PARIS, (Reuters) – Defending champion Novak Djokovic and nine-time winner Rafa Nadal cruised through to the third round with comprehensive wins at the French Open yesterday.
Eight-time grand slam champion Andre Agassi, who teamed up with Djokovic ahead of the tournament, watched the Serb beat Portuguese Joao Sousa 6-1 6-4 6-3 in just over two hours on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Nadal extended his record at Roland Garros to 74-2 with a clinical 6-1 6-4 6-3 victory over Dutchman Robin Haase.
In the women’s draw, Garbine Muguruza beat Anett Kontaveit 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2 to move into the third round, while Kristina Mladenovic romped past Italy’s Sara Errani 6-2 6-3.
Sixth-seed Dominika Cibulkova was the day’s biggest casualty after Tunisian Ons Jabeur beat the Slovak 6-4 6-3. Jabeur became the first Arab woman to reach the third round of a grand slam singles tournament.
Earlier in the day, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova’s comeback was cut short with a second-round defeat to doubles world number one Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
The 15th seed, returning this week for the first time since she was stabbed in the hand by an intruder in December, littered the court with 25 unforced errors as she lost 7-6(5) 7-6(5).
Here are the highlights from day four of the French Open tennis championships yesterday (all times GMT):
1730 KUZNETOVA RECOVERS TO BEAT DODIN
Eight seed Svetlana Kuznetsova wobbles in the second-set but roars back in the third to defeat Oceane Dodin of France 7-6(5) 5-7 6-3.
– Kuznetsova will meet China’s Zhang Shuai in the third round.
1715 AGUT BATTLES PAST KUKUSHKIN
17th seed Roberto Bautista Agut recovered from a second-set blip to claim a 6-3 3-6 6-3 7-6(3) win over Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan.
1815 FRANCE’S POUILLE THROUGH TO THIRD ROUND
Lucas Pouille eased past Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 7-6(5) 6-1 6-2 on Courth Philippe Chatrier.
1745 JABEUR STUNS CIBULKOVA
Tunisian Ons Jabeur became the first Arab woman to reach the third round at a grand slam with an upset win over sixth seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-4 6-3.
1650 RAONIC BOOKS THIRD-ROUND SPOT
Fifth seed Milos Raonic recovered from a first-set blip to register a 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-4 win over Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva.
The 26-year-old Canadian hit 25 aces on his way to victory in a match that lasted two hours and 23 minutes.
1630 RAMOS VINOLAS ROMPS PAST BONZI
19th seed Albert Ramos Vinolas defeated Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi 6-2 6-1 6-1 in the second round on Court 2.
1550 MLADENOVIC ADVANCES WITH STRAIGHT-SETS WIN
Home favourite Kristina Mladenovic eased past Italian Sara Errani 6-2 6-3.
The 13th seed recorded an impressive tally of 31 winners to close out victory in an hour and 18 minutes.
1545 NADAL CRUISES INTO THIRD ROUND
Nine-times French Open champion Rafael Nadal registered a comfortable 6-1 6-4 6-3 victory over Dutchman Robin Haase.
The 30-year-old Spaniard will face Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia in the third round.
1445 WOZNIACKI SAVOURS DOUBLE BAGEL FOR LUNCH
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki thrashed Francoise Abanda 6-0 6-0 to book a third-round spot.
The 20-year-old Canadian qualifier’s cause was not helped by 30 unforced errors during the match that lasted only 52 minutes.
11th seed Wozniacki will next face American teenager Catherine Bellis, who defeated last year’s semi-finalist Kiki Bertens 6-3 7-6(5).
1410 DJOKOVIC STORMS PAST SOUSA
Second seed Novak Djokovic sails through with a 6-1 6-4 6-3 victory over Portuguese Joao Sousa.
World number two Djokovic will face Diego Schwartzman in the third round after the Argentine defeated Italian Stefano Napolitano in straight-sets earlier on Wednesday.
1405 DIMITROV INTO THIRD ROUND
11th seed Grigor Dimitrov picked up a comprehensive 6-3 6-4 7-5 win over Spaniard Tommy Robredo, a five-time Roland Garros quarter-finalist.
1330 DEFENDING CHAMPION MUGURUZA FIGHTS BACK TO BEAT KONTAVEIT
Fourth seed Garbine Muguruza came back from a set down to claim a 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2 victory over Anett Kontaveit of Estonia.
The 23-year-old Spaniard cut down her unforced errors to recover in the second set before hitting 10 winners in the third to cap a spectacular win.
1245 ROGERS THROUGH TO THIRD ROUND
2016 quarter-finalist Shelby Rogers reached the third round with a 7-6(6) 6-4 win over Turkey’s Cagla Buyukakcay.
1145 GOFFIN ADVANCES TO THIRD-ROUND
David Goffin advanced to the third round with 6-2 6-4 3-6 6-3 victory over Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine.
The 26-year-old Belgian suffered a blip in the third set before recovering with 11 winners in the fourth to claim the win in 2 hours and 33 minutes.
1135 SIXTH SEED THIEM EASES PAST ITALIAN BOLELLI
Austrian Dominic Thiem fires an ace down the line to seal his place in the third round with a 7-5 6-1 6-3 win over Italian Simone Bolelli.
The world number six was broken only once during the match that lasted for two hours and 22 minutes.
1120 MATTEK-SANDS ENDS KVITOVA’S COMEBACK RUN
American Bethanie Mattek-Sands stunned 15th seed Petra Kvitova in straight-sets 7-6 7-6 to set up a third-round clash with Australia number one Samantha Stosur.
Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion, was playing in her first competition this week after a five-month injury absence following a stabbing by a burglar last year.
1100 HOME FAVOURITE TSONGA BOWS OUT IN FIRST ROUND
Argentine Renzo Olivio held his overnight advantage to pull off a spectacular upset win over 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-5 6-4 6-7 (6) 6-4.
Olivio, a Roland Garros debutant, had failed to serve out the match on Tuesday after play was called off due to bad light.
1030 VENUS WILLIAMS BEATS JAPAN’S NARA
Seven-time grand slam winner Venus Williams cruised past Kurumi Nara with a 6-3 6-1 win to book a third round spot.
Williams, who was runner-up in 2002, made it past the second round for the first time in five years.
0910 PLAY BEGINS ON THE FOURTH DAY
Last year’s Roland Garros semi-finalist Dominic Thiem, five-times Wimbledon champion Venus Williams and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova start off the second round matches on day four. (Compiled by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Ed Osmond)
