Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden in action© AFP

Alexander Zverev rallied from a double break down in the fifth set to beat Dutch 26th seed Tallon Griekspoor 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (10/3) to reach the French Open last 16 on Saturday. Zverev trailed 4-1 in the decider but produced an astonishing comeback to make the fourth round at Roland Garros for the seventh consecutive year, the day after the start in Berlin of a trial against him over allegations of assaulting an ex-girlfriend.

Fourth seed Zverev, who effectively ended Rafael Nadal’s French Open career in the first round, will meet 13th seed Holger Rune or world number 145 Jozef Kovalik for a place in the quarter-finals.

The German arrived in Paris on the back of winning the Rome Open title and is the only player to reach the semi-finals at the last three French Open tournaments.

Medvedev advances

Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev beat Tomas Machac in four sets to reach the last 16 at the French Open for the third time in his career.

Medvedev won 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 against the world number 34 from the Czech Republic and will play Alex de Minaur or Jan-Lennard Struff for a spot in the quarter-finals.

“It was a very hard match,” said Medvedev. “I’m happy I stayed consistent despite some tough moments in the third set.”

Auger-Aliassime sets up Alcaraz last 16 clash

Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime booked a French Open last 16 clash against Carlos Alcaraz after sweeping past Ben Shelton of the United States.

The 21st-seeded Canadian cantered to a 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 win over his 15th-ranked opponent in a tie held over from Friday.

Auger-Aliassime reached the fourth round in Paris in 2022 when he lost in five sets to Rafael Nadal.

The 23-year-old holds a 3-2 career lead over world number three Alcaraz although the two men have never met on clay.

Novak Djokovic can equal Roger Federer’s record for Grand Slam match wins by beating Lorenzo Musetti at the French Open on Saturday. Defending champion Djokovic, chasing a fourth title at Roland Garros and 25th career major, will go level with the retired Federer on 369 victories at the Slams if he sees off the Italian 30th seed and makes the last 16. Djokovic has defeated Musetti four times in five meetings. However the Italian gave the Serb a major scare at the French Open in 2021 when he won the first two sets of their fourth round clash before retiring injured in the decider.

“There is always that kind of conviction and belief inside of me I can win a Slam. That’s the reason why I’m still competing at this level,” said the 37-year-old Djokovic.

Djokovic arrived in Paris under a cloud having not won a title or even reached a final in the season for the first time since 2018.

Adding injury to insult, he was accidentally hit on the head by a metal water bottle in Rome before suffering stomach problems in Geneva.

However, he hasn’t dropped a set in two matches and cracked an impressive 43 winners past Spain’s 63rd-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena on Thursday, dropping just seven games.

German fourth seed Alexander Zverev, who has made the semi-finals in each of the last three years, started this French Open by likely ending the Roland Garros career of 14-time champion Rafael Nadal.

“Since the draw came out, the only thing the tennis world was talking about was that match,” said Zverev.

Best friends clash

“He won the tournament 14 times, so he deserves all the credit and respect and all the acknowledgements he gets. So after I beat him I felt that I had already won the tournament, but in the end it is only a first round.”

On Saturday, Zverev tackles Dutch 26th seed Tallon Griekspoor and has shown no indication of being distracted by the start in Berlin of a trial against him over allegations of assaulting an ex-girlfriend.

Casper Ruud, the runner-up to Nadal and then Djokovic in the last two seasons, needed five sets to see off Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round.

The seventh-seeded Norwegian faces Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry who made the third round when his French opponent Arthur Rinderknech retired with a foot injury caused by kicking out in frustration at an advertising hoarding.

In the women’s tournament, second seeded Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka and former world number two Paula Badosa must put their close friendship to one side when they clash for a last 16 place.

“It’s always tough to play your best friend on tour, but we know how to manage that,” said Sabalenka who has reached at least the third round in her past 14 Grand Slam appearances.

Mirra Andreeva, just 17, made the third round for a second successive year by seeing off former world number one and two-time major winner Victoria Azarenka in a three-set duel which ended in the early hours of Friday.

Andreeva, ranked 38, will face Peyton Stearns of the United States as she attempts to make the last 16 of a Slam for the third time.

Reigning champion Iga Swiatek celebrated her 23rd birthday by brushing aside Marie Bouzkova to reach the French Open last 16 on Friday, while Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz both powered into the second week. Alcaraz got the better of Sebastian Korda in straight sets to edge closer to a semi-final meeting with Sinner, who saw off Russian Pavel Kotov 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. “Sebastian Korda is a great player and a really good ball striker,” said Alcaraz. “It is difficult to play against him. I had to run a lot. It was like a marathon for me today.”

Sixth seed Andrey Rublev suffered a shock exit at the hands of unheralded Italian Matteo Arnaldi, losing his cool repeatedly as anger at his performance boiled over.

Swiatek had to save a match point to avoid an upset defeat by fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in a second-round thriller, but she was never in trouble during a 6-4, 6-2 win over Czech Bouzkova.

“I feel good physically, I had a day off yesterday,” said Swiatek. “I don’t feel like the match (against Osaka) stayed with me but we’ll see at the end of the tournament.”

The world number one is a red-hot favourite to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for a third straight year and become only the fourth woman to win four Roland Garros titles in the Open era.

She was much closer to her best form on Friday, hitting 34 winners and making only 19 unforced errors.

Swiatek will play Russia’s Anastasia Potapova in the next round on Sunday.

The Polish star’s win-loss record at the tournament stands at 32-2 and she has never failed to reach the second week.

Coco Gauff held off a late fightback from Australian Open semi-finalist Dayana Yastremska to win 6-2, 6-4 in the first match of the day on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The reigning US Open champion has an excellent record at Roland Garros, having previously reached two quarter-finals and the 2022 final which she lost to Swiatek.

The 20-year-old failed to serve out the match when leading 5-2 in the second set, but saved three break points in the 10th game before getting over the line, making the fourth round for a fourth straight year.

“When it was time to close out and the games were getting close and tight, I was trying to just remind myself I’m in the better position,” Gauff said.

“I’m the one up a set and double break, so I was just reminding myself of that.”

Gauff will play Elisabetta Cocciaretto for a last-eight berth, after the unseeded Italian beat Russian 17th seed Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets.

– Angry Rublev crashes out –

Rublev became the biggest casualty in the men’s draw so far, as he fell to a surprise straight-sets defeat by Italian Matteo Arnaldi.

Rublev, who lifted the Madrid Open title last month, repeatedly smashed his racquet in frustration as he made 37 unforced errors in an erratic display.

“Completely disappointed with myself the way I behaved, the way I performed,” admitted the Russian.

“The problem is the head, that today basically I killed myself, and that’s it.”

Arnaldi will face former runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas in round four after the Greek downed China’s Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.

Sinner barely had to break sweat, saving the only break point he faced in a dominant display against Kotov.

The Australian Open champion, who will overtake Novak Djokovic as world number one if he reaches the final, will next take on home hope Corentin Moutet who came from behind to defeat Sebastian Ofner in four sets.

Sinner, who has only lost two matches so far this year, is yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Wimbledon champion Alcaraz came through a potentially tough test against American 27th seed Korda 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in the night session.

The world number three blasted 38 winners past his opponent to book a meeting with either Ben Shelton or Felix Auger-Aliassime, whose match was one of three men’s ties suspended overnight due to rain.

Alcaraz has now reached at least the fourth round in his last eight Grand Slam events.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova ended the run of Frenchwoman Chloe Pacquet, winning 6-1, 6-3.

She will next face Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic, who backed up her upset win over Danielle Collins with another comeback victory in a deciding-set tie-break against Donna Vekic.

Tunisian eighth seed Ons Jabeur beat Leylah Fernandez, teeing up a fourth-round match with Clara Tauson, after the Dane followed her surprise second-round success against 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko by knocking out former finalist Sofia Kenin.

Reigning champion Iga Swiatek celebrated her 23rd birthday by brushing aside Marie Bouzkova to reach the French Open last 16 on Friday. Swiatek had to save a match point to avoid an upset defeat by fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in a second-round thriller, but she was never in trouble during a 6-4, 6-2 win over Czech Bouzkova. The world number one is a red-hot favourite to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for a third straight year and become only the fourth woman to win four Roland Garros titles in the Open era.

She was much closer to her best form on Friday, hitting 34 winners and making only 19 unforced errors.

Swiatek will play Russia’s Anastasia Potapova in the next round on Sunday.

The Polish star’s win-loss record at the tournament stands at 32-2 and she has never failed to reach the second week.

Earlier on Friday, Jannik Sinner continued his serene progress at the French Open with a straight-sets victory over Russian Pavel Kotov in the third round.

The Australian Open champion, who will usurp Novak Djokovic as world number one if he reaches the final at Roland Garros, struck 36 winners and saved the only break point he faced in a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win.

Sinner will next take on either home hope Corentin Moutet or Austrian Sebastian Ofner for a place in the quarter-finals.

The Italian, who has only lost two matches so far this year, is yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Coco Gauff also eased into the second week for a fourth straight year. Gauff held off a late fightback from Australian Open semi-finalist Dayana Yastremska to win 6-2, 6-4 in the first match of the day on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The reigning US Open champion has an excellent record at Roland Garros, having previously reached two quarter-finals and the 2022 final which she lost to Swiatek.

The 20-year-old failed to serve out the match when leading 5-2 in the second set, but saved three break points in the 10th game before getting over the line.

Russian sixth seed Andrey Rublev admitted he “lost it completely” as he suffered meltdown in a surprise third round exit from the French Open at the hands of Italian Matteo Arnaldi on Friday. Rublev, a 10-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist, slipped to a 7-6 (8/6), 6-2, 6-4 defeat against world number 35 Arnaldi on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Rublev, who won the Madrid Open title last month, missed a set point in the opening tie-break before becoming increasingly agitated. He repeatedly threw his racquet to the ground during the match and then hit himself in the knee with it in the third set.

“Completely disappointed with myself — the way I behaved, the way I performed, and I don’t remember behaving worse on a Slam ever,” Rublev said. “I think it was first time I ever behaved that bad.”

He was broken in the first game of the second set, broke back immediately but then fell to pieces as Arnaldi grew in confidence.

“I was able to break back, and it looks like I started to have a bit more chances,” Rublev added.

“Then out of nowhere, again, I collapse with myself, I get emotional, I lost my serve, and then I lose it completely and basically I almost tank the second set, and then it was too late, because then he started to play unbelievable.”

Rublev never regained his composure and Arnaldi closed out the match with a love service hold.

It is the second straight year Rublev has lost in the third round to an Italian on the same court, after blowing a two-set lead against Lorenzo Sonego 12 months ago.

The 26-year-old has endured an up-and-down season, reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals before stopping a run of four successive defeats by emerging victorious in Madrid.

“I was struggling, and then I had a really good result in Madrid,” he said.

“Now I’m playing well again. I feel that I have a good game, I’m improving. The problem is the head, that today basically I kill myself, and that’s it.”

Arnaldi will face either former runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas or China’s Zhang Zhizhen in the last 16.

“It’s incredible, I think I played the best tennis in my life,” said Arnaldi. “I wasn’t even expecting it.

“He (Rublev) didn’t play his best tennis for sure, but I used my best tactics to put him under pressure.”

The 23-year-old has matched his previous best run at a Slam event, when he reached the US Open fourth round last year before losing to Carlos Alcaraz.

The dark “intense, crazy” days when the likes of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova bitterly and publicly aired their grievances are long gone, says Aryna Sabalenka. To illustrate her point, world number two Sabalenka will happily take on best friend Paula Badosa for a place in the last 32 of the French Open on Saturday. It will be the pair’s seventh meeting but first at a Grand Slam. “It’s always tough to play your best friend on tour,” said Australian Open champion Sabalenka.

“But we know how to separate court and life. So it’s always a great battle. I always enjoy playing against her.”

She added: “I would say that right now the top 10 players are all good with each other, and there are no big fights outside of the court. 

“It’s not like we are best friends, but it’s not something crazy, like intense.”

Ten years or so ago, such warmth was rare.

Back in 2013, Williams hit out at a top five player she described as “boring”.

“She’s not going to be invited to the cool parties. And, hey, if she wants to be with the guy with a black heart, go for it.”

Williams didn’t name Sharapova but the Russian, as well as most other observers, viewed it as a reference to her relationship with Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov.

Sharapova hit back at Williams and her relationship with her French coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

Elsewhere, the American once arrived at a press conference wearing a shirt that said “Are you looking at my titles?”

That was a reference to being ranked number two after winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon while Dinara Safina was at number one despite never claiming a major.

At the 2012 Australian Open, meanwhile, Polish player Agnieszka Radwanska criticised Sharapova’s infamous grunting on court.

“Isn’t she back in Poland already?” came the icy retort from Sharapova after Radwanska’s exit.

There will be no similar trash talking ahead of Sabalenka’s clash with Badosa.

“She has a big personality, she’s a good girl, always bringing good energy, even on court,” said Spanish star Badosa.

“I think it’s going to be fun. Of course sharing the court with her after all these results she’s doing and all this is a pleasure for me.”

Should Badosa lose for a fifth successive time against Sabalenka, she’ll find support from boyfriend and world number nine Stefanos Tsitsipas, a former runner-up at the French Open.

“I’m really grateful to have someone like him by my side. Also in the next few days, we’re going to play mixed doubles, so also sharing the court with him, I think it makes it even more special.”

Novak Djokovic reached the French Open last 32 for the 19th successive year on Thursday as Roland Garros organisers banned alcohol from the stands in an effort to counter growing complaints from players over disrespectful, rowdy fans. Defending champion Djokovic cracked 43 winners past Spain’s 63rd-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena to canter to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 win. The three-time champion, seeking a record 25th Grand Slam title, goes on to face either Gael Monfils of France or Italian 30th seed Lorenzo Musetti. Djokovic holds a 19-0 winning record against Monfils and has defeated Musetti four times in five meetings.

However, the Italian gave the Serb a major scare at the French Open in 2021 when he won the first two sets before having to retire injured in the decider.

“It was a difficult match against Roberto. He hit a lot of very good and precise shots,” said Djokovic.

“The last game of the first set I played really well and started to play at a higher level. At the end of the match I was then playing very well.”

Also easing through to the third round on another rain-hit day in the French capital were women’s title contenders Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina.

However, the behaviour of fans at the tournament, which was brought into focus by Belgium’s David Goffin’s claim that he had chewing gum spat at him, prompted a series of measures to clampdown on loutish behaviour.

“Alcohol has been allowed in the stadiums until now but that’s over,” tournament director Amelie Mauresmo told reporters.

However, alcohol including beer from mobile vendors, will still be sold around the grounds.

Mauresmo said fans will be ejected if they throw something at a player and that “umpires have tighter, even more precise instructions on keeping the crowd under control”.

Fourth seed Alexander Zverev, who effectively ended Rafael Nadal’s French Open career in the first round, defeated Goffin 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-2.

Zverev arrived in Paris on the back of winning the Rome Open title and is the only player to reach the semi-finals at the last three French Open tournaments.

On Friday, a Berlin court will hear an appeal by Zverev against a fine for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend.

He received a 450,000-euro ($487,000) fine in October but appealed the ruling earlier this year, leading to a full trial.

The 27-year-old is not required to attend the proceedings and insisted on the eve of the tournament that he “believes in the German system”.

On Thursday, he refused to further discuss the case.

“I have said everything before the tournament,” he said.

After only nine singles matches were played after a Wednesday washout, 55 second round ties were scheduled on Thursday.

Amongst early winners were world number two Sabalenka who fired 27 winners past Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima to win 6-2, 6-2.

‘Blanket and tea’

The two-time Australian Open champion, a semi-finalist in Paris in 2023, has made at least the last four at her past six Grand Slams and is expected to be Iga Swiatek’s chief rival in the Pole’s quest for a fourth French Open title.

Sabalenka will take on close friend Paula Badosa of Spain for a place in the last 16.

“It’s not the best weather. I feel like going back to the hotel. Getting a blanket and hot tea, and Netflix,” said the Belarusian who had the benefit of playing under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier.

Fourth-seeded Rybakina, the only woman to defeat Swiatek on clay this year, was similarly untroubled. She eased past Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-4.

Former world number one Daniil Medvedev moved into the last 32 after his opponent Miomir Kecmanovic retired with injury while trailing the fifth seed 6-1, 5-0.

Defending champion Iga Swiatek saved a match point to outlast Naomi Osaka.© AFP