Petra Kvitova and Sofia Kenin through to fourth round in women's draw at Roland Garros
Saturday 3 October 2020 23:03, UK
A ruthless Novak Djokovic dropped only five games for the third round in a row to ease into the last 16 of the French Open.
The world No 1 was up against lucky-loser Daniel Elahi Galan and, although the Colombian made a match of it in the second and third sets, he was unable to really test Djokovic, who came through 6-0 6-3 6-2.
Djokovic's biggest worry was the conditions, with the Serb refusing to carry on playing while the roof was shutting during the second set after Galan slipped with rain falling.
Galan was one of a number of unheralded names through to the third round, and the last 16 in the men's draw features three men ranked outside the world's top 150.
Djokovic said: "There is heightened awareness or caution when you play someone for the first time, because obviously they can come out firing and really have nothing to lose and just play the tennis of their lives.
"But I think also, if you impose yourself from the very beginning on the court, which I have in those first three matches here, then it makes it hard for them to really believe that they can come back.
"But it's really nice I think overall for tennis to see new faces, young players. (Sebastian) Korda, obviously his father was a champion, and him coming in and reaching the fourth round is a great story."
Next up for Djokovic, as he pursues a second French Open title and 18th Grand Slam trophy overall, is No 15 seed Karen Khachanov.
The Russian advanced into the last 16 for the fourth straight year after defeating Chile's Cristian Garin 6-2 3-6 6-4 6-2.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Grigor Dimitrov will clash next after both benefiting from injuries to their opponents.
Tsitsipas was leading Aljaz Bedene 6-1 6-2 3-1 when the Slovenian called it a day because of an ankle injury. Dimitrov, meanwhile, had just won the second set against Roberto Carballes Baena when the Spaniard decided he could no longer continue.
Thirteenth seed Andrey Rublev continued his strong form with a 6-3 6-2 6-3 victory over Kevin Anderson, and the Russian will face unseeded Hungarian Marton Fucsovics, who saw off Thiago Monteiro 7-5 6-1 6-3.
In the women's draw, Petra Kvitova quelled the exuberance of teenager Leylah Fernandez to make her
way into the fourth round for the first time in five years.
Canadian Fernandez, who has just turned 18, won the junior title at Roland Garros last year and has made rapid strides in the senior game.
She looked like she might pull off a big shock when she led seventh seed Kvitova 5-1 in the opening set, but the Czech used all her experience to save two set points and wrestle the contest back her way.
A run of nine games in a row put her firmly in control but Fernandez, the latest hugely-exciting talent to emerge from Canada, refused to slide away and made Kvitova work for her 7-5 6-3 victory.
The Czech paid tribute to her opponent, saying: "I definitely think that she is really playing a great game. She's a great mover. She catches a lot of balls and if she has a chance, she's really going for it.
"It was really challenging today. I'm really happy I found a way even though it wasn't easy."
Kvitova will know this is a glorious chance for her, with the draw having opened up. She is the only seed left in her section and will next face China's Zhang Shuai, who ended the run of French teenager Clara Burel.
The winner of that match will take on either German Laura Siegemund or Paula Badosa of Spain.
Badosa, a former junior champion at Roland Garros, knocked out 2017 winner Jelena Ostapenko, who was unable to build on her big win over second seed Karolina Pliskova in the previous round.
Fourth seed Sofia Kenin survived close matches in both the first two rounds but was much more comfortable against Romania's Irina Bara.
Bara won the first two games but Australian Open champion Kenin then swept through 12 in a row in a 6-2 6-0 victory.
Kenin next faces Fiona Ferro, one of two Frenchwomen in the last 16 along with Caroline Garcia, while Ons Jabeur became the first Arab woman to reach the fourth round with a dramatic 7-6 (9-7) 2-6 6-3 victory over eighth seed Aryna Sabalenka.
American Danielle Collins threw the kitchen sink at former champion Garbine Muguruza to seal a 7-5 2-6 6-4 victory and set up a meeting with Tunisian Jabeur,
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