Djokovic cruises into last 32
Gauff into French open third round for first time
Published: 05:06 PM,Jun 03,2021 | EDITED : 09:06 PM,Jun 03,2021
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning against Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas during their men's singles second round tennis match on Day 5 of The Roland Garros 2021 French Open tennis tournament in Paris on June 3, 2021. / AFP / Martin BUREAU
PARIS: World number one Novak Djokovic continued his bid for a 19th Grand Slam title with a straight-sets win over Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas to reach the French Open third round on Thursday.
The 34-year-old, who is looking to become the first man in more than 50 years to win all four Slams multiple times, won 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
'I stayed concentrated. I thought the third set was very difficult for me because he lifted the level of his game,' said the top seed after his 350th Grand Slam match.
'It's a cliche to say 'day by day', but it's very important for me to stay in the moment.'
Djokovic will face Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis for a place in the second week.
The 2016 Roland Garros champion has won all three of his meetings with Berankis, including in last year's second round in Paris.
Cuevas tested Djokovic at times on Thursday with his creative shot-making, but the Serbian star saved eight of nine break points and hit 31 winners in a solid display.
Djokovic is seeded to meet 13-time winner Rafael Nadal, who he lost to in the final last October, in the last four.
Gauff through
Coco Gauff reached the third round of the French Open for the first time as the 17-year-old American battled past China's Wang Qiang 6-3 7-6(1) on Thursday.
Gauff eased through the opening set after jumping out to a 3-0 lead but did not have things her own way after that against the player she beat to win the Parma title last month.
Former world number 12 Qiang served for the second set at 5-3 but was broken and then had a set point on the Gauff serve after the American double-faulted.
But 24th-seeded Gauff showed great resilience to take the set into a tiebreak that she never looked like losing.
After two straight-sets wins she will now face either Fiona Ferro or fellow American Jennifer Brady in the last 32.
Barty limps out
Earlier, World number one and former champion Ashleigh Barty limped out of Roland Garros throwing the battle for the women's title wide open as Rafael Nadal prepared to celebrate his 35th birthday inside an empty stadium.
Top seed Barty, already suffering from a left hip injury, retired injured midway through the second set of her second-round match against Poland's 45th-ranked Magda Linette.
The Australian, who won the title on her last visit to Roland Garros in 2019, left the court for medical treatment after losing the first set 6-1.
She then called it quits at 2-2 in the second set on Court Philippe Chatrier.
'It's heartbreaking,' Barty said. 'It's a miracle I got past the first round.'
'We did absolutely everything we could to give myself a chance. It sucks.'
The 25-year-old's withdrawal leaves the tournament already without the world's top three-ranked women's players.
World number two Naomi Osaka pulled out following a media boycott, saying she has suffered 'bouts of depression' for three years.
Third-ranked Simona Halep, the 2018 French Open winner, withdrew before the event with injury.
That leaves world number four Aryna Sabalenka as the top remaining player in the draw.
Linette goes on to face Ons Jabeur, the Tunisian 25th seed who eased past Australian wild card Astra Sharma 6-2, 6-4.
Fourth seed Sofia Kenin, the 2020 runner-up, saw off American compatriot Hailey Baptiste 7-5, 6-3.
Three-time quarter-finalist and fifth seed Elina Svitolina was similarly untroubled against Ann Li of the United States, winning 6-0, 6-4.
However, ninth seed Karolina Pliskova exited at the hands of 2018 runner-up Sloane Stephens as the 59th-ranked American won 7-5, 6-1.
Gael Monfils' 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat by Mikel Ymer of Sweden means Gasquet would have to beat Nadal to avoid the hosts suffering their worst year in men's singles since 1968.
Roger Federer, also the winner of 20 Slams, renews his rivalry with Marin Cilic.
Alcaraz record
At the other end of the spectrum is 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz who on Monday became the youngest player to win a match at Roland Garros since Djokovic in 2005.
If the Spaniard beats 28th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili, he will be the youngest man to reach the French Open last 32 since Andrei Medvedev in 1992.
Two Italian teens made it through with 18th seeded Jannik Sinner seeing off compatriot Gianluca Mager while highly-rated Lorenzo Musetti put out Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka.
Defending women's champion Iga Swiatek takes on Sweden's Rebecca Peterson.
Swiatek has hit with Nadal this week, a meeting which made her so nervous that the Pole prepared a list of helpful conversation starters should she get tongue-tied. -- Agencies
French Open results
Men (second round)
Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 7-5, 6-3, 6-2; Matteo Berrettini (ITA x9) bt Federico Coria (ARG) 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; Soonwoo Kwon (KOR) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 6-4, 7-5, 7-5; Dominik Koepfer (GER) bt Taylor Fritz (USA x30) 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4; Cameron Norrie (GBR) bt Lloyd Harris (RSA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; Jannik Sinner (ITA x18) bt Gianluca Mager (ITA) 6-1, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3; Mikael Ymer (SWE) bt Gael Monfils (FRA x14) 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3; Diego Schwartzman (ARG x10) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4; Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) bt Aslan Karatsev (RUS x24) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-1
Women (second round)
Magda Linette (POL) bt Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) 6-1, 2-2 - retired; Ons Jabeur (TUN x25) bt Astra Sharma (AUS) 6-2, 6-4; Sloane Stephens (USA) bt Karolina Pliskova (CZE x9) 7-5, 6-1; Karolina Muchova (CZE x18) bt Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 6-3, 6-4; Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS x32) 6-2, 6-3; Elina Svitolina (UKR x5) bt Ann Li (USA) 6-0, 6-4; Sofia Kenin (USA x4) bt Hailey Baptiste (USA) 7-5, 6-3; Jessica Pegula (USA x28) bt Tereza Martincova (CZE) 6-3, 6-3; Maria Sakkari (GRE x17) bt Jasmine Paolini (ITA) 6-2, 6-3; Marta Kostyuk (UKR) bt Zheng Saisai (CHN) 6-3, 6-4; Varvara Gracheva (RUS) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 7-5, 1-6, 6-2
The 34-year-old, who is looking to become the first man in more than 50 years to win all four Slams multiple times, won 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
'I stayed concentrated. I thought the third set was very difficult for me because he lifted the level of his game,' said the top seed after his 350th Grand Slam match.
'It's a cliche to say 'day by day', but it's very important for me to stay in the moment.'
Djokovic will face Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis for a place in the second week.
The 2016 Roland Garros champion has won all three of his meetings with Berankis, including in last year's second round in Paris.
Cuevas tested Djokovic at times on Thursday with his creative shot-making, but the Serbian star saved eight of nine break points and hit 31 winners in a solid display.
Djokovic is seeded to meet 13-time winner Rafael Nadal, who he lost to in the final last October, in the last four.
Gauff through
Coco Gauff reached the third round of the French Open for the first time as the 17-year-old American battled past China's Wang Qiang 6-3 7-6(1) on Thursday.
Gauff eased through the opening set after jumping out to a 3-0 lead but did not have things her own way after that against the player she beat to win the Parma title last month.
Former world number 12 Qiang served for the second set at 5-3 but was broken and then had a set point on the Gauff serve after the American double-faulted.
But 24th-seeded Gauff showed great resilience to take the set into a tiebreak that she never looked like losing.
After two straight-sets wins she will now face either Fiona Ferro or fellow American Jennifer Brady in the last 32.
Barty limps out
Earlier, World number one and former champion Ashleigh Barty limped out of Roland Garros throwing the battle for the women's title wide open as Rafael Nadal prepared to celebrate his 35th birthday inside an empty stadium.
Top seed Barty, already suffering from a left hip injury, retired injured midway through the second set of her second-round match against Poland's 45th-ranked Magda Linette.
The Australian, who won the title on her last visit to Roland Garros in 2019, left the court for medical treatment after losing the first set 6-1.
She then called it quits at 2-2 in the second set on Court Philippe Chatrier.
'It's heartbreaking,' Barty said. 'It's a miracle I got past the first round.'
'We did absolutely everything we could to give myself a chance. It sucks.'
The 25-year-old's withdrawal leaves the tournament already without the world's top three-ranked women's players.
World number two Naomi Osaka pulled out following a media boycott, saying she has suffered 'bouts of depression' for three years.
Third-ranked Simona Halep, the 2018 French Open winner, withdrew before the event with injury.
That leaves world number four Aryna Sabalenka as the top remaining player in the draw.
Linette goes on to face Ons Jabeur, the Tunisian 25th seed who eased past Australian wild card Astra Sharma 6-2, 6-4.
Fourth seed Sofia Kenin, the 2020 runner-up, saw off American compatriot Hailey Baptiste 7-5, 6-3.
Three-time quarter-finalist and fifth seed Elina Svitolina was similarly untroubled against Ann Li of the United States, winning 6-0, 6-4.
However, ninth seed Karolina Pliskova exited at the hands of 2018 runner-up Sloane Stephens as the 59th-ranked American won 7-5, 6-1.
Gael Monfils' 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat by Mikel Ymer of Sweden means Gasquet would have to beat Nadal to avoid the hosts suffering their worst year in men's singles since 1968.
Roger Federer, also the winner of 20 Slams, renews his rivalry with Marin Cilic.
Alcaraz record
At the other end of the spectrum is 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz who on Monday became the youngest player to win a match at Roland Garros since Djokovic in 2005.
If the Spaniard beats 28th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili, he will be the youngest man to reach the French Open last 32 since Andrei Medvedev in 1992.
Two Italian teens made it through with 18th seeded Jannik Sinner seeing off compatriot Gianluca Mager while highly-rated Lorenzo Musetti put out Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka.
Defending women's champion Iga Swiatek takes on Sweden's Rebecca Peterson.
Swiatek has hit with Nadal this week, a meeting which made her so nervous that the Pole prepared a list of helpful conversation starters should she get tongue-tied. -- Agencies
French Open results
Men (second round)
Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 7-5, 6-3, 6-2; Matteo Berrettini (ITA x9) bt Federico Coria (ARG) 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; Soonwoo Kwon (KOR) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 6-4, 7-5, 7-5; Dominik Koepfer (GER) bt Taylor Fritz (USA x30) 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4; Cameron Norrie (GBR) bt Lloyd Harris (RSA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; Jannik Sinner (ITA x18) bt Gianluca Mager (ITA) 6-1, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3; Mikael Ymer (SWE) bt Gael Monfils (FRA x14) 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3; Diego Schwartzman (ARG x10) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4; Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) bt Aslan Karatsev (RUS x24) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-1
Women (second round)
Magda Linette (POL) bt Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) 6-1, 2-2 - retired; Ons Jabeur (TUN x25) bt Astra Sharma (AUS) 6-2, 6-4; Sloane Stephens (USA) bt Karolina Pliskova (CZE x9) 7-5, 6-1; Karolina Muchova (CZE x18) bt Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 6-3, 6-4; Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS x32) 6-2, 6-3; Elina Svitolina (UKR x5) bt Ann Li (USA) 6-0, 6-4; Sofia Kenin (USA x4) bt Hailey Baptiste (USA) 7-5, 6-3; Jessica Pegula (USA x28) bt Tereza Martincova (CZE) 6-3, 6-3; Maria Sakkari (GRE x17) bt Jasmine Paolini (ITA) 6-2, 6-3; Marta Kostyuk (UKR) bt Zheng Saisai (CHN) 6-3, 6-4; Varvara Gracheva (RUS) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 7-5, 1-6, 6-2