos-Vinolas won't be taken lightly, no matter how well the defending champion played during his victory over Serbia's Viktor Troicki in four sets.

Shelby Rogers, the American ranked outside the top 100, and responsible for the defeats of Czech seeds Kvitova and Pliskova, claimed another big win to advance to the quarter finals.  The victim this time was 25th Romanian seed Irina-Camelia Begu in straight sets.

Next up for Rogers is fourth seed Garbine Muguruza, whose.immaculate serving exhibition gave Svetlana Kuznetsova no chance.  This is the third year in succession that the Spanish player has made it this far in the RG draw, and her hopes of advancing much further are very real.  Only Serena has displayed any better form this tournament.

Andy Murray is looking increasingly dangerous, as evidenced by his dismantling of big serving American John Isner without concession of a set.  However it won't be Kei Nishikori that the second seed needs to overcome in order to reach the semi finals.

The Japanese fifth seed was outclassed by the last French player left in either mens or women's singles, Richard Gasquet.  The ninth seed had never ventured past the fourth round in over a decade of attempts, so this was a special win.  His tennis has been impeccable, as this and the Kyrgios thrashing prove.  Murray deserves to start favourite but Gasquet has a fair chance of causing an upset.

Simona Halep leads Sam Stosur 5-3 when that match resumes, and she appears to have a couple of extra weapons which will probably prevent the Australian from prevailing.

Aga Radwanska is ahead 6-2 3-0 in her fourth round match with Tsvetana Pironkova and there is only one way that will finish.  Aga will be waiting for the winner of Halep v Stosur.

On Day 9, providing the rain stays mainly on the plain in Spain, and leaves Paris alone, we will be privileged to see Djokovic v Bautista Agut, Ferrer v Berdych, Serena v Svitolina, and Venus v Bacsinsky, and other fun matches to complete the round of sixteen and set the scene for quarter final frenzy.

French Players have bad day

There had been too much tennis played without interruption by the weather, and so Paris decided that Saturday should be donated a significant dose of rain and a decent thunder and lightning show to emphasise the point.

The nuisance value was more pronounced as Day 7 matches were already in progress on all courts prepared for play.

The most interest was in the second match on Court Philippe Chatrier between Serena the Great and French improver Kristina Mladenovic, the 26th seed.  Serena had won a hard fought first set 6-4, and the second set was high class tennis with both players backing themselves with full blooded hitting during the thrilling rallies, and no holds barred serving, never concerned with the double fault possibility.

A tie break was the appropriate result, but the downpour delayed its start by a couple of hours.

When the sky coordinators grew tired of precipitating over the French capital, and the racquets were again put to a useful purpose, the crowd was treated to a tie break worthy of a set itself, with match points saved by an attacking Mladenovic, and set points wiped out by a desperate Williams.  Winners were deciding the majority of points.  Serena won 10-8 and the match 6-4 7-6, but this was a close match because the French player brought the best out of the top seed, not because Serena was out of sorts.

Match one on Court Philippe Chatrier, proved yet again that Swiss eighth seed Timea Bacsinszky is in the form that propelled her into last year's RG semis, as she eliminated another French player, Pauline Parmentier, from the draw for the cost of just half a dozen games.

Madison Keys, Carla Suarez Navarro, Venus Williams, Kiki Bertens, Yulia Putintseva, and Elina Svitolina all progressed to the round of sixteen to join Serena and Timea.  Venus defeated Alize Cornet, the third loss for a French female singles player from the three playing on the day.

Former RG champion Ana Ivanovic lost to Svitolina, leaving just Serena Williams and Sveta Kuznetsova as former French Open champions left in the draw.  Two other major winners, Venus Williams and Sam Stosur also remain.

Novak Djokovic played his best tennis for the tournament in winning his third round encounter with Brit Aljaz Bedene in three sets.  This followed another French disaster with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga leading Latvian Ernests Gulbis 5-2 in the opening set before being forced to retire through injury.

Dominic Thiem honed his already sharp skills in his victory over Alexander Zverev.  The young German big server won the first set in a tie break but couldn't match the Austrian who won the next three, 6-3 in each.  Without Nadal, this section of the draw is probably now inviting either Thiem or David Goffin to the semi finals.

Goffin had his mettle tested by Spanish clay courter Nicolas Almagro, requiring a fifth set win from the 12th seed.  However, he will be better for that match.

As will David Ferrer after a convincing straight sets win over Feliciano Lopez.  Ferrer is now facing a round of sixteen clash with seventh seed Tomas Berdych.  The Czech player stumbled at first, going a set down, before winning the final three sets against Pablo Cuevas from Uruguay.

Despite a straight sets win over Borna Coric, Roberto Bautista Agut will have his joy tempered with the knowledge that his round of sixteen opponent is Novak Djokovic.

Sunday, Day 8, sees the first of the fourth round matches, and the picks of the bunch are Nishikori v Gasquet and Muguruza v Kuznetsova.

Rafa's injured wrist dominates Day 6

The sixth day of main draw tennis in Paris will forever be remembered not first for any of the on court exchanges, but for the sobering press conference held by 9 times Roland Garros champion Rafa Nadal informing the world of his withdrawal from this year's event.  A wrist injury has robbed an already Federer-less tournament of its biggest name (and that includes even the world's best player, Novak Djokovic).

The hope is that Wimbledon will not also miss the presence of the Spanish number one.

The French Open still continues, however, and the immediate beneficiary of Nadal's misfortune is fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers, who only needed two sets and a game before Mahut retired from their second round match.  Now he has a walkover from Rafa to advance to the round of sixteen.  Rested he will certainly be before he plays the winner of Thiem and Zverev.

Action in third round matches confirmed that Stan Wawrinka was well and truly over his round one wobbles, putting French player Jeremy Chardy to the sword in a straight sets performance enhancing his credentials for a successful title defence.  Probable semi final opponent Andy Murray found his best form of the week too, with a ruthless display against Ivo Karlovic, taking the first five games of the match before the Croatian had time to blink. 

Fifth seed Kei Nishikori was set to record his third consecutive straight sets win after securing the opening two sets against Fernando Verdasco, but it's always been dangerous to count the Spanish players out on a clay court.  With Verdasco, you can never discount him anytime.  Nishikori was forced to a fifth set, and may have let this match slip in years past.  He is a more complete player now, though, and his mental strength assisted him in winning an engrossing battle 6-3 6-4 3-6 2-6 6-4.

Two Americans were also taken to five sets, with mixed results.  15th seed John Isner,  down two sets to one against Gabashvili, stuck at his task and prevailed, taking the final two sets 6-4 6-2.

His compatriot and 23rd seed Jack Sock, wasn't as lucky, losing out to Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

The hype over Gasquet v Kyrgios was not met with the match for which we hoped.  Gasquet was excellent and just made too few mistakes.  He frustrated the Australian, who couldn't punch through the French player's defences.  After easily winning the first set 6-2, Gasquet only gave Kyrgios one chance and that was in the second set tie breaker.  Once that opportunity had passed Nick was resigned to his fate - a straight sets loss to the 9th seed who must fancy his chances against Nishikori in the fourth round.

Elation for the locals was tempered with 16th seed Gilles Simon bowing out in three sets to 22nd seed Serb Viktor Troicki, while Milos Raonic won easily for a third match in succession, his victim on this occasion Andrej Martin.

Of the eight third round matches played in the women's draw, five were taken to three sets, and we lost three players from the Czech Republic.

Fourth seed Garbine Muguruza from Spain, is in ominous form, and wasted little of her Paris social time in overwhelming Yanina Wickmayer 6-3 6-0.

In an all Russian tussle, loud grunter Sveta Kuznetsova kept her dream of a second Roland Garros title alive by tossing aside Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets, and relieving the commentators of significant player pronunciation pressure.

More American mixed emotions - 19th seed Sloane Stephens upset at being upset in two sets by Tsvetana Pironkova from Bulgaria.  Shelby Rogers, however, as high as the Eiffel Tower after smashing 10th seed Petra Kvitova 6-0 twice.  Petra won a tie break in between those first and third set embarrassments, but her marching orders were unaffected.

The Czech Republic, Fed Cup champs as a team, was just having a bad day as individuals, and Lucie Safarova, last year's runner-up to Serena, was ousted by Sam Stosur in three sets.  For once it was the consistency of Stosur's serve which served her well in a victory which puts her into a fourth round clash with Simona Halep.

Halep was in early trouble, losing the first set to Osaka, before she became serious about things and ran all over the top of the ultimately outclassed Japanese player.

Irina-Camelia Begu went missing in the second set, allowing Germany's Annika Beck to level the match, before the Romanian stormed home to book a fourth round clash with Shelby Rogers.  The winner of that will be a surprise quarter finalist - if it is the 25th seed Begu, then one of my tips will have come home.

The third Czech player to leave the tournament was Barbora Strycova, but not before the 30th seed stretched 2nd seed Aga Radwanska to an unwanted third set.  Aga is playing the level of tennis which should take her to a quarter final and possibly beyond.  She plays unseeded Pironkova next.

Day 7 highlights should come from Dominic Thiem v Alexander Zverev and Carla Suarez Navarro v Dominika Cibulkova

Djokovic, Serena, Tsonga, Bacsinszky, Ferrer, and Keys are others to watch on the first Saturday of this year's Roland Garros.