TOP 10 SEEDS ZVEREV, KONTA OUSTED IN OPENING ROUND AT ROLAND GARROS
by: AP | May 30, 2017 TAGS: FRENCH OPEN WTA GRAND SLAM, FRENCH OPEN ATP GRAND SLAM , ALEXANDER ZVEREV, FERNANDO VERDASCO, JOHANNA KONTA, SU-WEI HSIEH
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Fernando Verdasco defeated the No. 10 seed and Rome champion in four sets. (AP)

PARIS (AP) — The Latest on the French Open (all times local):

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Top-seeded Andy Murray is safely through to the second round of the French Open after beating Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.

Murray, who was runner-up at Roland Garros last year, has been struggling in 2017 and looked uncomfortable at times during the second set.

But the world No. 1 got into his stride and saw out the final set in just 27 minutes, sealing the match with a forehand down the line after winning eight successive games.

"Last year was a great year for me, you know it was the best I ever played," Murray said. "Here at the beginning of my career I struggled. But each year I kept coming back and was trying a little bit better and last year was really good.

"And last year during Bercy that's when I reached No. 1 for first time, so I've got very good memories from Paris last year, and I'll try and have another good one year this year."

The British player will face Martin Klizan in the second round.

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6:00 p.m.

Thanassi Kokkinakis came short in his bid to win his first match at a major in two years.

Eighth-seeded Kei Nishikori had to work hard, however, to beat the 21-year-old Australian 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 on Court 1 at the French Open.

Kokkinakis's promising career has been derailed by a shoulder injury that required surgery in December 2015. He was playing only his third singles match since then.

Nishikori's next opponent will be Jeremy Chardy.

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4:30 p.m.

Laurent Lokoli did not do honor to his wild card at the French Open.

Not only did the Frenchman lose in the first round, he also refused a handshake from his opponent.

After losing 7-6 (4), 6-3, 4-6, 0-6, 6-4 to Martin Klizan, Lokoli did not go the net to wait for the Slovakian player. As Klizan came over to the Frenchman, Lokoli gestured to make it clear he didn't want to get near him.

Lokoli later said Klizan was the one who did not respect him because he kept simulating injuries throughout their match.

"He was not chasing drop shots and faked that his leg was hurting for more than two sets. Then he was running around like a rabbit in the fifth set," Lokoli said. "And then he speaks to me about respect."

The two men also traded barbs during the match after Klizan shouted his joy to celebrate a double-fault from Lokoli that gave him a 5-2 lead in the decider.

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3:20 p.m.

On a day of upsets on Court Philippe Chatrier, ninth-seeded Alexander Zverev lost to Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 when their first-round match resumed.

Zverev, who is regarded as one of the most gifted players on tour, broke his racket during the fourth set.

The match was suspended on Monday because of darkness after the players split the first two sets.

The 20-year-old Zverev was one of the outside favorites after impressing on his way to victory at the Italian Open.

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3 p.m.

Madison Keys ended a four-match losing streak by winning on clay for the first time this year, beating Ashleigh Barty 6-3, 6-2 at the French Open.

The 12th-seeded American held a 22-10 edge in winners, did not face any break points, and took advantage of Barty's seven double-faults.

Keys, a 2015 Australian Open semifinalist, missed the first two months of this season after left wrist surgery.

Barty has now lost all nine career matches against top-20 opponents.

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2:50 p.m.

Stan Wawrinka is safely through to the second round of the French Open after a 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-3 win over Jozef Kovalik of Slovakia.

Wawrinka started his clay season poorly before emerging with a title at the Geneva Open last week. The No. 3 seed kept up his momentum in Paris.

"I enjoyed it very much," said Wawrinka, who won at Roland Garros in 2015. "It was not necessarily easy after I played in Geneva until Saturday to get into gear. I'm feeling good, I'm playing good tennis and I'm happy to be back in Paris."

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2 p.m.

Johanna Konta got off to a flying start and then faded away as she bowed out of the French Open in the first round — for the third year in a row.

The seventh-seeded British player lost to 109th-ranked Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4.

Konta has never won a main-draw match at Roland Garros.

On Tuesday, she won 13 of the 15 first points on Court Philippe Chatrier but was unable to keep the same level throughout, ending with a total of 38 unforced errors.

Hsieh saved four break points when serving for the match and sealed her win when Konta made a return error.

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1:23 p.m.

Nick Kyrgios of Australia beat Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany in straight sets to reach the second round of the French Open.

The 18th-seeded Kyrgios hit 20 aces on his way to the 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory.

Kyrgios argued with the umpire in the second set when a key call went against him when he had a break point for 5-4, but he regained his focus to take the tiebreaker with an ace, on his third set point.

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1:13 p.m.

Former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro has won his first match in five years at the French Open.

Playing at the clay-court major for the first time since 2012, del Potro won an all-Argentine contest against qualifier Guido Pella 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.

Del Potro showed no sign of the shoulder and back problems that hampered him at the Lyon Open last week and did not face a single break point.

Del Potro's best result at Roland Garros is the semifinals in 2009, the year he won at Flushing Meadows.

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12:35 p.m.

Fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina hit a crosscourt forehand winner on match point to win the first match on Court Suzanne Lenglen and seal her spot in the second round of the French Open.

Svitolina converted all three break points and hit 25 winners to prevail 6-4, 6-3 over Yaroslava Shvedova, a two-time quarterfinalist in Paris.

Svitolina is coming off the Rome title two weeks ago and is an outside favorite in Paris, where she made it to the quarterfinals two years ago. The Ukrainian has won three other tournaments this year.

"I was very happy with the way I handled the pressure," she said. "It's the first time that I have won four titles and two big ones so it's given me a lot of confidence."

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10:52 a.m.

After becoming No. 1 last year, Andy Murray has been struggling in 2017, but he'll try to right himself starting in the French Open's first round against Andrey Kuznetsov on Tuesday.

Joining Murray, the runner-up a year ago in Paris, in finally getting going on Day 3 will be 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka, who meets Jozek Kovalik.

The showdown of the day should be 15th-seeded Gael Monfils of France against Dustin Brown of Germany. Both hit highlight-worthy shots on a regular basis.

In the women's draw, No. 3 Simona Halep is up against Jana Cepelova, and No. 5 Elina Svitolina plays Yaroslava Shvedova.

First up on Court Philippe Chatrier is seventh-seeded Johanna Konta against Su-Wei Hsieh.

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More AP tennis coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-Tennis

Just when I noticed Zverev last year and predicted he is the next big thing in male tennis, he fell early at the French Open. For those who are current, Zverev has beaten Djokovic, Federer and Murray. He has come close to beating Nadal twice. He won the Rome Open last month at the expense of Nadal, who was topped by Dominic Thiem (Pronounced team) of Austria. Djokovic stopped Thiem at the semis in Rome, but later fell by two sets at the championship match to 20 year old Alexander Zverev.

Welcome Icon79 and TheSuperNerd

WTA top seed Angelique Kerber also knocked out in the first round. The German was beaten by Elena Makarova of Russia in straight sets (6-2, 6-2).

French World Number 11, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga is on the verge of an upset. World Number 91, Renzo Olivo currently lead the fourth set 5-4.
Scores: Tsonga vs Olivo 5-7, 4-6, 7-6, 4-5

Joebie:
WTA top seed Angelique Kerber also knocked out in the first round. The German was beaten by Elena Makarova of Russia in straight sets (6-2, 6-2).

chaiii nah upset wan dey reign ni

wat abt VICTORIA AZENRAKA

Victoria is out due to pregnancy, just like Serena. She is expected to be back before Wimbledon.

do4luv14:


chaiii nah upset wan dey reign ni

wat abt VICTORIA AZENRAKA

Joebie:
Victoria is out due to pregnancy, just like Serena. She is expected to be back before Wimbledon.

chaiii VICTORIA sef,
and KEBER don lago..... Omo na wa oooo.... Original wa

At least Venus dey na.. who be your fav for the women side?

do4luv14:


chaiii VICTORIA sef,
and KEBER don lago..... Omo na wa oooo.... Original wa

Joebie:
At least Venus dey na.. who be your fav for the women side?

nah she and her sister be my stars for ladies side, so VENUS is

Yes. She has no excuse not to win a Grand Slam title this year, since Serena is on a year long 'maternity leave'

do4luv14:


nah she and her sister be my stars for ladies side, so VENUS is

Joebie:
Yes. She has no excuse not to win a Grand Slam title this year, since Serena is on a year long 'maternity leave'

you are forgetting that age will play a rule, allsame its my sincerely prayer she wins it and US open too

Well I'm only considering that she made the final in the Aussie Open this year, and only her sister stood between her an the title

do4luv14:


you are forgetting that age will play a rule, allsame its my sincerely prayer she wins it and US open too

Joebie:
Well I'm only considering that she made the final in the Aussie Open this year, and only her sister stood between her an the title

you mean SERENA win the AUSSIE dis year,,,

Oh yes.

do4luv14:


you mean SERENA win the AUSSIE dis year,,,

Joebie:
Oh yes.

wow!! Its great, that's y I love her so so much

Sir Joebie..... Thanks for the mention. Roland Garros..... phewww! Well, we'll see...

Joebie:
Welcome Ic.on79 and The.SuperNerd

uwc. Which match up would u like to see in the final?

TheSuperNerd:
Sir Joebie..... Thanks for the mention. Roland Garros..... phewww! Well, we'll see...

PREGNANT SERENA ARRIVES AT ROLAND GARROS, WATCHES VENUS ROLL
by: ED MCGROGAN | May 31, 2017 TAGS: FRENCH OPEN WTA GRAND SLAM , KURUMI NARA, SERENA WILLIAMS, VENUS WILLIAMS


The 36-year-old, now into the third round, expects to play Slams alongside Serena again.

On—and just off of—Court Philippe Chatrier, the Williams sisters demanded our attention on Wednesday. Venus, wearing a stylish number from her EleVen collection, ran through her second-round opponent, Kurumi Nara, 6-3, 6-1.

"I just tried to step it up," the 36-year-old told Tennis Channel's Jon Wertheim after the match. "She played some amazing games in the beginning—it was hard to get a ball past her. I was happy to kind of figure that out."

And then there was Serena—wearing a stylish outfit herself—taking it all in, with child on the way, from the sidelines:


The fashionably late 23-time Grand Slam singles champion arrived midway through the first set, causing a stir amongst the Parisian patrons. Venus knew she was coming, of course, but didn't realize it at the time.

"I never look up to my box that much," Venus said. "I did see her at some point, but I don't remember when it was.

"There was a lot of stuff going on, on the court—I was like, focus on what's here."


This year's French Open marks the first time in more than five years that Venus has competed in a major without Serena also in the draw. At Roland Garros, courtside support will have to suffice, but according to Venus, both Williams sisters want to resume tennis' greatest sister act at the Slams.

"Her plan is to be out there with me again," Venus said, "and my plan is to stay around a little bit."

One of the strong contenders for the FO title, Dominic Thiem of Austria advanced to the third round after overcoming Bolleli. The 6th seed beat the Italian in three straight sets.

Djokovic is also through. Djoko overcame Portuguese Joao Sousa in straights as well.

On resumption of the match abandoned yesterday due to inclement weather, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga joined a host of top seed players who made an early exit in the first round. Tsonga fell to Olivio 1 set to 3.

"Baby Federer" Grigor Dimitrov is also through to the next round. The World number 13 overcame Spaniard Tommy Robredo in straight sets.

Great, the sisters final was always a battle of emotion

wish to see more of it again,would have been here in dis ROLLAND GARROS, if not for that sharp shooter called DRAKE

lol Are you implying Drake impregnated Serena?

do4luv14:
Great, the sisters final was always a battle of emotion

wish to see more of it again,would have been here in dis ROLLAND GARROS, if not for that sharp shooter called DRAKE

DJOKOVIC REACHES THIRD ROUND AT ROLAND GARROS; WOZNIACKI WINS 6-0, 6-0


PARIS (AP) — The Latest on the French Open (all times local):

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6 p.m.

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Still grieving the recent death of his father, 25th-seeded American Steve Johnson dropped to his knees and began crying at the end of his 6-2, 7-6 (, 3-6, 7-6 (6) victory over Borna Coric at the French Open.

Johnson was overcome by emotion during a Tennis Channel TV interview right after the second-round match, wiping away tears as his voice choked on his words.

"I just miss my dad, you know? I wish he was following along. I know he is, from upstairs," Johnson said. "Just so emotional. It's hard to describe. I just know he was looking down on me on that last point. And gave me the strength to finish it off."

Steve Johnson Sr., a tennis coach in California, passed away about three weeks ago.

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5:50 p.m.

Rafael Nadal was all smiles after defeating Robin Haase 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 on the same court where he won nine French Open titles.

"I'm very happy to come back on the Court Philippe Chatrier," said Nadal, who had 33 winners.

The fourth-seeded Nadal is trying to become the first player in the Open era to win 10 titles at a major. Last year, he withdrew from the tournament ahead of his third-round match because of a wrist injury.

"It was really hard for me last year," Nadal said. "I'm very happy to be back on this court, which is probably the most important in my career."

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4:55 p.m.

Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the third round of the French Open by beating Francoise Abanda of Canada 6-0, 6-0.

The 11th-seeded Dane will next face American teenager CiCi Bellis.

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4:10 p.m.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic advanced to the third round of the French Open by beating Joao Sousa 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.

The second-seeded Serb will next face Diego Schwartzman.

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3:40 p.m.

American teenager CiCi Bellis reached the third round of the French Open in her tournament debut, upsetting 18th-seeded Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 6-3, 7-6 (5).

The 18-year-old Bellis converted her fourth match point on an unforced error by Bertens, a semifinalist at Roland Garros a year ago.

Bellis, who is from California, is playing in her third career Grand Slam tournament. She made it to the third round of the U.S. Open in 2016, and the second round there in 2014.

She is ranked 48th.

Two weeks ago, Bertens beat Bellis in straight sets on clay in Rome.

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3:30 p.m.

Defending champion Garbine Muguruza held on to beat Anett Kontaveit and reach the third round of the French Open.

The Spaniard lost the opening set against the 53rd-ranked Kontaveit but won 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2.

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3:15 p.m.

Steve Johnson advanced to the third round of the French Open by beating Borna Coric 6-2, 7-6 (, 3-6, 7-6 (6).

The 25th-seeded American, who has never been past the third round at Roland Garros, will next face sixth-seeded and Dominic Thiem.

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2:55 p.m.

Defending champion Garbine Muguruza has forced a third set in her second-round match at the French Open.

After dropping the opening set against 53rd-ranked Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (4), Muguruza was down a break in the second before coming back to take it 6-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

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2:15 p.m.

Defending French Open champion Garbine Muguruza has lost the first set of her second-round match against Anett Kontaveit.

Muguruza trailed 5-2 at the outset, fought back to force a tiebreaker, but dropped it 7-6 (4).

The fourth-seeded Muguruza is trying to avoid becoming the first reigning champion at Roland Garros to lose in the second round since 2014, when she upset Serena Williams at that stage.

The 53rd-ranked Kontaveit beat Muguruza the last time they played, in a clay-court tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, in April.

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1:30 p.m.

Petra Kvitova's first tournament since she was injured in a knife attack at her home is over.

The two-time Wimbledon champion, who was seeded 15th, lost to American qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) at the French Open. Kvitova threw her racket in frustration after she double-faulted on match point, but the players warmly embraced at the net.

Kvitova returned to tennis in Paris after she was attacked in the Czech Republic in December.

Mattek-Sands, a doubles champion at Roland Garros two years ago, received treatment at the end of the first set. She came back on court with a bandage on her left thigh but did not seem hampered in her moves.

Mattek-Sands, who is back in the third round for the first time since 2013, will next face Samantha Stosur.

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1:05 p.m.

Back on Court Philippe Chatrier to resume his first-round match against Renzo Olivo, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga could not overturn the deficit at the French Open.

Their match was suspended because of darkness on Tuesday with the 12th-seeded Frenchman trailing 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (6), 5-4.

Tsonga lost the first three points on his serve Wednesday but managed to save the three match points. Olivo converted the next one with a forehand crosscourt winner and to win 6-4.

Tsonga had never lost to a player ranked as low as No. 91 at a Grand Slam.

"I'm sorry for Tsonga. I got home at 1 a.m., it was difficult to sleep. I had a massage, it wasn't easy," Olivo said. "I slept for a few hours. It was difficult not to think about the restart. I took it one point at a time to stay calm. You have to focus on every point to beat a player like Tsonga."

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12:55 p.m.

Ekaterina Makarova, who upset top-seeded Angelique Kerber in the first round, could not follow up on her great performance and exited the French Open.

Playing against 42nd-ranked Lesia Tsurenko on the remote Court 16, Makarova lost 6-2, 6-2 after making 27 unforced errors and dropping her serve five times.

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12:40 p.m.

Venus Williams got off to a sluggish start but quickly found her range to beat Kurumi Nara of Japan 6-3, 6-1 and reach the third round of the French Open.

The 10th-seeded Williams, a runner-up in Paris in 2002, trailed 3-1 in the opening set but then won seven consecutive games.

Williams is playing at Roland Garros for the 20th time, a record in the Open era.

"I love being here and I love playing on this court," Williams said. "You never stop learning and that's what I love about the game."

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12:20 p.m.

Serena Williams is at the French Open, after all — but as a spectator, not a competitor.

The owner of 23 Grand Slam singles titles is not playing for the rest of this season because she is pregnant.

Williams found a seat in the shade at Court Philippe Chatrier during her older sister Venus' second-round match against Kurumi Nara on Wednesday.

Serena Williams' baby is due in the fall. She has said she will return to the tour in 2018.

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11 a.m.

Under bright sunshine, 10th-seeded Venus Williams will open play on Court Philippe Chatrier against Kurumi Nara of Japan in the second round of the French Open.

The first Wednesday at Roland Garros is traditionally known as kids' day. Parisian boys and girls will get the chance to see some of the game biggest stars this year, with Rafael Nadal later scheduled to resume his quest for a 10th title in Paris against Robin Haase.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic is also on the bill, facing Joao Sousa on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

The locals will also keep a close eye on 13th-seeded Kristina Mladenovic, a Frenchwoman who dealt with back pain and deficits before winning in the first round. She next takes on 2012 runner-up Sara Errani.

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More AP tennis coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-Tennis

Joebie:
lol Are you implying Drake impregnated Serena?

ya, me think so

If her fiancé hear!!!!

do4luv14:


ya, me think so

Roland Garros enters Day 5: TOP THREE MATCHES OF THE DAY


ALIZÉ CORNET VS. BARBORA STRYCOVA [20]

The main stadium schedule kicks off with a match between two of the WTA’s most expressive players. This one should also be competitive. Strycova is ranked 17th and Cornet is 41st, but the Frenchwoman leads their head to head 5-2, and she’s playing at home. Which means—you guessed it—more drama.

STAN WAWRINKA [3] VS. ALEXANDR DOLGOPOLOV

Stan on his best day is hard to beat by any player. After his win in Geneva last week, he seems to have hit the ground running at Roland Garros. But Dolgopolov is one of the few guys who is good enough to trouble Wawrinka even when he’s playing well. The Ukrainian has won two of their three meetings, including the only one on clay. With his wild spins and changes of pace, he could easily throw Wawrinka out of his rhythm for a set or two. But for three? There’s a reason one of these guys is ranked 3rd, and the other 89th.

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO [29] VS. NICOLAS ALMAGRO

The winner of this match will likely play Andy Murray, who has looked vulnerable of late. Del Potro is 3-1 against Almagro, and has won their last three meetings. The Argentine is expected to win again.

INTRODUCING FRENCH OPEN MENS SINGLES TITLE CONTENDER: Dominic Thiem of Austria

Nickname: Dominator

Current Rank: 7
Career High Rank: 7

2017 W/L Record: 29-12
CAREER Record: 151-94

2017 Titles: 1 (Rio de Janeiro 2017 - Clay)
CAREER Titles: 8

Major feat: Ended Rafael Nadal's 2017 Clay Season winning streak after defeating the Spaniard in the Quater finals of the Italian Open. Nadal had won 3 consecutive ATP masters Open titles on clay this year, before falling to the Austrian, who he had beaten in their previous encounter (Madrid Open)

Another upset.

Nick Kyrgios is out of the French Open after losing his second-round match to Kevin Anderson 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.

The 18th-seeded Kyrgios won the first set but double faulted twice to hand the South African the second. He immediately flung his racket to the ground so hard that it buckled.

Kyrgios then smashed the broken racket six times against a water container as he sat down at the end of a game, before flinging it away.

The Australian was given a point penalty and he never recovered, losing the next two sets in little over an hour.

Anderson, who is ranked 56th, will face Kyle Edmund in the third round.

Roland Garros enters Day 6: TOP THREE MATCHES OF THE DAY

GARBIÑE MUGURUZA VS. YULIA PUTINTSEVA

These two Roland Garros lovers will kick off play on Chatrier on Friday. We all remember that Muguruza beat Serena Williams in the French Open final last year, but Putintseva was also up a set on Serena in the quarters. Muguruza, who has a significant size and power advantage over Putintseva, won their only meeting, last year in Beijing.


DOMINIC THIEM VS. STEVE JOHNSON

Steve Johnson mourning the death of his father even as he plays, has expended a lifetime’s worth in his first two wins. But the American has also played exceptionally well, throwing caution to the wind and letting the ball rip from his forehand side. If Johnson does that again, this could be a must-see baseline battle. Thiem won their only previous match, three years ago in Nice, France, and he has bigger plans in Paris.


KRISTINA MLADENOVIC VS. SHELBY ROGERS

These hard hitters will face off in the early afternoon on Lenglen. Mladenovic is a Frenchwoman with designs on the title, while Rogers is a budding and unlikely French Open specialist from South Carolina; she made the quarters here last year. The crowd will be behind Kiki, but will that fire her up or make her freeze in her tracks? Mladenovic is ranked 19th and Rogers is 48th, but the American won their only meeting, last year in New Haven.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0NSLV_KLec

Third Round Results/Update:

Dominic Thiem outwits Steve Johnson
6-1, 7-6, 6-3

Rafael Nadal drops only one game to see off qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia
6-0, 6-1, 6-0

Garcia Lopez retires to Milos Roanic early due to injury with the Canadian leading
6-1, 1-0

Novak Djokovic trails Argentine, Diego Schwartzman, with scores currently
7-5, 1-1

Upcoming

Venus Williams takes on Elise Mertens of Belgium

Novak Djokovic trails Argentine, Diego Schwartzman, with scores currently
5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 0-1
Are we about to witness another upset?