A round-up of the men’s and women’s singles action on Day 7 of the 2017 French Open in Paris.
MEN
Murray shows flashes of form to topple Del Potro
Top seed Andy Murray eased into the last-16 with a 7-6(8) 7-5 6-0 win over a flagging Juan Martin Del Potro. Murray did enough to keep his nose in front throughout, while the Argentine was unable to reprise the heroics that saw the pair produce such magic in last year’s Rio Olympics gold medal match. Del Potro, whose career has been blighted by a recurring wrist injury, needed a good start against the world No 1, but when he lost a tight first set tiebreak, the stage was set. The pair traded blows in the second set with Murray creeping ahead. But a monumental effort by Del Potro saw him break back for 5-5, only to instantly drop serve again as Murray yanked him around the court with tight angles, drop shots and lobs. This time the Scot would make no mistake and crunched it out with his fourth ace of the match.
Del Potro’s spirit was broken, and the vocal Paris crowd were quelled. With some exquisite returning and acutely angled groundstrokes, Murray raced through the final set to set up a fourth-round clash with either American 21st seed John Isner or Russian Karen Khachanov.
Cilic brushes Lopez aside
Seventh seed Marin Cilic established himself as a contender for the French Open title after sweeping past Feliciano Lopez 6-1 6-3 6-3 to reach the last 16 without dropping a set. The 2014 US Open winner, who warmed up for the year’s second grand slam by capturing his first clay court title in five years in Istanbul last month, delivered a near-perfect performance to equal his best-ever showing in Paris. He whipped 31 winners past the Spaniard, who at 35 was the oldest player left in the draw. “My return was working extremely well. I am very pleased with that,” said Cilic, who reached 100 ATP Tour-level victories on clay. “The heavier conditions favoured me a bit ... because he has a huge serve.” Left-hander Lopez, who twice needed treatment for a sore neck, was broken seven times as Cilic attacked his serve at every opportunity and kept the Spaniard pinned to the baseline. The 28-year-old Croatian notched his first win on clay over his opponent when he fired his eighth ace past him to set up a round of 16 clash with either Britain’s Kyle Edmund or Kevin Anderson of South Africa. “To finish matches as quickly as possible is never easy. I am extremely satisfied, especially with how I have been playing the last couple of months,” Cilic said. “This week I played great and I hope to continue.”
Verdasco in fine form to thrash Cuevas
An expected slugfest between two veteran claycourters turned into a stroll in the park for Fernando Verdasco after the Spaniard demolished 22nd seed Pablo Cuevas 6-2 6-1 6-3 to reach fourth round. Uruguayan Cuevas, whose six career titles have all come on clay, was no match for world No 37 Verdasco and his baseline power play. Left-hander Verdasco, who has now reached the last 16 in Paris six times, won an eye-popping 100 per cent of all points from his first serve in the second set as his 31-year-old opponent failed to make an impact. The Spaniard, who beat ninth-seed Alexander Zverev in the first round, has now claimed victory over two seeds in a grand slam for the first time since 2010. Verdasco, 33, will next face either Japanese eighth seed Kei Nishikori or Chung Hyeon of South Korea.
Anderson outlasts Edmund
South Africa’s Kevin Anderson matched his best run at Roland Garros by reaching the last 16 with a five-set win over Britain’s Kyle Edmund. Anderson, who made the French Open fourth round in 2013 and 2014, twice recovered from a set down to advance 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 in just under four hours. A former top 10 player, the world No 56 will meet Croatian seventh seed Marin Cilic for a spot in the quarter-finals. Defeat for Edmund, born in Johannesburg like Anderson, means Britain have still never had more than one man in the last 16 at Roland Garros in the Open era. Anderson missed this year’s Australian Open with a hip injury. His best Grand Slam performance was his run to the 2015 US Open quarter-finals.
Wawrinka defeats up-and-down Fognini
World No 3 Stan Wawrinka cruised into the French Open fourth round against an out-of-sorts Fabio Fognini, winning 7-6(2) 6-0 6-2 as the Italian’s game fell apart after a strong first set. The 2015 champion has yet to drop a set in the 2017 tournament, but this time he came close to conceding the first, which the unpredictable Italian failed to serve out before losing in a one-sided tiebreak. The Italian then lost the second set without taking a game, punctuating wild forehands with a clutch of double faults before getting treatment on his left knee. At 5-2 down in the third set, Fognini saved two match points before the 32-year-old Swiss fired down an unreturnable serve on the third. “It was a very good first set and I was a bit hesitant, but after that I relaxed,” Wawrinka said courtside. “I am playing very well at the moment but we all know how that can go in a grand slam... Each game gets more difficult.” Wawrinka will play the winner of the all-French clash between Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet in the fourth round.
WOMEN
Hsieh halted by Garcia in third round
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei’s surprise French Open run ended in the third round after a 6-4, 4-6, 9-7 defeat to French 28th seed Caroline Garcia. Hsieh, looking to reach the last 16 of a grand slam for just the second time, led 3-1 in the final set before Garcia reeled off four games on the trot. But the Frenchwoman failed to close it out initially, with Hsieh then serving for the match at 6-5. The world No 109 faltered as well though, allowing Garcia to eventually prevail after two hours and 39 minutes. Garcia, 23, will meet unseeded compatriot Alize Cornet for a place in the quarter-finals, guaranteeing France a player in the last eight of the women’s draw for the first time since 2011.
Cornet crushes Radwanska
Using an armoury of delicate drop shots, Alize Cornet rode a tide of French support into the last 16 with a 6-2 6-1 win over Agnieszka Radwanska. The Frenchwoman flummoxed the Polish ninth seed with a display that delighted the home crowd, and signalled a palpable belief in her ability to go much further here. “There are no words,” Cornet told the crowd. “It is fantastic to be able to play so well on centre court. There was no better scenario. Clay is not my favourite surface but I feel so well on this centre court. I did not let her dictate the points, stayed close to my baseline and tried to mix it up with drop shots. I saw it was working so I continued.”
Suarez Navarro glides into last 16
Spanish 21st seed Carla Suarez Navarro advanced to the last 16 in Paris with an efficient 6-4, 6-4 victory over Russian 14th seed Elina Vesnina. Suarez Navarro took command of the opening set when she broke twice to race into a 4-1 lead. However, Vesnina broke back to reduce the deficit to one game, only for Suarez Navarro to twice hold serve to claim the opener. Vesnina looked to have shrugged off the first set when she broke to take a 2-0 lead in the second, but Suarez Navarro swiftly levelled for 2-2. An epic fifth game followed that included 11 deuce points as Vesnina staved off seven break points. Suarez Navarro then dealt the killer blow two games later, breaking Vesnina to 15 before closing out the set and the match two games later.
Halep marches on
Simona Halep survived a third-round scare against young pretender Daria Kasatkina in a Roland Garros rollercoaster, winning 6-0 7-5 after initially threatening to brush past the Russian with ease. Kasatkina began tentatively against the Romanian third seed in what looked like a case of big-match nerves. Hitting powerfully on both wings from the back of the court, Halep romped through the first set in 30 minutes and led 3-1 in the second. The 20-year-old Russian then sparked into life, winning the next four games and holding three set points in the 10th game before Halep edged through, closing out the match with a net chord that Kasatkina failed to return. “I played really well at the beginning,” Halep, who won the Madrid title and reached the Rome final in the run up to Roland Garros, said courtside. “She was coming back really strongly and I think my energy went a bit down ... She’s a really tough opponent.”
RESULTS
Men — third round
Andy Murray (GBR x1) bt Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG x29) 7-6, 7-5, 6-0
Marin Cilic (CRO x7) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-1, 6-3, 6-3
Kevin Anderson (RSA) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR) 6-7. 7-6. 5-7, 6-1, 6-4
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Pablo Cuevas (URU x22) 6-2, 6-1, 6-3
Stan Wawrinka (SUI x3) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA) 7-6, 6-0, 6-2
Women — third round
Caroline Garcia (FRA x28) bt Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) 6-4, 4-6, 9-7
Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x21) bt Elina Vesnina (RUS x14) 6-4, 6-4
Alize Cornet (FRA) bt Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x9) 6-2, 6-1
Simona Halep (ROU x3) bt Daria Kasatkina (RUS) 6-0, 7-5
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x11) bt Catherine Bellis 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
* Agencies
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