2013 Tennis Thread

[Smallville22]

US appeals court sides with Comcast

A federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that Comcast Corp. did not discriminate against the Tennis Channel by placing it in a different cable television subscription tier than its own sports networks.
The unanimous ruling from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reverses a 2012 decision from the Federal Communications Commission that Comcast unfairly placed the sports channel in a more expensive and thus less-watched viewing tier than its own Golf Channel and NBC Sports Network.
The FCC had voted 3-2 along party lines to require Comcast to put Tennis Channel on par with its own sports network, marking the first time a cable network prevailed over a cable operator under the FCC's 1993 federal anti-discrimination program carriage rules.
Comcast, however, argued that the FCC's requirement infringed upon its freedom of editorial judgment and speech and that its placement of the Tennis Channel was based on the financial analysis, not discrimination against a rival.
Siding with Comcast in his opinion, Judge Stephen Williams said the latter argument was enough because the FCC did not present evidence to establish how Comcast would financially benefit from distributing the Tennis Channel more broadly.
"Without showing any benefit for Comcast from incurring the additional fees for assigning Tennis a more advantageous tier, the Commission has not provided evidence that Comcast discriminated against Tennis on the basis of affiliation," he wrote.
Williams had raised those concerns at oral arguments earlier this year, when he said the financial implications of requiring Comcast to move Tennis Channel were unclear.
The FCC and the sports network said that Comcast weighed the costs of having Tennis Channel in a higher viewing tier but did not adequately analyze the benefits. Comcast argued that it did, and found none.

 

[Smallville22]

Dimitrov ready to emerge into limelight

Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov has come through a tough training programme in the gloom of a Swedish December and looks ready to realise his enormous potential and step into the limelight.
The 22-year-old, dubbed "Baby Federer", is the latest flame of Maria Sharapova but has also attracted attention because of his impressive rise in the world rankings, from 95 a year ago to number 28 before the French Open this week.
On Tuesday, Dimitrov, seeded for the first time in a grand slam event, progressed to the second round when his Colombian opponent Alejandro Falla retired while trailing 6-4 1-0.
The Bulgarian, who used to spend his off season in sunny Dubai, said his recent success was helped by a training camp in Sweden with new coaches Magnus Norman and Mikael Tillstrom.
"Last December was one of the darkest months in my life. It wasn't easy. We had been working a lot on fitness," Dimitrov, seeded 26 in Paris, told reporters after his match on Tuesday.
"It was a period I really needed to pass through. It was a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication. But after, you feel like you have done something well and I felt good about myself."
Dimitrov began his Roland Garros campaign under unseasonably gloomy skies but it was his run-up to the event that suggested he had a bright future.
His claycourt preparation included a tight three-set defeat by Rafa Nadal in Monte Carlo then a shock victory over Serbia's world number one Novak Djokovic in Madrid.
Dimitrov could meet six-times grand slam winner Djokovic in the third round in Paris but believes he is ready.
"When you come into a tournament, you've got to be positive and loaded with energy," he added.
"Playing matches and playing good players gives you confidence. I think with every match you're starting to think: 'I can go further'.
"Then, once you have that mindset, you can win every day you come on court."

 

[Smallville22]

Djokovic too strong for Goffin, Tomic out

Novak Djokovic moved into the second round of the French Open with a 7-6(5) 6-4 7-5 win over Belgium's David Goffin.
There was a familiarity about the occasion as Paris's unseasonable downpours kept Djokovic waiting to make his first return to Philippe Chatrier Court since losing last year's rain-sodden final to Rafa Nadal.
The world number one waited in the wings for most of the day before emerging into the early evening gloom to encounter a talented shot-maker on the other side of the net.
Goffin was making only his second appearance at Roland Garros, but had given fair warning about his ability by reaching the last 16 a year ago and taking a set off Roger Federer on his way out.
"I was aware of his qualities before, but there is nothing you can do when somebody plays well but to fight and to come up with your best game and try to win," said Djokovic, who is chasing the only major title missing from his collection.
"That's what I have done. There are things I need to work on, but for the first match it was a great challenge for me, and I overcame it. Hopefully I can build from here."
Goffin had his chances, none more so than when pushing his opponent into a first set tie-break and then holding his own to come within two points of the set.
Unfortunately, a member of the raucous Parisian crowd, in an effort to inspire the youngster, let out an ill-timed shout of "Allez David" at 5-5 on his second serve, causing the world number 58 to double fault.
With the nerves clearly jangling, Goffin then netted a backhand to hand first ***** to the Serb.
Showing a level of maturity that many more experienced players might lack, the Belgian said: "That's what happens sometimes. When you play in the Davis Cup you see that on every serve, basically.
"It was up to me to focus my mind. This is the type of thing that can happen and can happen to anybody.
"So tough luck on me, because it came at this time."
The Belgian showed a bucket-load of resolve to cancel out an early Djokovic break at the start of the second set, but the Serb has not won six grand slams without being able to up his game when the occasion demands.
After going toe-to-toe, he sent his opponent sprawling to the ground in the ninth game of the second set with a second break that proved decisive.
There was a battling quality about Goffin, who still managed to push Djokovic on to the back foot, with punchy forehands and clever court craft but, when the Belgian ****** up a break-point opportunity in the third, there was no way back.
Djokovic broke for a 6-5 lead in the third and then served it out to leave the Goffin to accept a rousing send-off from the French crowd who had liked what they had seen.
"You can't expect the top player is always going to win opening rounds of a grand slam and give only five or six games to an opponent in three sets," Djokovic said. "It's not possible.
"There are players who are extra-motivated and very talented with the mindset of having nothing to lose on the court."
Djokovic's reward for keeping the tyro at bay is a second-round match against Argentina's Guido Pella, who beat Ivan Dodig 4-6 6-4 6-3 2-6 12-10 in a punishing five-set match.
Bernard Tomic retired from his match against Romanian Victor Hanescu while 7-5 7-6 (8) 2-1 down with a leg problem - but said he would stand by his ****** despite recent controversies.
The 20-year-old Tomic said in a pre-news conference statement that he would not answer questions about his ****** - although he did eventually talk about how he has been coping with the situation.
"(My ******) is here right now in Paris, so he's still working with me, he's still my ***, he's still my coach, and I love him a lot," said Tomic.
"Involving the incidents that happened, I don't want to talk about it a lot - or at all, I should say. And it's a very difficult thing for me to put my words into that."
He was then quizzed about the subject and revealed that he was looking for someone to help him and his ****** going into the grasscourt season.
"My *** is still my coach, and he'll always be, because I grew up with him and he knows me better than everyone else," he explained. "I might put someone else on board who can help my *** (...) Not sort of a coach but someone just to help me a little bit," he said without elaborating.
"I haven't made a decision yet who. It might be a few weeks away and stuff, maybe after the grass. But I'll see. I'd like to get someone in before the grass who can help me and my ***."

Men's results:

Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Marc Gicquel (France) 6-2 6-3 6-1

9-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat Thiemo de Bakker (Netherlands) 7-5 6-3 6-7(1) 7-5

Guido Pella (Argentina) beat Ivan Dodig (Croatia) 4-6 6-4 6-3 2-6 12-10

1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat David Goffin (Belgium) 7-6(5) 6-4 7-5

16-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Jiri Vesely (Czech Republic) 7-6(3) 1-6 7-5 6-2

Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) beat 28-Florian Mayer (Germany) 4-6 6-3 7-5 0-0 (Mayer retired)

Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan) beat Simone Bolelli (Italy) 6-4 6-4 2-1 (Bolelli retired)

29-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Pablo Andujar (Spain) 4-6 6-4 6-2 6-3

Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Florent Serra (France) 6-3 6-4 7-5

Federico Delbonis (Argentina) beat Julian Reister (Germany) 6-7(2) 6-1 6-0 6-4

Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) beat 22-Alexandr Dolgopolov (Ukraine) 7-6(7) 6-4 7-6(7)

Jack Sock (U.S.) beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 6-2 6-2 7-5

Lucas Pouille (France) beat Alex Kuznetsov (U.S.) 6-1 7-6(2) 6-2

12-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat Guillaume Rufin (France) 7-6(4) 6-1 6-3

Victor Hanescu (Romania) beat Bernard Tomic (Australia) 7-5 7-6(8) 2-1 (Tomic retired)

26-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Alejandro Falla (Colombia) 6-4 1-0 (Falla retired)

 

[Smallville22]

Baltacha comprehensively beaten at Roland Garros

Elena Baltacha became the second Brit to crash out of the French Open in straight sets when she was beaten 6-3 6-0 by New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic.
Baltacha, who is still on the comeback trail after more than six months out injured, made a bright start to the match on her least favourite surface as she broke in the opening game.
A consolidating hold quickly followed before Erakovic exploded into life with 10 straight points to break back.
From there the match was a very one-sided affair with world number 200 Baltacha, who follows British number one Laura Robson in exiting the tournament, managing just one more game as Erakovic, ranked 108 places higher than her opponent at 92, raced through the rest of the match.
Erakovic broke the Baltacha serve again in the sixth game before also breaking in the first third and fifth games of the second set to ensure her progression to the second round.
Next up for the New Zealander will be Dominika Cibulkova, the Slovakian a straight sets, 6-1 6-4 winner over Lesia Tsurenko.

Women's results:

16-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-1 6-4

Kristina Mladenovic (France) beat Lauren Davis (U.S.) 6-0 7-5

Silvia Soler Espinosa (Spain) beat Irina Begu (Romania) 6-3 6-2

31-Alize Cornet (France) beat Maria Joao Koehler (Portugal) 7-5 6-2

13-Marion Bartoli (France) beat Olga Govortsova (Belarus) 7-6(8) 4-6 7-5

9-Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat Kimiko Date-Krumm (Japan) 6-0 6-2

Mariana Duque (Colombia) beat Kristyna Pliskova (Czech Republic) 6-2 6-0

18-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 6-4 7-6(7)

27-Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) beat Coco Vandeweghe (U.S.) 6-0 3-6 6-2

 

[Smallville22]

Haas and Sock to meet in round two clash of the generations

While evergreen Tommy Haas was striking another blow for the over-30s on Tuesday, a few courts away at the French Open American Jack Sock, 15 years his junior, was crushing a seasoned Spanish professional with a display of pure youthful exuberance.
Current wisdom says ****** world of men's tennis is too tough for newcomers like Sock and that they must bide their time before breaking through in their mid 20s.
The 35-year-old Haas's incredible resurgence supports that logic, as does the fact that there were 30 players aged 30 and over in the main draw, compared with just three teenagers and nine aged 21 and under.
With Novak Djokovic the youngest member of the top four already 26 and 17-times grand slam champion and world number three Roger Federer now 31, it seems the days of teenagers challenging for major silverware are on hold.
However, Sock, who went through his entire high school tennis career without losing a match, proved against seasoned 30-year-old Guillermo Garcia-Lopez that there is plenty of emerging talent on the horizon.
Add the names of 19-year-old Frenchman Lucas Pouille and Australian upstart Nick Kyrgios, 18, and the second round will be well represented by the young guns keen to make their mark.
Kyrgios dismissed wily 34-year-old Czech Radek Stepanek on Monday while Pouille, who toughened himself up by playing obscure tournaments in Vietnam this year, accounted for American wildcard Alex Kuznetsov in convincing fashion.
Haas showed his enduring quality in beating Guillaume Rufin but will be wary of the threat of Sock, who showed admirable maturity to deal with the weather and an obdurate Spanish claycourter in his French Open debut.
Sock, who reached the third round of the U.S. Open last year and won the mixed doubles there in 2011 with Melanie Oudin, said he was relishing the challenge, having already sharpened his claycourt skills during three qualifying rounds.
"I practise with him a lot actually in Los Angeles and at tournaments," Sock, who like former world number one and idol Andy Roddick was born in Nebraska, told reporters.
"He's obviously a very good player and made a great comeback to be top 15 now in the world. I'm just going to go out there and have fun and compete hard and see how it goes."
A livewire character like Roddick, who once said of him "he sounds a little like an 18-year-old I knew once upon a time," Sock said he hoped his match with Haas would be on a show court.
"I like playing in front of people, I like the big stages. I mean, the more the merrier," he said.
Next up for Pouille, a little behind Sock in his development and ranked 310 in the world, is Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, the 28th seed who at 22 is finally beginning to release the potential that was clear as a teenager.
Dimitrov's steady rather than spectacular rise up the rankings since joining the Tour armed with a Wimbledon junior title and a style similar to Roger Federer, illustrates just how tough it can be to make the transition from junior to senior.
Pouille's progress is being closely monitored in France but he says the expectations being placed on his shoulders are not a problem. "I try not to pay that much attention to it," he said.
"Just keep moving on. Today I could be among the best in my age group, but you never know what the future holds."
A match against 28th seed Dimitrov will offer further evidence of his potential.
"He's in fine form. He almost beat Nadal. He's playing very well," he said. "But at end of day, it's a game of tennis. Even though he is the favorite, I will be entering the court with a desire to win, and that's it."

 

[Smallville22]

Order of play at Roland Garros: Wednesday 29 May

The full schedule for the fourth day at Roland Garros, with former champions Roger Federer and Serena Williams in action.

Play begins on all courts at 10am BST

Court Philippe Chatrier

Women's Singles - 1st Round

Elena Vesnina (RUS) vs. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [3]

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [6] vs. Jarkko Nieminen (FIN)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Gael Monfils (FRA) vs. Ernests Gulbis (LAT)

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Serena Williams (USA) [1] vs. Caroline Garcia (FRA)

Court Suzanne Lenglen

Women's Singles - 1st Round

Petra Kvitova (CZE) [7] vs.Aravane Rezai (FRA)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Milos Raonic (CAN) [14] vs. Michael Llodra (FRA)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Somdev Devvarman (IND) vs. Roger Federer (SUI) [2]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Mathilde Johansson (FRA) vs. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [14]

Court One

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [4] vs. Mallory Burdette (USA)

Men’s Singles - 1st Round

Nicolas Mahut (FRA) v Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) [8]

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Julien Benneteau (FRA) [30] vs. Tobias Kamke (GER)

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) vs. Sara Errani (ITA) [5]

Court Two

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Albert Montanes (ESP) vs.David Ferrer (ESP) [4]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Jana Cepelova (SVK) vs. Angelique Kerber (GER) [8]

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Gilles Simon (FRA) [15] vs. Pablo Cuevas (URU)

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Zuzana Kucova (SVK) vs. Virginie Razzano (FRA)

Court Three

Women's Singles - 1st Round

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) vs. Yanina Wickmayer (BEL)

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Varvara Lepchenko (USA) [29] vs. Elina Svitolina (UKR)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) vs. Nicolas Almagro (ESP) [11]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) vs. Roberta Vinci (ITA) [15]

Court Four

Women's Singles - 1st Round

Sandra Zahlavova (CZE) vs. Annika Beck (GER)

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Dinah Pfizenmaier (GER) vs. Urszula Radwanska (POL)

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Shelby Rogers (USA) vs. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) [20]

Court Five

Women's Singles - 1st Round

Shuai Peng (CHN) vs. Camila Giorgi (ITA)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Igor Sijsling (NED) vs. Tommy Robredo (ESP) [32]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Johanna Larsson (SWE) vs. Sorana Cirstea (ROU) [26]

Court Six

Women's Singles - 1st Round

Stefanie Voegele (SUI) vs. Heather Watson (GBR)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Andreas Seppi (ITA) [20] vs. Blaz Kavcic (SLO)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Jan Hajek (CZE) vs. Sam Querrey (USA) [18]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Monica Puig (PUR) vs. Madison Keys (USA)

Court Seven

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Nick Kyrgios (AUS) vs. Marin Cilic (CRO) [10]

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) vs. Jeremy Chardy (FRA) [25]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) [10] vs. Bojana Jovanovski (SRB)

Court Eight

Women's Singles - 1st Round

Jamie Hampton (USA) vs. Lucie Safarova (CZE) [25]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) [19] vs. Petra Cetkovska (CZE)

Court 10

Women's Singles - 1st Round

Ashleigh Barty (AUS) vs. Lucie Hradecka (CZE)

Court 11

Women's Singles - 1st Round

Klara Zakopalova (CZE) [23] vs. Kaia Kanepi (EST)

Court 14

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) vs. Viktor Troicki (SRB)

Court 16

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Feliciano Lopez (ESP) vs. Joao Sousa (POR)

Court 17

Women's SIngles - 1st Round

Nina Bratchikova (POR) vs. Maria Kirlenko (RUS) [12]

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) vs. Kevin Anderson (RSA) [23]

Women's Sinlgles - 2nd Round

Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Sabine Lisicki (GER) [32] vs. Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor (ESP)

 

[Smallville22]

Pfizenmaier ready for ****** Act 2

After beating Urszula Radwanska at the French Open on Wednesday, Dinah Pfizenmaier is likely to find her third-round opponent is extremely motivated.
Next up at Roland Garros for the German qualifier is Radwanska's elder ****** and last year's Wimbledon finalist, Agnieszka.
Pfizenmaier, ranked 127 in the world, has already improved upon her best grand-slam result by upsetting the younger Radwanska and hopes there is a ****** resemblance when it comes to her sibling's game.
"Maybe she plays like her ******," she said after beating the 40th-ranked Urszula. "Yeah, let's try to do the same or do it better and have fun. That's the most important thing for me."

 

[Smallville22]

Rezai keeps it in the ****** after all

A troubled relationship with her ****** led her to take charge of her own tennis career two years ago but Aravane Rezai is back with her ***, preferring to keep things in the ******, as others have done before her.
The French player fell out with ****** Arsalan in 2011 and severed contact with her ******.
Having fallen to world number 185 ahead of the French Open following health issues, however, former top-20 player Rezai turned to her ******, with whom she started her tennis adventure, the public courts where she practised often being lit by the headlights of Arsalan's camper van.
"I have been training with my *** for a week," Rezai told Reuters in an interview after her first-round defeat to Czech seventh seed Petra Kvitova at the French Open on Wednesday.
"So far it has been fine. Now I'm looking forward to the Wimbledon qualifications.
"We both have changed, we have the same goal: to succeed. So we both make concessions so that we can make it work."
Compatriot Marion Bartoli also had a difficult relationship with her ******-coach and, just like Australian Bernard Tomic recently, has patched things up with the ******.
John Tomic, who faces a court case for allegedly assaulting his ***'s former practice partner, was present in Paris as Bernard lost in the Roland Garros first round.
"My ****** is still working with me, he's still my ***, he's still my coach and I love him a lot," Tomic told reporters.
Bartoli, who ditched her ****** Walter last February before taking him back a few weeks ago, repeatedly looked at the players' box, where he was sitting as she progressed to the second round on Tuesday.
Bartoli, seeded 13th in Paris, has hired Thomas Drouet, the very man who was allegedly attacked by John Tomic, as her practice partner.
Tensions between fathers and ********* have long been present on the professional tennis circuit, as former players Jennifer Capriati, Jelena Dokic and Mary Pierce would testify.
"Everybody's got problems with their ****** or knows someone who's got problem with their ******," the 26-year-old Rezai said.
"It's just that I am a public figure so people make a lot of fuss about it but we're just trying to achieve something together."
It was Rezai, who reached a career-high world number 15 in late 2010, who initiated the reunion.
"I am the one who asked for it," Rezai, who is still involved with the Patrick Mouratoglou tennis academy, explained.
"My *** was ready and it's great to see that he's still as much invested as he was before and that he still has faith in me."
Rezai, still looking to find her pace again, managed to take the second set off former Wimbledon champion Kvitova on Wednesday before being beaten 6-3 4-6 6-2.
"It's nice but it's still a defeat," said Rezai, who is of Iranian descent and has represented the country at the Muslim Games.
"What I need is matches, victories, even if it's ITF tournaments," added Rezai, who had featured in only seven tournaments this season before the French Open.
She sees no reason why she cannot succeed with the help of her ******.
"I'm doing the best I can. I think I made an important decision and that it is the right decision," Rezai said.
"It has worked in the past so why would it not work now?"

 

[Smallville22]

British hopes end as Watson loses at Roland Garros

British interest in the French Open ended when Heather Watson went down in three sets to Switzerland's Stephanie Voegele.
The British number two and world number 48, in her first match since March after suffering from glandular fever, lost 4-6 6-2 4-6 in 118 minutes.
Watson was Britain's last representative in the singles draw after Elena Baltacha and Laura Robson lost in the first round. Andy Murray was ****** to withdraw from the tournament through injury and four players failed to come through qualifying.
"I'm really disappointed," she said afterwards. "I thought I had a good draw and a good chance to get through to the next round.
"I knew it was going to be tough, my first match back, but still I'm super disappointed I lost."
Watson, who turned 21 on Sunday, lost her serve in the fifth game of the opening set and that was the only break in the opening stanza.
But the Guernsey player levelled against her opponent, ranked eight places lower, by breaking three times in the next set as she looked to reach the last 64 at Roland Garros for the third consecutive year.
However after Voegele took a lengthy bathroom break between sets, she broke Watson in the opening game of the decider and that proved pivotal as she rounded out victory in just under two hours.
While disappointed with the defeat, Watson was realistic about her hopes following the extended lay off.
"I think being in a match situation and playing matches definitely helps," Watson said. "Naturally you want it, so you're trying a lot harder, using your muscles a lot more, rather than in practice when you're more relaxed and playing freely.
"So I think after today this has helped me, and it's a shame. I wanted more matches under my belt but I just have to work from here, get in the gym and do stuff to get fit for the grass."
During her lay-off, Watson's ranking has slipped and she has lost the British number one position to Robson. She will look for better fortune in the grasscourt season, having reached the third round of Wimbledon last year.

 

[Smallville22]

Serena and Azarenka through, Wozniacki out

World number one Serena Williams motored into the third round of the French Open with a 6-1 6-2 trouncing of French wildcard Caroline Garcia on Wednesday.
Garcia, 19, gave Maria Sharapova a run for her money on her previous appearance on centre court at Roland Garros two years ago but found top seed Williams in an unforgiving mood.
Williams roared into a 5-0 lead in the opening set before Garcia, ranked 114 in the world, held serve to generous applause from the crowd who had earlier witnessed victories for Frenchmen Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils.
There was precious little hope of a hat-trick of home wins on Chatrier though with Williams, who came into the match on a career-best 25-match winning streak, wrapping up the opening set in 27 minutes.
Garcia offered more resistance in the second set but was still no match for the 15-times grand slam champion who looks in the mood to add to her single French Open title.
Williams faces Romania's Sorana Cirstea in the third round.
A cacophony of noise on Chatrier Court signalled the belated appearance of women's third seed Victoria Azarenka as the Belarusian eased to the second round.
The stadium was barely one third full as Azarenka went through her paces but the low decibel level from the crowd on another chilly day in Paris was countered by the grunts, howls and groans coming from the two players.
Azarenka just about won the noise battle, although Russian Elena Vesnina ran her close, and she had little trouble winning the match either, going through 6-1 6-4.
Incredibly making her eighth main draw appearance at the French Open despite still being only 23, Azarenka had to wait until the fourth day to begin her challenge after rainy weather on Tuesday meant her first-round match was cancelled.
She now faces the prospect of seven matches in 11 days if she is to win the title here.
The twice Australian Open champion has never shone in Paris, with her best performance being quarter-finals in 2009 and 2011.
"It was great to start and there some tough points, especially for a first round match," Azarenka, who was briefly troubled in the second set, said on court before declaring her love for Paris.
She will face Germany's Annika Beck in the second round.
Former world number one and 10th seed Caroline Wozniacki suffered a surprise 7-6(2) 6-3 to unseeded Bojana Jovanovski.
Denmark's Wozniacki looked set for a decent run at Roland Garros after taming British number one Laura Robson in the first round, but she was disappointing against the Serb, who faces Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova next.
Czech seventh seed Petra Kvitova advanced into the second round after fighting off local wildcard Aravane Rezai's bold challenge in a 6-3 4-6 6-2 victory on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Polish hopes of a third-round meeting between the Radwanska sisters vanished after the fourth-seeded Agnieszka beat American Mallory Burdette 6-3 6-2 but Urszula went out 6-3 6-3 to German Dinah Pfizenmaier.

Women's results

Round 2

1-Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Caroline Garcia (France) 6-1 6-2

4-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat Mallory Burdette (U.S.) 6-3 6-2

5-Sara Errani (Italy) beat Yulia Putintseva (Kazakhstan) 6-1 6-1

8-Angelique Kerber (Germany) beat Jana Cepelova (Slovakia) 6-2 6-2

Bojana Jovanovski (Serbia) beat 10-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 7-6(2) 6-3

14-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) beat Mathilde Johansson (France) 6-2 6-2

15-Roberta Vinci (Italy) beat Galina Voskoboeva (Kazakhstan) 6-4 4-6 6-2

Petra Cetkovska (Czech Republic) beat 19-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) 7-5 2-6 6-4

20-Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) beat Shelby Rogers (U.S.) 3-6 6-4 6-4

26-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) beat Johanna Larsson (Sweden) 6-1 6-4

29-Varvara Lepchenko (U.S.) beat Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) 7-6(5) 6-1

32-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) beat Maria Teresa Torro (Spain) 6-4 6-0

Virginie Razzano (France) beat Zuzana Kucova (Slovakia) 4-6 6-2 6-0

Dinah Pfizenmaier (Germany) beat Urszula Radwanska (Poland) 6-3 6-3

Monica Puig (Puerto Rico) beat Madison Keys (U.S.) 6-4 7-6(2)

Round 1

3-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) beat Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-1 6-4

7-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat Aravane Rezai (France) 6-3 4-6 6-2

12-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) beat Nina Bratchikova (Portugal) 6-0 6-1

Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) beat 23-Klara Zakopalova (Czech Republic) 7-6(3) 6-2

Jamie Hampton (U.S.) beat 25-Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) 7-6(5) 3-6 9-7

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (Slovakia) beat Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) 7-6(5) 2-6 6-2

Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) beat Heather Watson (Britain) 6-4 2-6 6-4

Peng Shuai (China) beat Camila Giorgi (Italy) 6-4 6-2

Annika Beck (Germany) beat Sandra Zahlavova (Czech Republic) 6-2 6-1

 

[Smallville22]

Federer crushes Devvarman to progress

A quintet of Frenchmen led a home procession at Roland Garros on Wednesday but Roger Federer still threatens to rain on their parade after sauntering into the third round of the French Open.
On so-called ********'s Day at the claycourt slam it was ***'s stuff for second seed Federer as he thrashed Indian qualifier Somdev Devvarman 6-2 6-1 6-1.
While the Swiss is hugely popular with the Parisian fans, it was the progress of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils, Gilles Simon, Julien Benneteau and Jeremy Chardy that drew the loudest cheers.
Tsonga, the sixth seed and regarded as France's best hope for a first male grand slam singles champion since 1983, beat steady Finn Jarkko Nieminen 7-6 (6) 6-4 6-3 after saving a set point in the opening set to book a clash with Chardy.
Former semi-finalist Monfils, who was given a wildcard as he continues to climb back up the rankings after a knee injury, was next up on Philippe Chatrier Court and followed on from his first-round epic against fifth seed Tomas Berdych with a four-set win over Latvia's Ernests Gulbis.
The flamboyant Monfils was so taken by the atmosphere that at one changeover he grabbed his camera phone and began filming the crowd as they performed a Mexican wave.
Simon, seeded 15, struggled to impose himself against Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay but hit form to win 6-7 (2) 6-1 6-1 6-1 while Benneteau survived a five-setter against German Tobias Kamke.
Benneteau will now face Federer whom he led by two sets in the third round of Wimbledon last year before the Swiss maestro recovered to win and went on to claim his 17th grand slam title.
Federer, who has helpfully landed in the opposite half of the draw to defending champion Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic, was in merciless mood against Devvarman but was not getting ahead of himself as he chases a second French Open title.
"I think I'm playing okay," Federer, who has beaten two qualifiers so far without breaking sweat, told reporters.
"But definitely I think the next match is going to be sort of the big test for me to see exactly where I stand.
"I think I'll know more after the Benneteau match."
It was not all French glory on day four.
Women's top seed Serena Williams stamped out any hope of a rare French hat-trick of wins on Chatrier Court with a 6-1 6-2 victory against 19-year-old wildcard Caroline Garcia.
RAZOR SHARP
The American, like Federer looking for only her second French Open title despite multiple wins at the other slams, served six aces and looked razor-sharp as she extended her career-best winning streak to 26 matches.
"I just really wanted to be serious and to get this win under my belt," the 31-year-old said.
"I came out strong because I knew I had to."
Another chilly day beside the Bois de Boulogne began with a cacophony of noise on Chatrier as women's third seed Victoria Azarenka made her tournament bow after her first-round match against Russian Elena Vesnina was rained-off on Tuesday.
Azarenka, dressed in long sleeves and leggings, found her claycourt rhythm to earn a 6-1 6-4 victory in a stadium that was no more than a third full.
The low decibel level from the fans was more than offset by the grunts, howls and groans from the two players whose sound effects echoed around the arena.
Azarenka just about won the noise battle, although Vesnina ran her close, and the Belarussian afterwards said she had spent Tuesday watching television singing contest "The Voice".
"There's this girl. Her name is Judith. She was a duet singer with Michael Jackson. She's absolutely incredible. I mean, I have no idea how sound like that can come out of somebody's mouth," the 23-year-old told reporters.
Azarenka and Williams led a stampede of seeded women into the third round, although 10th seed Caroline Wozniacki, the former world number one, went out to Serbia's Bojana Jovanovski.
Last year's beaten finalist Sara Errani, seeded five, beat Yulia Putintseva 6-1 6-1, fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska saw off American Mallory Burdette 6-3 6-2 and former champion Ana Ivanovic, seeded 14, beat Frenchwoman Mathilde Johansson.
Radwanska was spared a third-round clash with her ****** Urszula who lost to Dinah Pfizenmaier.
Seventh seed Petra Kvitova also ended the hopes of a home player, struggling past wildcard Aravane Rezai in three sets.
The 28-year-old Tsonga, the last Frenchman to reach a major final in Australia in 2008, said he was happy to be carrying the flag for the sizeable home contingent which had 14 singles players in action on Wednesday.
"It's positive pressure because I have everything to win and I would say nothing to lose," Tsonga told reporters. "If I go far in this tournament or if I win, it's going to be huge."
Asked to summarise his performance, he said: "I played some 'pie in the sky' shots that I am not necessarily accustomed to doing, but I did. I could have produced a better copy book."
Big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic had too much power for yet another Frenchman, Michael Llodra, winning 7-5 3-6 7-6 (3) 6-2 to reach round three where he will face another giant with a cannonball delivery, South Africa's Kevin Anderson.
Fourth seed David Ferrer took his place in the third round almost unnoticed, thrashing fellow Spaniard Albert Montanes 6-2 6-1 6-3 on an outside court while Croatia's Marin Cilic ended the hopes of Australian upstart Nick Kyrgios, leaving France's Lucas Pouille as the only teenager left in the men's draw.

Men's results

Round 2

2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Somdev Devvarman (India) 6-2 6-1 6-1

4-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Albert Montanes (Spain) 6-2 6-1 6-3

6-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 7-6(6) 6-4 6-3

10-Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Nick Kyrgios (Australia) 6-4 6-2 6-2

11-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) 6-2 6-4 6-3

14-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat Michael Llodra (France) 7-5 3-6 7-6(3) 6-2

15-Gilles Simon (France) beat Pablo Cuevas (Uruguay) 6-7(2) 6-1 6-1 6-1

18-Sam Querrey (U.S.) beat Jan Hajek (Czech Republic) 6-4 7-5 6-4

20-Andreas Seppi (Italy) beat Blaz Kavcic (Slovenia) 6-0 7-6(3) 6-7(2) 4-6 6-3

23-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat Evgeny Donskoy (Russia) 6-7(8) 6-1 7-5 6-2

30-Julien Benneteau (France) beat Tobias Kamke (Germany) 7-6(9) 7-5 5-7 0-6 6-4

32-Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Igor Sijsling (Netherlands) 6-7(2) 4-6 6-3 6-1 6-1

Gael Monfils (France) beat Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 6-7(5) 6-4 7-6(4) 6-2

Viktor Troicki (Serbia) beat Daniel Gimeno-Traver (Spain) 4-6 7-6(4) 6-0 6-7(7) 6-4

Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat Joao Sousa (Portugal) 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-4

Round 1

8-Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) beat Nicolas Mahut (France) 6-2 7-6(4) 6-1

24-Benoit Paire (France) beat Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 3-6 7-6(1) 6-4 6-4

Lukasz Kubot (Poland) beat Maxime Teixeira (France) 6-4 5-7 7-6(7) 6-2

Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) beat Vasek Pospisil (Canada) 7-6(9) 6-4 6-7(4) 2-6 8-6

 

[Smallville22]

Order of play at Roland Garros: Thursday 30 May

The full schedule for the fourth day at Roland Garros, with current champions Maria Sharapova and Rafa Nadal on court.

Play begins on all courts at 10am BST

Court Philippe Chatrier

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) vs. Samantha Stosur (AUS) [9]

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Novak Djokovic (SRB) [1] vs. Guido Pella (ARG)

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) vs. Maria Sharapova (RUS) [2]

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Michal Przysiezny (POL) vs. Richard Gasquet (FRA) [7]

Court Suzanne Lenglen

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Lucas Pouille (FRA)vs.Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) [26]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Annika Beck (GER)vs.Victoria Azarenka (BLR) [3]

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Rafael Nadal (ESP) [3]vs.Martin Klizan (SVK)

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Francesca Schiavone (ITA)vs.Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) [21]

Court One

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Na Li (CHN) [6]vs.Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Benoit Paire (FRA) [24]vs.Lukasz Kubot (POL)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Fernando Verdasco (ESP)vs.Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) [8]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Marion Bartoli (FRA) [13]vs.Mariana Duque-Marino (COL)

Court Two

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Grega Zemlja (SLO)vs.Kei Nishikori (JPN) [13]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Alize Cornet (FRA) [31]vs.Silvia Soler-Espinosa (ESP)

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Ashleigh Barty (AUS)vs.Maria Kirilenko (RUS) [12]

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Tommy Haas (GER) [12]vs.Jack Sock (USA)

Court Three

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Jelena Jankovic (SRB) [18]vs.Garbine Muguruza (ESP)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Lukas Rosol (CZE)vs.Fabio Fognini (ITA) [27]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Kaia Kanepi (EST)vs.Stefanie Voegele (SUI)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Ryan Harrison (USA)vs.John Isner (USA) [19]

Court Five

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Melanie Oudin (USA)vs.Jie Zheng (CHN)

Court Six

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE)vs.Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) [16]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Vania King (USA)vs.Sloane Stephens (USA) [17]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Petra Kvitova (CZE) [7]vs.Shuai Peng (CHN)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Denis Istomin (UZB)vs.Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)

Court Seven

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) [16]vs.Marina Erakovic (NZL)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [9]vs.Horacio Zeballos (ARG)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Robin Haase (NED)vs.Jerzy Janowicz (POL) [21]

Court Eight

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Dmitry Tursunov (RUS)vs.Victor Hanescu (ROU)

Court 17

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Paula Ormaechea (ARG)vs.Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) [27]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK)vs.Jamie Hampton (USA)

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) [29]vs.Federico Delbonis (ARG)

 

[Smallville22]

Improving Jankovic moves through in Paris

Former world number one Jelena Jankovic moved into the third round of the French Open with a straight-sets win over Garbine Muguruza.
It is easy to forget Jankovic ended 2008 as the top player in the world, with a first Grand Slam title seemingly not far away.
But things did not quite go to plan for the Serb, now aged 28 - and arriving at this year's French Open seeded 18 she is not on many people's lists of potential champions.
There have been signs this year though that Jankovic is returning to the kind of form that once made her a fixture in the top 10 and regular title winner.
On Thursday at Roland Garros she moved through with an impressive 6-3 6-0 victory over Spain's Muguruza, storming through the last 12 games after losing the first three and getting off court just as the rain began to fell.
In the first round against former world number five Daniela Hantuchova she recovered a 5-0 second-set deficit so there is clearly nothing wrong with her fighting spirit.
"Since Miami this year I've felt the confidence coming back and I feel like I'm competing as a top player again," Jankovic told Reuters.
"I know that when I'm healthy and free of injuries I'm still capable of playing great tennis.
"I started slowly today but then won 12 games in a row. I just beat the rain too, so that's a relief."
From the US Open in 2006 when Jankovic reached her first Grand Slam semi-final she enjoyed a run of consistency that took her all the way to number one in the world, reaching three semi-finals and a final in the next eight Grand Slam tournaments.
Since losing to Serena Williams in the 2008 US Open final she has found it much harder to make an impression at the majors with her 2010 run to the semi-finals at Roland Garros when she lost to Samantha Stosur her best effort in the past four years.
Stosur is Jankovic's likely third round opponent here.
Jankovic ended last year out of the top 20 for the first time since 2005 and appeared to be on the decline as injuries to her back and thigh caught up with her.
But she is not finished yet.
"I'm only 28," she joked, when it was suggested she was one of the Tour's more mature players.
"We are seeing now that players are sticking around much longer and still challenging for titles into their late 20s and into their 30s, just look at Serena.
"(Francesca) Schiavone also won the French when she was 30 I think recently so just because you're late 20s doesn't mean that it's time to start dropping down the rankings.
"I feel more mature now, I know my game more. When I was younger I didn't have so many niggling injuries but the good side now is that I'm a more complete player.
"When I reached the semi-finals at Miami this year it was a real lift and I also won my 13th title in Bogota, so it's been an upward curve this season and I'm enjoying it and am motivated."

Women's results

Round 2

9-Samantha Stosur (Australia) beat Kristina Mladenovic (France) 6-4 6-3

18-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) beat Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) 6-3 6-0

Paula Ormaechea (Argentina) beat 27-Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) 6-4 7-6(6)

Zheng Jie (China) beat Melanie Oudin (U.S.) 6-3 6-1

 

[Smallville22]

Azarenka revels on shifting sands in Paris

Power merchants often find their wheels slipping on clay, preferring the solid feel of hard courts, yet Victoria Azarenka is revelling in getting down and dirty on the red dust as she targets a maiden French Open crown.
The former world number one and twice Australian Open champion has never gone past the last eight in the singles at Roland Garros but the Belarussian is confident she is making steady progress on the slippery surface.
Like fellow baseliner Maria Sharapova, who once described herself as a "cow on ice" on clay before adjusting so well she won the French Open, Azarenka is more at ease on quick surfaces, on which her best results have come.
Pete Sampras won 14 major titles, although he reached the French Open semi-final only once.
Andy Murray, the U.S. Open champion, has never won a title on clay while even 15-times grand slam champion Serena Williams has to go back to 2002 to recall her only French title.
"Because the movement changes a lot, the game changes a lot," Azarenka, who won only one of her 16 titles on clay, told Reuters after defeating German Annika Beck 6-4 6-3 in the second round on Thursday.
"You don't have a steady ground, you have to slide and that can throw you off balance, while on hard court or grass you don't have that same ground,"
Azarenka, however, is determined to break the secret of clay. If Sharapova won the French Open last year, why couldn't she?
"I feel that every year I improve, there is still a lot of room for me to improve but I'm getting really excited by this challenge," she said, before detailing the changes a player needs to make to play on clay.
What makes the difference between clay and the other surfaces - hard, grass - is that to perform on the slowest surface, you need to change your game.
"You need to really adapt to the surface," added Azarenka, who will face France's Alize Cornet for a place in the last 16.
"You don't just have to work on your movement speed wise, you also need to make the small adjustements, the footwork, the litle steps."
To play on clay and manage the sometimes lung-burning rallies, one needs a different mindset.
"These adjustements, details are very important. You have to understand that and work on it," said Azarenka, who reached the final of the Italian Open, a big pre-French Open claycourt event, after beating claycourt specialists and former French Open runners up Samantha Stosur of Australia and Italian Sara Errani.
"Sometimes it's a bit difficult because you need to change your game but I'm really willing to do that," she said.
Just like the play on clay, adapting to the surface is a slow process.
"I try to take the best out of what happened the previous years and put them together to develop a better strategy, a better movement to become a better athlete on this surface," said Azarenka, who gained confidence from the Italian Open despite losing the final to Serena Williams.
"It was a great feeling to come back and to compete at this level, it gives you definitely a boost. It shows I can play good here," said Azarenka.
"I understand (the surface) better this year, I'm always curious as an athlete, it's a process that's not going to end after this tournament."

 

[Smallville22]

Mattek-Sands lets her racket do the talking

Better known for her outrageous outfits, American Bethanie Mattek-Sands says she is finally letting her racket do the talking after upsetting former French Open champion Li Na on Thursday.
Mattek-Sands' off-beat on-court costumes, including jackets adorned with tennis balls, leopard-print dresses and knee-length long socks, have earned her the title of tennis' Lady Gaga.
In the past, however, her game has often failed to hit the high notes.
Yet with her former attire back in the wardrobe, the 66th-ranked American produced the shock of the day to beat Li 5-7 6-3 6-2 at Roland Garros.
"I haven't worn anything too crazy on court for a few years now," she told reporters. "I feel like my racket has been doing a lot of the talking."
The war-paint that used to adorn her face was also left on the shelf for Thursday's match. But, if her mood dictates, it might make a return.
"Well, it's funny. The chair umpire asked me the other day if I was missing my makeup," she added.
"My fashion kind of goes with my moods. I do spur-of-the-moment things. I have them with me. It's potential."

 

[Smallville22]

Djokovic destroys Pella

Novak Djokovic's French Open credentials were given the lightest of examinations in a 6-2 6-0 6-2 second-round win over Argentina's Guido Pella on Thursday.
The world number one had the stronger weapons and pushed his opponent on to the back foot with his superior court-craft in a match that lasted just one hour and 26 minutes after being delayed by rain and then halted again when the downpours returned.
After some closely fought rallies early on, Djokovic, trying to complete his career grand slam here after falling in the final last year to Rafa Nadal, decided enough was enough.
Placing the ball almost at will in the corners, he carved through the next 11 games, showing no mercy with the threat of further rain lurking on the Parisian skyline.
"It's like deja vu from two days ago, you know, coming in and out and warming up five times, " said Djokovic.
"But it is the way it is, it's weather. You can't affect the nature. I'm just glad that I finished the match today."
Djokovic will face more of a test in the third round where he will face 26th seed Grigor Dimitrov who became the first Bulgarian man to reach that stage of a grand slam since tennis turned professional in 1968.
Dimitrov, who stunned Djokovic in Madrid this year, put out French wildcard Lucas Pouille 6-1 7-6 6-1, ending the run of the last remaining teenager in the men's draw.
Dimitrov, 22, had done most of the job before the first of two rain interruptions. He finished it off in ruthless style, moving Pouille left and right with great authority.
"I'm going to take a bit of rest because it's played over the best of five sets," a beaming Dimitrov, who is seeded for the first time at a grand-slam event, told a courtside interviewer.
"It's always nice to play the number one in the world. I'm just going to get ready, it's just the third round of the tournament."

Men's results

1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat Guido Pella (Argentina) 6-2 6-0 6-2

13-Kei Nishikori (Japan) beat Grega Zemlja (Slovenia) 6-1 5-7 6-1 6-4

16-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan)WO

26-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Lucas Pouille (France) 6-1 7-6(4) 6-1

24-Benoit Paire (France) beat Lukasz Kubot (Poland) 7-6(2) 6-2 6-4

27-Fabio Fognini (Italy) beat Lukas Rosol (Czech Republic) 6-2 7-6(3) 2-6 6-1

Victor Hanescu (Romania) beat Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 6-4 6-6 (Tursunov retired)

 

[Smallville22]

Order of play at Roland Garros: Friday 31 May

The full schedule for the fifth day at Roland Garros, with current champions Rafa Nadal and Maria Sharapova on court.

The weather gods seem to be conspiring against Nadal's hopes of winning a record-breaking eighth French Open title.
Thursday's rain at Roland Garros left the Spaniard kicking his heels in the locker room and he now faces the prospect of winning six matches in 10 days if he is to retain his title.
Fierce rival and top seed Novak Djokovic got lucky and thrashed Guido Pella in the second round between the showers on Thursday but Nadal, who faces Slovakia's Martin Klizan, has not played for four days.
It is not ideal, especially as Italy's dangerous claycourter Fabio Fognini is already through and waiting for defending champion Nadal having had an extra day's rest.
Klizan, who just missed out on being seeded, is a tall, powerful left-hander and an unknown quantity for Nadal who has never faced him before.
It should be a formality, but Germany's Daniel Brands proved on Monday that Nadal can be vulnerable before he starts firing on all cylinders at Roland Garros.
Friday's schedule is a packed one with the remaining, and unfinished, second round matches vying for court space with third round ties, the pick of which is second seed Roger Federer up against Frenchman Julien Benneteau.
Women's top seed Serena Williams is also in third round action on Friday against Romania's Sorana Cirstea while home fans will have plenty to cheer with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils and Marion Bartoli all on show courts.
Thankfully the dreadful weather that has afflicted the tournament so far is expected to ease from Friday, hopefully lighting the touchpaper for a tournament yet to come alive.

Play begins on all courts at 10am BST

Court Philippe Chatrier

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Marion Bartoli (FRA) [13] v Mariana Duque-Marino (COL)

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) v Maria Sharapova (RUS) [2] 2-6 4-6

Men's Singles - 3rd Round

Julien Benneteau (FRA) [30] v Roger Federer (SUI) [2]

Men's Singles - 3rd Round

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [6] v 25-Jeremy Chardy (FRA)

Women's Singles - 3rd Round

Virginie Razzano (FRA) v Ana Ivanovic (SRB) [14]

Court Suzanne Lenglen

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Rafael Nadal (ESP) [3] v Martin Klizan (SVK)

Women's Singles - 3rd Round

Serena Williams (USA) [1] v Sorana Cirstea (ROM) [26]

Men's Singles - 3rd Round

Gael Monfils (FRA) v Tommy Robredo (ESP) [32]

Women's Singles - 3rd Round

Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) [4] v Dinah Pfizenmaier (GER)

Court One

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Michal Przysiezny (POL) v Richard Gasquet (FRA) [7]

Men's Singles - 3rd Round

Feliciano Lopez (ESP) v David Ferrer (ESP) [4]

Women's Singles - 3rd Round

Sabine Lisicki (GER) [32] v Sara Errani (ITA) [5]

Women's Singles - 3rd Round

Varvara Lepchenko (USA) [29] v Angelique Kerber (GER) [8]

Court 2

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Tommy Haas (GER) [12] v Jack Sock (USA)

Women's Singles - 2ndRound

Francesca Schiavone (ITA) v Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) [21]

Men's Singles - 3rd Round

Gilles Simon (FRA) [15] v Sam Querrey (USA) [18]

Women's Singles - 3rd Round

Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) v Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)

Court 3

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Fernando Verdasco (ESP) v Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) [8]

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Kaia Kanepi (EST) v Stefanie Voegele (SUI) To Finish 6-5

Women's Singles - 3rd Round

Monica Puig (PUR) v Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) [20]

Men's Singles - 3rd Round

Andreas Seppi (ITA) [20] v Nicolas Almagro (ESP) [11]

Court 6

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) v Denis Istomin (UZB) To Finish 3-2

Women's Singles - 2nd Round

Ashleigh Barty (AUS) v Maria Kirilenko (RUS) [12] To Finish 3-3

Men's Singles - 3rd Round

Viktor Troicki (SRB) v Marin Cilic (CRO) [10]

Court 7

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Ryan Harrison (USA) v John Isner (USA) [19]

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) [9] v Horacio Zeballos (ARG) To Finish 6-2 7-6(2) 3-3

Men's Singles - 3rd Round

Milos Raonic (CAN) [14] v Kevin Anderson (RSA) [23]

Women's Singles - 3rd Round

Petra Cetkovska (CZE) v Roberta Vinci (ITA) [15]

Court 16

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Robin Haase (NED) v Jerzy Janowicz (POL) [21]

Court 17

Men's Singles - 2nd Round

Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) [29] v Federico Delbonis (ARG) To Finish 6-3 1-1

 

[Smallville22]

Serena talks the talk, but not about tennis

Ask Serena Williams about her dog, her stick-men self portraits or the quirky names she gives her multiple personalities and she will happily chew your ear off - mention her tennis and words are few and far between.
We learned on Friday that her dog, the one with the 'bad attitude' has had a haircut after the Parisian rain caused his fur to knot and a favourite artist was a guy on television who much to her surprise is now dead.
Her stunningly impressive start to the French Open campaign, in which she has dropped six games in three matches, however, is: "Okay. (I'm) Just taking every match a little bit at a time and just trying to stay focused."
On Friday, she motored into the third round with a straight sets win over Romanian Sorana Cirstea. It lasted just one hour and one minute.
It was her third consecutive stroll around the red clay of Paris's 16th arrondissement and provided an ominous warning to her rivals and almost certainly left her next opponent wondering if she should even bother turning up.
But if the world number one and 15-times grand slam winner is starting to let her mind wander to the possibility of a second Roland Garros title and first since 2002, then she is certainly keeping a lid on it.
"I would love to win this one, but there is still a lot of people in the draw that would love to win this tournament, as well. I'm just one of those."
The eyes that had glazed over moments ago, though, flicked back to life when the latest canine addition to her ****** got a mention.
"I tweeted the cutest picture of him," she beamed. "He just got a haircut, because he didn't like the Paris rain so much, so he got some knots on him. So we had to shave him. His name is Chip, and I love him a lot.
"He's just a bundle of joy."

 

[Smallville22]

Battle-hardened Isner shows way for young Americans

If young Americans like Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock are to keep climbing the rankings they will need plenty of the staying power compatriot John Isner demonstrated once again on Friday.
The 28-year-old Isner, who won the longest tennis match of all time at Wimbledon in 2010, delved deep into his fuel reserves to fight off Harrison, 21, from two sets down to reach the third round of the French Open.
While nowhere near as long as the 76-game marathon Isner endured when losing to Paul-Henri Mathieu here a year ago and not in the same league as his 11-hour five-minute match against Nicolas Mahut that entered tennis folklore, Friday's 5-7 6-7 (7) 6-3 6-1 8-6 win was a bruising battle.
Harrison is yet to back up his early promise and languishes 87th in the rankings, still looking for his first ATP title.
Friday's failure to finish off 19th seed Isner will cast fresh doubts over his ability to win the big matches, having now lost his last nine in Grand Slams to seeded players.
However, he could take inspiration from Isner who had lost his previous six five-set battles, including at every Grand Slam tournament last year, but keeps coming back for more.
"Winning a five-set match is extremely satisfying ... every single one," Isner said.
"I played well in 2012 but that really was a tough pill to swallow for me. This one helps and I really do think it will help me going forward."
Harrison has never got past the second round at a Grand Slam,although in mitigation he has suffered with bad draws.
"To say I'm not frustrated by it is a lie," he said of his Grand Slam record. "I want to be in the later rounds, second week, and doing bigger things than I'm doing now.
"I competed my butt off out there. I came close and we're talking a backhand crosscourt and a tape from being up in the fifth.
"Hopefully I go to Wimbledon and don't have to play Roger (Federer) or Novak (Djokovic) or one of those guys first round."
Qualifier Sock, 20, is still to crack the top-100 and was given a lesson by battle-hardened German Tommy Haas on Friday.
"It was a great learning experience. I kind of know now what I need to do to get to the next level," said Sock, who hails from Nebraska like former world number one Andy Roddick, after his 7-6 (3) 6-2 7-5 defeat.

 

[Smallville22]

Nadal and Federer through, Isner in another marathon

Defending champion Rafa Nadal stuttered for the second time so far at the French Open before moving through to the third round with a 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-3 victory over Slovakia's Martin Klizan.
The Spaniard, looking for his eighth Roland Garros title, looked ill at ease as fellow left hander Klizan came out swinging and dropped the first set before raising his game enough to claim victory in two hours 44 minutes.
In the third round, number two seed Roger Federer eased past France's Julien Benneteau 6-3 6-4 7-5 to reach the fourth round in awe-inspiring fashion.
There was the usual array of running aerial forehands, gravity-defying drop shots and whipped backhands as the former world number one booked a meeting with French 15th seed Gilles Simon who beat American Sam Querrey 2-6 6-3 2-6 7-6 (2) 6-2.
Benneteau, the 30th seed, broke in the first game to open a 2-0 lead but 17-times Grand Slam champion Federer kept his cool and turned the situation around in no time.
Benneteau, who has been struggling with a groin problem, bowed out on the first match point when he could not retrieve another powerful Federer forehand.
Federer left Court Philippe Chatrier on a standing ovation from the Paris crowd.
"You are so nice to me," Federer said courtside with a smile. "I'm sorry for Julien, he looked diminished," he added after a 91-minute tennis masterclass.
Benneteau started with an exquisite crosscourt forehand winner and took the first game on Federer's serve but the Frenchman, who beat the Swiss in Rotterdam this year, could not sustain the pace.
At 3-3, Federer upped the tempo, winning 14 points in a row to snatch the opening set and he started the second in convincing style with some jaw-dropping shots.
The second game of the second set lasted just 45 seconds and Federer flicked a sublime backhand into Benneteau's feet to break decisively in the ninth game.
Benneteau continued to fight in the third, but Federer, who won the title in Paris in 2009, was simply too good.
He has now dropped 23 games over three straight-set victories.
"I'm happy because I have not used much of my energy so far," said Federer.
"I feel totally relaxed. Mentally I'm okay. I'm quite confident. I can feel it, which is what you need to be if you want to go deep and have good results here at Roland Garros."
Thursday's heavy rain meant Nadal's match was one of several second-round ties held over and having not played since Monday, and the Spaniard was clearly not firing on all cylinders against Klizan.
On Monday he was pushed hard by Daniel Brands and world number 35 Klizan had obviously taken a leaf out of the German's book with some heavy hitting from the baseline to break the misfiring Spaniard's serve in the eighth game.
Klizan brought up set point with a second serve ace and claimed the opener in 40 minutes.
Nadal surged 4-0 ahead in the second but 23-year-old Klizan remained a threat and recovered one of the breaks of serve.
Third seed Nadal took the second set and then moved a break ahead in the third but wobbled at 3-2 when Klizan earned two break points, only to squander his chance to draw level.
Klizan's challenge then faded and Nadal, without looking totally convincing and carelessly dropping serve late in the fourth set, secured a Saturday clash with Italian Fabio Fognini.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga continued his march towards a potential quarter-final with Federer by reaching the fourth round with a 6-1 6-2 7-5 win over fellow Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.
Sixth seed Tsonga, the highest-ranked French player in the singles draws, next meets Serbian Viktor Troicki.
"I was more solid than in the previous round," said Tsonga.
Asked how he would spend his day off, he replied: "I'm not going shopping because I'm not allowed to ... I'm not allowed to cuddle either because it's energy-sapping. There's not much I'm allowed to do so I'm going to practise."
Tsonga, who has yet to drop a set, took 102 minutes to dispose of Australian Open quarter-finalist Chardy on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The 28-year-old Tsonga, as usual, relied on a big serve and a booming forehand and ended 25th seed Chardy's ordeal on his second match point with a service winner.
Tsonga said he loved playing on courts made heavy by damp weather.
"I feel good when it's heavy because it gives me time to strike the ball and also gives me time to run from one ball to the next because it's going slower," he said.
"I can have my power from the baseline felt by the opponent."
But there was double despair for France after wildcard Gael Monfils's 2-6 6-7 (5) 6-2 7-6 (3) 6-2 defeat by Tommy Robredo of Spain and Benneteau's loss to Federer.
Monfils, who has recently been hampered by a nagging knee injury, ****** four match points before crumbling in the decider.
Earlier, home hope Richard Gasquet advanced to the third round. The seventh seed demolished Poland's Michal Przysniezny 6-3 6-3 6-0 and next plays Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
American marathon man John Isner soothed the memory of his record-breaking loss at last year's French Open with victory over Ryan Harrison in another five-set epic.
A year to the day that he lost to local favourite Paul-Henri Mathieu in a 76-game battle, the most ever played in a men's match at Roland Garros, Isner held off young *** Harrison to win 5-7 6-7 (7) 6-3 6-1 8-6 in three hours 50 minutes.
The 19th seed looked to be on the way out after dropping the opening two sets in a second-round match held over from Thursday but struck back to grind down his 21-year-old rival.
After sealing victory, the 28-year-old was bent double after another ****** encounter and clearly relieved after ending a six-match losing sequence in matches going to five sets.
Isner, who faces Tommy Haas next, holds the overall all time record for the longest professional match in history when he beat France's Nicolas Mahut 6-4 3-6 6-7 7-6 70-68 at Wimbledon in 2010. The match lasted 11 hours and five minutes.
David Ferrer - the fourth seed - beat fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-1 7-5 6-4 in the first match of the third round and will next face Kevin Anderson, who became the first South African to reach the fourth round of the French Open since 1996 when he out-slugged 14th seed Milos Raonic.
The 27-year-old, Africa's only men's singles main draw entrant, won 7-5 7-6(4) 6-3 in a match he dominated with his serve to equal the feat of Wayne Ferreira.
In doing so, the six-foot-eight-inch Anderson also equalled his best ever Grand Slam showing having also reached the last 16 at the Australian Open earlier this year.
"Wayne is a great player to aspire to and to try and reach some of his achievements," Anderson said.
"He was a great player and I've still obviously got a long way to go to...but being in the fourth round is great. A lot of people think clay is not a good surface but I enjoy playing on it."
Ferrer will be a different type of contest to the one against the giant Raonic and Anderson is hoping for warmer, drier weather in time for Sunday's fourth round.
"I think it might help," said the South African after delivering 16 aces. "The serve might bounce up a little bit more and it may be easier to control points and get the ball up a little bit.
"I think that would be a bit more to my advantage."

Men's results

Round 3:

2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat 30-Julien Benneteau (France) 6-3 6-4 7-5

4-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 6-1 7-5 6-4

6-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat 25-Jeremy Chardy (France) 6-1 6
-2 7-5
Viktor Troicki (Serbia) beat 10-Marin Cilic (Croatia) 7-6(12) 6-4 7-5

11-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat 20-Andreas Seppi (Italy) 7-6(1) 6-0 6-4

23-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat 14-Milos Raonic (Canada) 7-5 7-6(4) 6-3

15-Gilles Simon (France) beat 18-Sam Querrey (U.S.) 2-6 6-3 2-6 7-6(2) 6-2

32-Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Gael Monfils (France) 2-6 6-7(5) 6-2 7-6(3) 6-2

Round 2:

3-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat Martin Klizan (Slovakia) 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-3

7-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Michal Przysiezny (Poland) 6-3 6-3 6-0

8-Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) beat Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 7-6(3) 6-1 3-6 5-7 8-6

9-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) 6-2 7-6(2) 6-4

12-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat Jack Sock (U.S.) 7-6(3) 6-2 7-5

19-John Isner (U.S.) beat Ryan Harrison (U.S.) 5-7 6-7(7) 6-3 6-1 8-6

21-Jerzy Janowicz (Poland) beat Robin Haase (Netherlands) 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-3

29-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Federico Delbonis (Argentina) 6-3 6-7(5) 7-5 6-4

Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) 6-4 7-5 6-2