PARIS
(AP) -- The Latest from the French Open (all times local):
---
5:15 p.m.
Play has been suspended on all courts at the French Open because
of rain.
Third-seeded Stan Wawrinka had just beaten Fabio Fognini on Court
Suzanne Lenglen when the rain began to fall.
Richard Gasquet was playing French compatriot Gael Monfils on
Court Philippe Chatrier and Kei Nishikori was taking on Hyeon Chung on Court 1.
John Isner of the United States had not yet started his
third-round match against Karen Khachanov.
---
5 p.m.
Former champion Stan Wawrinka is through to the fourth round of
the French Open with a 7-6 (2), 6-0, 6-2 win against Italian Fabio Fognini.
"It was a very tough first set and after that I really got
into it," said Wawrinka, the 2015 champion. "I started playing much
quicker."
The third-seeded Swiss next plays the winner of an all-French
match between No. 15 Gael Monfils and No. 24 Richard Gasquet.
Fognini briefly rallied in the third set for three break points
in the sixth game. But Wawrinka saved all three, including an athletic volley
at the net on the third one, to hold for a 4-2 lead.
The 28th-seeded Fognini, who comes with a reputation for having
a fiery temper, briefly grumbled at the chair umpire moments later.
Wawrinka broke him in the next game and then served out the
match. The three-time Grand Slam champion clinched victory on his third match
point when Fognini swiped a forehand return into the net.
---
4:15 p.m.
Former top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki is through to the fourth
round of the French Open after beating American teenager CiCi Bellis when their
match resumed.
The 11th-seeded Wozniacki won 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.
Play was suspended on Friday because of darkness with Bellis
leading 5-2 in the second set and serving to level the match. The 18-year-old
from California did so when play resumed Saturday and went a break up early in
the third set.
Wozniacki immediately broke back and also took the eighth game
to leave her serving for the match.
---
3:50 p.m.
Top-ranked Andy Murray beat Juan Martin del Potro in a match
much closer than the straight-set scoreline might indicate to reach the French
Open's fourth round.
Murray got past the 29th-seeded del Potro 7-6 (8), 7-5, 6-0 on
Saturday at Court Philippe Chatrier in a match that lasted nearly 3 hours. It
was a rematch of the 2016 Rio Olympics gold-medal final won by Murray.
Del Potro had four set points in the opening set Saturday but
lost each one, including when he double-faulted while ahead 7-6 in the
tiebreaker.
Murray is a three-time major champion and was the runner-up at
Roland Garros a year ago. He has made it to the fourth round for the eighth
time in 10 appearances at the clay-court tournament.
Del Potro was the 2009 U.S. Open champion. This was his first French
Open since 2012 because of a series of operations on his left wrist.
---
2:50 p.m.
Third-seeded Simona Halep eased into the fourth round of the
French Open with a 6-0, 7-5 win against Daria Kasatkina.
Halep wrapped up the first set in 27 minutes and broke her
Russian opponent's serve six times.
"It's nice to be in Paris in the fourth round," Halep
said on Court Suzanne Lenglen moments after her win.
She was asked to say a few words in French - and hesitated.
"I only say 'Merci beaucoup' (Thank you very much) but I
hope I can learn," Halep said. "I like it a lot, but it's tough to
talk."
The 25-year-old Romanian, runner-up here in 2014, was a doubt
for the tournament with an ankle injury.
"Well now it's pretty OK. I can run, I can slide
everywhere. I can move pretty well," Halep said. "I can say I'm
strong on court."
Halep, who has reached at least the quarterfinals at each of the
four majors, next plays Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro.
---
1:55 p.m.
There will be a Frenchwoman in the quarterfinals of the French
Open after Caroline Garcia beat Hsieh Su-wei to set up a fourth-round match
against compatriot Alize Cornet.
Garcia, who is seeded 28th, won 6-4, 4-6, 9-7. She sealed the
result on the first of two match points to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam
for the first time.
Both players had chances to serve for the match in an intriguing
third set.
Hsieh of Taiwan upset seventh-seeded Johanna Konta in the
opening round.
---
1:10 p.m.
Marin Cilic is through to the fourth round of the French Open
after swatting aside Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.
The seventh-seeded Croat dropped his opening service game, and
then won eight straight games to take complete control against Lopez.
The 35-year-old Lopez had beaten Cilic twice before on clay - his
only wins against him - but never looked in contention on Court Suzanne
Lenglen.
Cilic took the second set when he broke Lopez to love and served
out the match to win in 1 hour, 47 minutes.
"My return was working extremely well today," said
Cilic, who had eight aces.
The 2014 U.S. Open champion next faces either Britain's Kyle
Edmund or big-serving South African Kevin Anderson.
---
12:45 p.m.
Ninth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland is out of the French
Open after losing to Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 6-2, 6-1 in the third round.
Radwanska had won seven of their eight previous matches,
including the only one on clay - at the French Open nine years ago - but was
never in contention this time.
Cornet's only moment of trouble came from a difficult bounce of
the ball as it flew under her racket at 30-15 in the final game.
She won the next point to set up a match point, but wasted it
when her drop shot sank into the net.
Cornet punched the air with delight after sealing victory on her
next chance with a clipped backhand at the net.
"You work all year for moments like this," said
Cornet, who was tearful in her interview on court. "I couldn't dream of a better
scenario. I feel so good on this center court."
Cornet plays either countrywoman Caroline Garcia - seeded 28th -
or Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan in the fourth round.
Cornet has never been further than that in Grand Slam
tournaments.
---
11 a.m.
Top-ranked Andy Murray takes on familiar rival Juan Martin del
Potro in remaining third-round play at the French Open on Saturday.
They each had a significant win last year with Murray taking
gold at the Rio Olympics final and Del Potro edging a five-set thriller when
Argentina beat Britain in the Davis Cup semifinals.
Murray leads the 29th-seeded Del Potro 6-3 in head-to-head
matches, but this is their first meeting in a major since Murray's win at the
U.S. Open quarterfinals in 2008.
Following them onto Court Philippe Chatrier will be No. 15 Gael
Monfils and No. 24 Richard Gasquet. The Frenchmen meet for the 14th time with
Monfils 7-6 up.
Over on Court Suzanne Lenglen, 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka takes
on Italian Fabio Fognini, who is seeded 28th.
Second-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova and No. 3 Simona Halep of
Romania headline women's play.
Pliskova faces Germany's Carina Witthoeft and Halep plays No. 26
Daria Kasatkina of Russia.
No comments:
Post a Comment