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Roland Garros Day 6: Halep dominates rematch, Nadal & Thiem win

  • Matt Trollope

No.1 seed Simona Halep avenged last year’s French Open defeat to Amanda Anisimova with a 54-minute rout of the American teen on Friday.

Her stunning performance on Court Philippe Chatrier followed a similarly-impressive display from Dominic Thiem, who dismantled the dangerous Casper Ruud in straight sets.

DRAW: French Open men's singles

Also advancing to the last 16 at Roland Garros were Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev, Elina Svitolina, and Kiki Bertens, while Stan Wawrinka lost in five sets to French wildcard Hugo Gaston.

Halep clinical in rematch

In 2019, then 17-year-old Anisimova upset defending champion Halep to become the youngest French Open semifinalist in 13 years. 

In their rematch on Friday, Halep was clearly in no mood to let a similar plot unfold, allowing the No.25 seed just one game in a brilliant showing during which she made just seven unforced errors.

Fellow top-five seeds Svitolina and Bertens joined Halep in the last 16, with Svitolina overcoming Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4 7-5 and Bertens dropping only four games against Czech Katerina Siniakova.

Svitolina next faces Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia, after the former world No.4 staged a remarkable comeback to beat 16th seed Elise Mertens 1-6 6-4 7-5 on her sixth match point on Chatrier.

Meanwhile, Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska and Czech Barbora Krejcikova – both ranked outside the top 100 – set up an unlikely fourth-round meeting after defeating Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and Tsvetana Pironkova respectively.

Thiem, Nadal continue to impress

From 3-1 down in the first set, reigning US Open champion Thiem won 17 of the next 22 games to defeat Norway’s Ruud, who had reached the semifinals in both Rome and Hamburg coming in.

But even more dominant was Nadal, with the three-time defending champion crushing Italian Stefano Travaglia 6-1 6-4 6-0 in just over 90 minutes.

Nadal next plays American Sebastian Korda – son of Australian Open 1998 champion Petr – after the world No.213 beat fellow qualifier Pedro Martinez.

Sixth seed Zverev progressed to round four for the third straight year in Paris after brushing aside 2018 French Open semifinalist Marco Cecchinato 6-1 7-5 6-3.

And 12th seed Diego Schwartzman continued his fine form; the Rome finalist beat Norbert Gombos in straight sets and will face Lorenzo Sonego – a straight-sets winner over No.27 seed Taylor Fritz – for a place in the quarterfinal.

Upset of the day

Wawrinka, however, will go no further in Paris, after stumbling to a 2-6 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-0 loss to world No.239 Gaston.

Gaston, 20, fell in the first round of AO 2020 in his only other Grand Slam main-draw appearance, and of the 11 events he played this season prior to the French Open, nine were at Challenger level.

In facing No.16 seed and former champion Wawrinka, the Frenchman was playing a top-50 player for the very first time. 

And he took his opportunity with both hands, completing a stunning victory In wet, heavy conditions to set up a fourth-round meeting with Thiem. 

There was also a big upset on the women’s side, with 159th-ranked qualifier Martina Trevisan saving two match points to upstage No.20 seed Maria Sakkari 1-6 7-6(6) 6-3.  

The future is bright

In a tournament where teenaged success has become an increasingly significant storyline, Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek lead the way for the game’s brigade of rising stars.

The clean-hitting Sinner, 19, beat Federico Coria and is yet to drop a set in reaching the last 16 at a Slam for the first time, where Zverev awaits. Sinner opened the tournament by upsetting No.11 seed David Goffin.

Swiatek, also 19, ended Eugenie Bouchard’s run 6-3 6-2 to set up a fourth-round rematch with Halep, who beat her at this stage of last year’s event.

Then you have Korda and Gaston, both 20 and ranked outside the top 200, making significant gains in Paris; both are playing in just their fourth Grand Slam events, and neither had previously been beyond a first round.

Teenagers Leylah Fernandez (Canada) and Clara Burel will attempt to join their young contemporaries in the last 16 when they play their third-round matches on Saturday. 

Stat of the day

It’s becoming all about winning streaks this fortnight in Paris, with Thiem extending his to 10 matches after seeing off Ruud on Friday.

Podoroska has won 11 matches on the trot; she won the ITF 60K Saint-Malo event then arrived in Paris and came through three rounds of qualifying before advancing to the fourth round.

DRAW: French Open women's singles

Halep’s streak overshadows both, with the Romanian having won 17 matches in a row dating back to January’s AO semifinals, where she lost to Garbine Muguruza. 

Nadal can claim an even longer active streak; the Spanish superstar has won his past 26 matches at Roland Garros, a run including his titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Nadal is now 96-2 lifetime at the French Open, with his last loss at the event coming to Novak Djokovic in the 2015 quarterfinals.

Quotes of the day

“I was super happy with my performance. I think was one of the best ones this year.”
- Dominic Thiem, who is yet to drop a set at this year's French Open.

“The biggest reason that this match lasted, like, 40 minutes was that I was super stressed. I wasn't experienced. Right now I feel more experienced. I know that it's going to be different.”
- Iga Swiatek, who fell 6-1 6-0 to Halep in the fourth round at Roland Garros last year.

“For the moment it's amazing for me, it's a dream. But I try to stay focus. Now I'm going to my family and my coaches to celebrate a little bit (smiling).”
- Hugo Gaston

“(The) pandemic actually showed me how much I love tennis and how much I want to get back on tour and to play tournaments. I restarted myself. I was very fresh. I enjoy a lot being back … and just being here it's enough for me.”
- Simona Halep, who is undefeated since professional tennis resumed in August.

“He's my biggest idol. He's one of the reasons I play tennis. Just from him I have the never-give-up mentality. Whenever I'm on court, I try to be like him. Growing up, I named my cat Rafa after him. That says a lot about how much I love the guy (smiling).”
- Sebastian Korda, who faces Rafael Nadal in the fourth round.

Tweet of the day

Day 7: Ones to watch

As the third round continues, arguably the best matches on Saturday are happening away from the tournament’s premier Chatrier court.

Court Suzanne Lenglen opens with an all-seeded Spanish clash between Roberto Bautista Agut and Pablo Carreno Busta, and closes with former champion Garbine Muguruza taking on AO 2019 semifinaist Danielle Collins.

ORDER OF PLAY: French Open Day 7

There is an intriguing match first on Court Simonne Mathieu between 13th seed Andrey Rublev and former world No.5 Kevin Anderson, while intimate Court 14 hosts a pair of potential thrillers – No.8 seed Aryna Sabalenka plays 30th seed Ons Jabeur before No.15 seed Karen Khachanov battles Cristian Garin, the 20th seed.

On Chatrier, reigning AO champions Sofia Kenin and Novak Djokovic take on qualifier Irina Bara and lucky loser Daniel Elahi Galan respectively.