Tennis News

The top seed at this year’s French Open will come across a player seeded 19 places below him in the draw when Novak Djokovic steps out on court to face Richard Gasquet for a spot in the quarter-final round of the tournament. Novak leads the overall head-to-head 10-1 and has won eight consecutive matches against Gasquet, dating back to 2010.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic stepped out on court on Saturday to challenge one of the tour’s rising star in Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis, who gave the Serb a tough, competitive fight for the entire duration of their match. While Djokovic won the match in straight sets, it was a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 scoreline and he was not shy to congratulate Kokkinakis on his efforts thereafter.

“I think that tennis needs players like Thanasi, who is a teenager, but still able to come out on centre court and play with courage and play with power and believe in himself,” said Djokovic following a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Kokkinakis. “He’s one of this group of three, four young players that are starting to be more and more consistent and make a couple of big wins in their careers and that are obviously expected to do very well from the tennis world.”

In a slightly more difficult meeting earlier in the day, Richard Gasquet was forced to rally from a set down to beat Kevin Anderson 4-6, 7-6, 7-5, 6-4. He withstood 22 aces, struck 44 winners and converted two break points to earn the win.

Djokovic leads the head-to-head with Gasquet 10-1 and has not lost to the Frenchman in eight consecutive matches spanning over four years. Gasquet has not taken a set off the Serbian no. 1 since his last win over him in 2007, when the Tour Finals was hosted in Shanghai. It is hard to imagine Richard having much luck against Djokovic,. In all cases, this should be a quick straight sets victory for Djokovic but it is not impossible for Gasquet to stretch it a fourth set.
 

Following three solid matches at Roland Garros this season, nine-time champion Rafael Nadal will be faced with his first legitimate obstacle in the draw when he comes up against America’s Jack Sock in the fourth round of the tournament. This will serve as the first meeting between the two competitors and will certainly be an entertaining affair on Monday.

In a surprisingly quick rise in form, Nadal managed to secure entry into the fourth round of the French Open following yet another straight sets win against Andrey Kuznetsov. Seeded sixth at this year’s tournament, Nadal struck 33 winners and converted eight break points to secure the 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 win.

“It will be not fair if I say that I am not happy about what happened this first week, being fourth round without losing a set,” said Nadal. “I think playing solid, consistent. That’s what I need to. Then I arrive the second week and you know that you have to go that extra step to have chances. So I hope to have a good practice tomorrow and be ready to play a great match on Monday, because I will need it.”

Nadal will come up against Jack Sock, who earned his place in his first Grand Slam fourth round when he defeated 18-year-old Borna Coric in straight sets. He struck six aces and 31 winners to close out the match 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.

“It was a good day for me,” Sock said. “I was fortunate enough to play great tennis. And once again, things I was looking to do I was able to do that very well today. In general, I think he plays pretty far behind the baseline and kind of lets the opponent maneuver the ball a little bit. He’s a great defender, makes a lot of balls, and is very quick. I usually feel pretty good when I’m hitting a lot of forehands, especially from the left side of the court, and able to move the ball around and dictate play. I was able to do that today fortunately.”

This marks the first time that Nadal and Sock will cross paths on the professional tour and could be considered a mild litmus test for Nadal to determine whether he is indeed on a rapid return to form, or if he simply has not met the correct level of competition yet.
 

For the third time so far this season, world No. 1 Serena Williams and American youngster Sloane Stephens will meet again on the WTA tour to rekindle their rivalry. Stephens’ ascended to notoriety with her upset victory over Williams at the Australian Open two years ago but still trails her American counterpart 1-4 in the head-to-head series. She also lost her only clay court encounter against Williams, which took place a few weeks ago in Madrid.

In a bizarre third round encounter on Saturday, Serena Williams found herself down a set and a break to Victoria Azarenka before she reeled off four consecutive games to secure the second set and force a decider. From there, Williams rallied to victory to secure her run to the fourth round of the tournament.

“I was really disappointed with my last match, and I knew I couldn’t play like that against someone like Vika. It would be impossible to win,” Williams said. “Even though I lost the first set, I told myself, ‘Well at least you’re playing better than in your second round match.’ I would have lost so easily if I played that same way. It was definitely better today – it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

In a far simpler match, Sloane Stephens dispatched Tsvetana Pironkova in straight sets to earn her place in the fourth round. She won the match 6-4, 6-1 in one hour and 15 minutes of court time.

This marks the sixth time that Williams and Stephens will cross paths on the professional tour and the third time so far this season. Williams leads the head-to-head series 4-1. Apart from their most recent meetings at Indian Wells and Madrid over the past few months, the two had not crossed paths in over two years, which certainly added to the flair. In the end, however, Williams should still have little trouble closing out this match. She won their most recent encounter – a clay court match – in straight sets and will likely duplicate that effort in Paris on Monday.

2009 Roland Garros champion Roger Federer cruised into the fourth round of the tournament, the major championship that he has only lifted once in his illustrious career so far. There, he will encounter Gael Monfils, whom he has faced on 12 previous occasions and leads 8-4 in the series. Monfils won their most recent encounter last month in Monte Carlo and will look to extend that streak further this week in Paris.

The tournament’s second seed advanced to the fourth round of the French Open with a straight sets win against Damir Dzumhur. He struck 38 winners an 22 unforced errors to close out the win 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 28 minutes of court time.

Seeded 13th at this year’s event, Gael Monfils completed the Friday of action in Paris with a five set win against Pablo Cuevas. He defeated the 21st seed 4-6, 7-6(1), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to secure entry into the final 16 at Roland Garros. Given his success against Federer in the past, this is certainly one of the matches to

“Paris is different; [it] is magic,” said Monfils. “I don’t know how, but I’m here… I think I can show some new emotion, I can show some tennis and I can show some side of me I don’t even know. I think the crowd just brings me something, something else, and I think it just showed a bit more today.”

This marks the 13th meeting between Federer and Monfils and the second encounter of the season. They most recently met on the clay courts in Monte Carlo, which was a meeting that Monfils won in dominant fashipon. While he has been competitive against Federer in their recent meetings, it will be interesting to see if Federer can avenge the losses where it matters most.
 

On Friday afternoon, several of the tour’s top players advanced to the final 16 in Paris following impressive wins. Two of those players were Stan Wawrinka and Gilles Simon, who secured their spots in the fourth round and will now cross paths for the fifth time on the professional circuit. The Head to Head series is tied at 2-2, including Wawrinka’s win against the Frenchman at Roland Garros in 2012.

In one of his more complete matches this week in Paris, Stan Wawrinka managed to cruise past Steve Johnson in straight sets to secure his place in the fourth round. He defeated the American without facing any break points on serve and struck 32 winners to close out the 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win in 89 minutes.

“After the first set, things went quite smoothly; I was a little nervous in the first set,” said Wawrinka. “I hesitated on a few points. I think I was sort of watching, because I didn’t really know what to expect.”

In a typical Roland Garros contest, Frenchmen Gilles Simon and Nicolas Mahut played a four-hour match on Friday that eventually saw Simon advance in five sets. Simon compiled an incredible 69 winners and nine breaks of serve to set up his match-up against Stan Wawrinka. He eventually won the match 6-2, 6-7(6), 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-1.

“We know how good a player he can be on a court. He’s a player I have known for quite a long time now, so I know exactly what to expect. I know what he can do well on a court, what he can do less well. So I’ll try to play that match using my strength and my strong shots.”

This marks the fifth time that these two competitors will meet on the professional tour, with the series split 2-2. Wawrinka holds a win in their only clay court encounter at the French Open three years ago and will likely find a way to get through to the quarter-final stage of the tournament in four sets.
 

At the start of the 2015 season, rising star Timea Bacsinszky toppled Petra Kvitova in the semi-final round of the Shenzhen Open. It was a lopsided affair that surprised the vast majority of those watching. Now, months later, the two will step across the net from each other once again, this time to determine who will advance to the quarter-final round of the French Open. Overall, Bacsinszky leads the head-to-head series 1-0.

Seeded fourth at this year’s Roland Garros event, Petra Kvitova differed from her standard pattern this week in Paris when she defeated Irina-Camelia Begu in straight sets to secure her spot in the fourth round. She struck 18 winners and didn’t face a single break point on serve to close out the match 6-3, 6-2.

“I think it was for sure the best match that I’ve played here so far,” Kvitova said afterwards. “It’s the third round, which I didn’t pass here last year, so I was really motivated by it. I’m really glad I’m through.

“And I will try to start playing even better, because the opponents are only going to get tougher.”

Instead of a rematch against Madison Keys, Kvitova will come up against Bacsinszky, who toppled Keys in straight sets to earn her place in the fourth round. Key’s own error count was partly responsible for her 6-4, 6-2 loss.

“I’ve played both of them this year, actually,” Kvitova said. “I played Bacsinszky in Shenzhen and I lost. She’s playing really well here – I think these courts suit her game, and she’s really improved as well, so I really have to think about that match we played in Shenzhen and try to play better than I did there.”

This is just the second time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour, with Tomea leading the head-to-head series 1-0. Her win came at the start of the season in Shenzhen, yet she will now encounter an entirely different Kvitova on clay.

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Following an exceptional start to his clay court season this year, which includes an undefeated streak with two title wins, Andy Murray has managed to maintain his momentum this week in Paris, as he worked his way into the fourth round of the prestigious grand slam event. His next contest is against Jeremy Chardy, whom he holds a 6-1 lead over in the head-to-head series.

While many anticipated a blockbuster contest between Andy Murray and Nick Kyrgios on court this Saturday, it was not to be, as the Brit overwhelmed the Aussie en route to a straight sets win. The 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 win was Murray’s 13th consecutive on clay this season and sets him up for an intriguing fourth round encounter with France’s Chardy.

“I have watched a lot of his matches, so obviously I know what his personality is like,” Murray said of Kyrgios. “He does have a game style and a personality on the court that lends itself to playing big matches on big courts. Sometimes you don’t feel like you’re able to control what’s happening out there because he’s hitting huge shots and sometimes playing shots that no one else tries. So you’re not expecting it, either.”

Murray will come up against Jeremy Chardy, who defeated David Goffin in straight sets to secure his place in the fourth round of the tournament. The Frenchman secured the upset win against the No. 17 seed with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 score line.

Not only has Murray always had a proven track record at the French Open, but he is of particular interest this season with his undefeated streak on the surface and Nadal’s injury. In this upcoming final 16 match-up, he leads Chardy 6-1 and should have little trouble advancing, yet he may need four sets to get the job done this time around.
 

Roland Garros defending champion Maria Sharapova will look to secure her place in the second week of the tournament when she meets Lucie Safarova in the fourth round on Sunday. This will likely be an intriguing and exciting contest, as the two have clashed on five previous occasions on the WTA tour, with Sharapova leading the head-to-head series 4-1. The Russian has won the last four consecutive matches against Safarova, including two clay court wins.

One of the more compelling third round matches took place on Friday when Sharapova crossed paths with Sam Stosur to rekindle their rivalry. While many anticipated an enthralling affair, Sharapova proved to be took much for her Aussie adversary and secured the win in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.

“Just getting the job done. The conditions in the first match and today have been quite tough. And in those moments it’s always tough to really assess the level, because as much as you want to improve and find some sort of perfection, you never quite know where the direction will be. Especially with the spin of my opponent today, I just had to be steady and consistent, and I did that quite well.”

Sharapova will come up against Lucie Safarova, who defeated No. 20 seed Sabine Lisicki in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(2) to find her way into the fourth round of the tournament.

“We haven’t played in a while,” Sharapova said. “The last time was a really tough match in Stuttgart last year where she was serving for the match. I know I have a tough one ahead of me, and lefties are always tricky. It will be my first one of the tournament. I will definitely need to be ready against her.

This is the sixth time that Sharapova and Safarova will meet on the WTA tour, with Sharapova leading the series 4-1. She has won their four most recent encounters, with Safarova only winning their first meeting back in 2010. Sharapova also leads the series 2-1 on clay. While this match has the potential of going three sets, an in-form Sharapova should be the favourite to win the match.

Tomas Berdych and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga have successfully arrived at the end of the first week of the French Open, where they will cross paths for the ninth time on the professional circuit. Of their eighth previous meetings, Berdych has reigned victorious in six of them, including a recent win at the Madrid Masters event several weeks ago, to bring the head-to-head series to 6-2.

Seeded fourth at this year’s event, Berdych reached the final 16 in Paris with a four set win against Benoit Paire on Friday. He needed seven breaks of serve to secure the 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 win.

“I’m pleased with the way I played,” said Berdych. “He’s a very tough opponent to play, and so I’m happy with the way I handled it today. Of course there is a place and space to improve, and that’s definitely what I’ll be looking for.”

Later on in the day, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga earned another big win for himself this season and added to his road to full recovery when he defeated Pablo Andujar to secure his spot in the fourth round of the tournament. He struck 41 winners to close out the match in straight sets 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-3.

“I think my level was great,” said Tsonga. “I did the job I was supposed to do. Now it’s going to be harder and harder, of course. But I know to win a few more matches I will need to be really strong.”

This marks the ninth time the two competitors will meet on the professional tour, with Berdych leading the head-to-head series with six victories to Tsonga’s two. Not only does the Czech hold a dominant lead in the head-to-head series, he also won their most recent encounter earlier this season in Madrid, which should help gauge the outcome of Sunday’s contest in Paris.
 

Just weeks following their first meeting on the tour, which took place in Madrid during the warm-up to the second Grand Slam event of the season, Petra Kvitova and Irina-Camelia Begu are set to cross paths once again on the professional circuit, this time with higher stakes to play for as they attempt to secure a spot in the final 16 in Paris. Since this is just their second meeting on the professional tour, with Kvitova leading the Head to Head 1-0.

Following yet another tough match during this year’s draw, Kvitova managed to stumble along into the third round of the French Open. In her latest encounter in Paris, Kvitova rallied from a set down to defeat Silvia Soler-Espinosa in three sets -7(4), 6-4, 6-2. Although it was a sloppy match in many ways, Kvitova hit 46 winners and matched it with 56 unforced errors. I the end, she was able to find her way into the following stage of the tournament.

In a far simpler match later in the day, Irina-Camelia Begu lost a mere two games in her second round match against Ana Konjuh. She struck three aces, broke serve 5 times and hit 21 winners to cruise into the third round of the tournament, where she will now challenge Kvitova for the second time in as many weeks.

This is just the second time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour, with Kvitova leading the head-to-head series 1-0. Kvitova defeated Begu several weeks ago in Madrid en route to her title win several matches later. From there, she went on to beat Serena Williams, so it is clear that Kvitova is capable of playing far better than she had been over the last while. It will be interesting to see how she performs on Saturday en route to the fourth round of the tournament.