Defending Champs Arevalo/Rojer Charge On At Roland Garros

Defending Roland Garros champions Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer cruised into the third round in Paris on Thursday with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Nicolas Barrientos and Robert Galloway.

The third seeds were forced to battle in the first round against Stefanos Tsitsipas and Petros Tsitsipas, whom they ultimately outlasted in a final-set tie-break. Their second-round clash was more straightforward — they did not face a break point.

Arevalo and Rojer will next play 13th seeds Jamie Murray and Michael Venus, who defeated Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 6-1, 7-5. Venus won the Roland Garros title in 2017 alongside Ryan Harrison.

In other second-round action, fifth seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara squeaked by Ilya Ivashka and Alexei Popyrin 7-6(3), 7-5. Tenth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos ousted Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini 6-0, 6-3.

Seventh seeds Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski, this year’s Australian Open finalists, beat home hopes Richard Gasquet and Lucas Pouille 6-4, 6-2.

In a first-round match, 12th seeds Matwe Middelkoop and Andreas Mies eliminated Alexander Bublik and Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 6-1.