In the third round of the women’s singles competition at the French Open (Roland Garros), Jessica Pegula, the third seed, lost in two sets to Elise Mertens, the 28th seed. Meanwhile, Arina Zapalenka, the second seed, invited Russian Kamila Rahimova. At the same stage of the men’s singles, Russian Khachanov defeated Australian Kokkinakis in a big fight, while second seed Novak Djokovic bid farewell to Spain’s Davidovich in two straight sets and one straight set. Today’s surprise was presented by Lorenzo Sonego: the Italian challenger came back from two sets down and defeated Andrei Rublev, ranked seventh.
| Carlos Alcaraz progressed very smoothly (Image: Getty Images) |
We watched Jessica Pegula on the field for just under an hour and a half in the third round, and the third-placed American could only take three games off Mertens, so she had to bid farewell to her second Grand Slam of the year in the top 32.
Daria Kashtkina reached the round of 16 more smoothly than Mertens, the Russian No. 9 allowed Peyton Stearns just one game, thus finishing the match against the American ranked 69th in the world rankings in 57 minutes.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, ranked 333rd in the world rankings, defeated her compatriot, ranked 24th, Anastasia Potapova, in an even more dramatic battle. After drawing the first two matches, Pavlyuchenkova rolled in the final set and did not give her opponent a game, so she won the “Russian match” of the round.
As for the second Belarusian competitor, Arina Zapalenka, she did not leave things to chance either: she needed only 68 minutes to win the match against Russian Rakhimova in two sets.
The Russian won the first two matches of the Sonego-Rubljov match first with difficulty, then with a roll, and then moments followed the 28-year-old Italian challenger: Sonego first improved, and then shortened the decisive fifth set. In the final, the arm of Rublev, who was thought to have a better chance, trembled, so Sonego, not him, would be present in the round of 16.
Novak Djokovic, the second seed, fought a fierce battle with his Spanish opponent. The world-class Serbian could only win the first two sets in short order, but in the third he did not give Davidovic a chance, so he will be among the top 16.
Carlos Alcaraz, seeded number one, also advanced very smoothly.
Roland Garros, Paris (49,600,000 euros, slag)
Women’s singles, third round (last 16)
Muchová (Czech Republic) – Peugeot (Roman, 27) 6:3, 6:2
Avanisyan (R) – Towson (Denmark) 3:6, 6:1, 7:5
Pavlyuchenkova (RU) – Potapova (RU, 24) 4:6, 6:3, 6:0
Mertens (Belgium, 28) – Pegula (American, 3) 6:1, 6:3
Svitolina (Ukraine)-Blinkova (RUSSIA) 2:6, 6:2, 7:5
Kasatkina (Russian, 9th place) – Stearns (American) 6: 0, 6: 1
Stephens (American) – Putintseva (Kazakhstan) 6: 3, 3: 6, 6: 2
Szabalenka (Belarusian, second) – Rahimova (Russian) 6:2, 6:2
Men’s Singles, Third Round (to reach the round of 16)
Alcaraz (Spain, 1) – Shapovalov (Canadian, 26) 6:1, 6:4, 6:2
Musetti (Italian, 17) – Nuri (British, 14) 6:1, 6:2, 6:4
Offner (Austria) – Fognini (Italy) 5:7, 6:3, 7:5, 1:6, 6:4
Tsepaz (Greece, 5) – Schwartzman (Argentina) 6:2, 6:2, 6:3
Djokovic (Serb, 3rd) – Davidovic (Spanish, 29) 7:6, 7:6, 6:2
Varillas (Peru) – Hurkacz (Poland, 13) 3:6, 6:3, 7:6, 4:6, 6:2
Khachanov (Russian, 11th) – Kokkinakis (Australian) 6:4, 6:1, 3:6, 7:6
Sonego (Italian) – Rublev (Russian, seventh) 5:7, 0:6, 6:3, 7:6, 6:3
