Roland Garros - Day 7 men’s 3rd round

Day 7 of Roland Garros 2019 and men’s singles third round matches concluded.

Men’s Singles

Third round 

Stefanos Tsitsipas (6) defeated Filip Krajinovic 7-5 6-3 6-7(5) 7-6(6)

Novak Djokovic (1) defeated Salvatore Caruso 6-3 6-3 6-2

Gaël Monfils (14) defeated Antoine Hoang 6-3 6-2 6-3

Fabio Fognini (9) defeated Roberto Bautista Agut (18) 7-6(5) 6-4 4-6 6-1

Dominic Thiem (4) defeated Pablo Cuevas 6-3 4-6 6-2 7-5

Alexander Zverev (5) defeated Dusan Lajovic (30) 6-4 6-2 4-6 1-6 6-2

Juan Martin del Potro (8) defeated Jordan Thompson 6-4 6-4 6-0

Stan Wawrinka (24) defeated Grigor Dimitrov 7-6(5) 7-6(4) 7-6(8)

Karen Khachanov (10) defeated Martín Klizan 6-1 6-4 6-3

Jan-Lennard Struff defeated Borna Coric (13) 4-6 6-1 4-6 7-6(1) 11-9

Round of sixteen match ups 

Novak Djokovic (1) v Jan-Lennard Struff 

Fabio Fognini (9) v Alexander Zverev (5)

Dominic Thiem (4) v Gaël Monfils (14)

Karen Khachanov (10) v Juan Martin del Potro (8)

Stefanos Tsitsipas (6) v Stan Wawrinka (24)

Leonardo Mayer v Roger Federer (3)

Kei Nishikori (7) v Benoit Paire 

Juan Ignacio Londero v Rafa Nadal (2)

Roland Garros - Day 7 - Djokovic with ease

Day 7 of Roland Garros 2019 and Salvatore Caruso had the battle of his life in a third round contest with the winner of the past three majors - top seed Novak Djokovic from Serbia.

The pair had never played each other previously, and Djokovic served first. 

After three games the world #1 led 2-1 on serve, Caruso needing to save a break point in his opening effort from the line. Djokovic broke through in the fourth game, converting with the second of two break points, and subsequently consolidating, although he himself had to negotiate a pair of break points.

At 4-2, and 30-15, the backhand of Djokovic let him down, and when a forehand drifted long he faced break point. It was saved thanks to a quality first serve. An Italian winning forehand set up break chance #2, but another big first serve saved the day for Djokovic who held on for 5-2.

The first set was served out 6-3 in favour of the top seed.

Caruso avoided a break of serve in the opening game of set two, and games were 2-2 with Caruso presenting a far more competitive contest than expected.

Nevertheless, Djokovic was able to do his work, forcing errors from the Italian racquet in game five. Two break points arrived, and an unforced forehand mistake from Caruso gifted the game and a 3-2 advantage to Djokovic.

Serving at 3-5, Caruso won the opening point but it was all Djokovic after that, and he won the game with a final backhand volley, grabbing the set 6-3. 

In the third set, Djokovic struggled in the opening game, saving a break point before holding serve. He didn’t drop another point on serve for the match, while constantly threatening the serve of Caruso. From 2-2 it was a clinic for the world’s best and he strolled into the round of sixteen.

Novak Djokovic won 6-3 6-3 6-2.

Roland Garros - Day 6 results

Day 6 of Roland Garros 2019 and third round matches in the singles commenced. A few second round matches concluded.

Men’s Singles

Second round

Martín Klizan defeated Lucas Pouille (22) 7-6(2) 2-6 6-3 3-6 9-7

Third round 

Rafa Nadal (2) defeated David Goffin (27) 6-1 6-3 4-6 6-3

Roger Federer (3) defeated Casper Ruud 6-3 6-1 7-6(8)

Benoit Paire defeated Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2 4-6 7-6(1) (retired)

Leonardo Mayer defeated wildcard Nicolas Mahut 3-6 7-6(3) 6-4 7-6(3)

Kei Nishikori (7) defeated Laslo Djere (31) 6-4 6-7(6) 6-3 4-6 8-6

Juan Ignacio Londero defeated wildcard Corentin Moutet 2-6 6-3 6-4 5-7 6-4

Women’s Singles 

Second round 

Madison Keys (14) defeated wildcard Priscilla Hon 7-5 5-7 6-3

Lesia Tsurenko (27) defeated Aleksandra Krunic 5-7 7-5 11-9

Third round 

Petra Martic (31) defeated Karolina Pliskova (2) 6-3 6-3

Garbiñe Muguruza (19) defeated Elina Svitolina (9) 6-3 6-3

Anastasija Sevastova (12) defeated Elise Mertens (20) 6-7(3) 6-4 11-9

Sloane Stephens (7) defeated Polona Hercog 6-3 5-7 6-4

Marketa Vondrousova defeated Carla Suárez Navarro (28) 6-4 6-4

Johanna Konta (26) defeated Viktoria Kuzmova 6-2 6-1

Donna Vekic (23) defeated Belinda Bencic (15) 6-4 6-1

Kaia Kanepi defeated Veronika Kudermetova 4-6 6-3 6-0

Roland Garros - Day 6 - Muguruza into last 16

Day 6 of Roland Garros 2019 saw a third round contest between 2015 champion Garbiñe Muguruza (19) and Elina Svitolina (9) on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Svitolina had a 5-3 head to head record, including wins in the last three contests, the most recent Dubai in February this year.

Svitolina served first and was broken on the second chance by Muguruza, who indicated early her policy of moving forward whenever possible. The Spaniard was unable to consolidate the break, Svitolina also converting the second of two break points. 

Muguruza pushed and pulled Svitolina all around the court, hitting winners and forcing errors, ultimately breaking serve to lead 2-1. Once more Svitolina levelled, Muguruza saving one break point, but wasting a couple of game points before surrendering on a second break point.

Seven games were decided this way, and Muguruza went to the line for her fourth try at holding on to serve. After a Svitolina forehand winner, Muguruza contributed a backhand winner, Svitolina another winning forehand for 15-30. Muguruza forced an error with powerful ground strokes, then a service winner and another first serve down the T which was returned out of court, resulted in the first service hold and a Spanish 5-3 lead,

Muguruza raced to 40-0 and three set points. The second was used and she led 6-3.

Svitolina struggler, but managed to hold on in game four of set two, then broke the Spanish serve the very next game, on the third of three break chances.

However, that was the last Ukrainian joy, as Spain ran out the final four games.

Garbiñe Muguruza won 6-3 6-3 and booked a place in the round of sixteen.

Roland Garros - Day 6 - Nadal drops a set !

Day 6 of Roland Garros 2019 and David Goffin (27) was next on the menu for Rafa Nadal to munch on as he strolled through the early rounds of the clay court major he had made his own.

Four times the pair had played each other, and Goffin had won once, but it was indoors on a hard court in the 2017 ATP Finals. The other times were on clay, including last year in Barcelona, and Nadal naturally triumphed on that surface.

Goffin had looked impressive in the first two rounds, but Nadal opened things with a love game on serve, and immediately had three break points on the Belgian serve. He used the second of those to break and lead 2-0. For set one, the frugal Spaniard won 16 of the seventeen points available on his delivery at the line, making it impossible for Goffin to intrude in any way whatsoever on the Nadal serve. Further, Goffin wasted two game points in the fourth game, eventually dropping that game and falling behind 0-4.

Serving at 0-5 to remain alive in the set, Goffin availed himself of some Spanish charity to register a score on the board, but Nadal quickly put that temporary happiness to rest and won the set 6-1.

Set two was much the same for Nadal, except he allowed Goffin some leeway. Truth be told, the second seed was probably needing some match play, and this was how Goffin won more points than in set one.

Just to ensure his total control, Nadal broke serve in the opening game, maintained that key advantage through to a 5-3 lead, and when Goffin attempted to reach 4-5, cut the Belgian down and broke to lead 6-1 6-3.

For eight games of set three, the only break points which surfaced were those in the second game, and Goffin saved all of them.

Deuce wasn’t even visited for the rest of the set.

However, Nadal’s focus must have left Paris to take care of personal business, because his service was broken in the ninth game. Goffin proceeded to win the set 6-4 in the absence of Nadal’s concentration.

The historic loss of a set by Nadal will be discussed and documented for decades in various tennis journals, with nothing useful generated, but the real effect felt on court was the demise of Goffin. The foolishness of daring to keep Nadal on court for longer than three sets was given a 6-3 response.

Rafa Nadal won his way into the round of sixteen 6-1 6-3 4-6 6-3

Roland Garros - Day 5 results

Day 5 of Roland Garros 2019 and second round matches in the singles continued.

Men’s Singles

Dominic Thiem (4) defeated Alexander Bublik 6-3 6-7(6) 6-3 7-5

Novak Djokovic (1) defeated lucky loser Henri Laaksonen 6-1 6-4 6-3

Gaël Monfils (14) defeated Adrian Mannarino 6-3 6-4 6-4

Alexander Zverev (5) defeated qualifier Mikael Ymer 6-1 6-3 7-6(3)

Juan Martin del Potro (8) defeated Yoshihito Nishioka 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7(5) 6-2

Wildcard Antoine Hoang defeated Fernando Verdasco (23) 6-4 3-6 7-6(5) 7-5

Fabio Fognini (9) defeated Federico Delbonis 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-3

Qualifier Salvatore Caruso defeated Gilles Simon (26) 6-1 6-2 6-4

Karen Khachanov (10) defeated wildcard Gregoire Barrere 6-3 7-6(6) 0-6 7-5

Dusan Lajovic (30) defeated qualifier Elliot Benchetrit 6-3 6-3 6-4

Borna Coric (13) defeated Lloyd Harris 6-2 6-3 7-6(2)

Pablo Cuevas defeated Kyle Edmund (28) 7-6(3) 6-3 2-1 (retired)

Leonardo Mayer defeated Diego Schwartzman (17) 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-5

Roberto Bautista Agut (18) defeated Taylor Fritz 6-2 6-3 6-2

Jan-Lennard Struff defeated Radu Albot 7-6(2) 7-6(3) 6-7(4) 6-2

Jordan Thompson defeated Ivo Karlovic 6-3 6-4 6-7(2) 6-3

Women’s Singles 

Belinda Bencic (15) defeated Laura Siegemund 4-6 6-4 6-4

Serena Williams (10) defeated qualifier Kurumi Nara 6-3 6-2

Qualifier Anna Blinkova defeated Caroline Garcia (24) 1-6 6-4 6-4

Naomi Osaka (1) defeated Victoria Azarenka 4-6 7-5 6-3

Simona Halep (3) defeated Magda Linette 6-4 5-7 6-3

Ekaterina Alexandrova defeated Samantha Stosur 3-6 6-1 6-4

Amanda Anisimova defeated Aryna Sabalenka (11) 6-4 6-2

Ashleigh Barty (8) defeated Danielle Collins 7-5 6-1

Iga Swiatek defeated Wang Qiang (16) 6-3 6-0

Andrea Petkovic defeated Hsieh Su-Wei (25) 4-6 6-3 8-6

Katerina Siniakova defeated Maria Sakkari (29) 7-6(5) 6-7(8) 6-3

Monica Puig defeated Daria Kasatkina (21) 6-3 6-1

Qualifier Aliona Bolsova defeated Sorana Cîrstea 7-6(5) 7-6(3)

Irina-Camelia Begu defeated Karolina Muchova 1-6 6-3 6-4

Sofia Kenin was handed a walkover by Bianca Andreescu (22)

Roland Garros - Day 5 - Osaka from behind again

Day 5 of Roland Garros 2019 and Naomi Osaka (1) faced unseeded but fellow dual Grand Slam title holder Vika Azarenka on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.

Head to head the players were 1-1 before this match, Osaka the most recent winner, in Rome last year.

Osaka served first here and after hitting a forehand winner to open proceedings, was broken.

Azarenka then consolidated the break before assaulting the Japanese serve again, the backhand on fire. A drop shot sealed a second break and a 3-0:lead.

No more service breaks for awhile and Azarenka served at 5-2 for the set. A double fault and an Osaka winner saw Azarenka down 15-30. Break point arrived when Azarenka pushed a forehand wide. Osaka retrieved one of the breaks and trailed 3-5.

At 5-4, Azarenka tried for a second time to serve out the set. Three set points were produced, and two were saved. The third was converted once Osaka mishit a forehand return. 6-4 Azarenka.

Osaka save two break points in the opening game of set two and Azarenka levelled at 1-1 after saving a break point herself.

The Belarusian survived a 14 point fourth game, where she was down 0-40. The three break points were saved by an Azarenka forehand down the line winner, an Osaka return error, and an Osaka netted forehand.

After wasting chances to achieve a break, Osaka dropped her own serve to trail 2-3, and Azarenka had the chance to take a double break when ahead in the seventh game.

Osaka stood firm, and lifted the standard of her tennis. In the longest game of the match, Azarenka served to take a 5-3 lead. She saved a break point with a service winner, but couldn’t convert game points. A second break point was saved thanks to a big serve. The third break chance was converted when Azarenka double faulted. Osaka was back in the match. 4-4.

At 5-6, Azarenka saved set point on three separate occasions, but on the fourth chance, Osaka hit a backhand winner and won the set 7-5.

Osaka saved three break points in the first game of set three but thereafter was dominant. The Azarenka serve was broken twice and Osaka led 5-1 with serve to come. Although she failed to do the job, the world #1 dispensed with Azarenka on her second attempt at serving it out.

Escaping again from the claws of defeat, Naomi Osaka won 4-6 7-5 6-3.