For the second consecutive year, Dominic Thiem was the only player to defeat Rafael Nadal leading into Roland Garros. But it is safe to say that the 24-year-old would trade that in for a breakthrough in Paris. The Austrian is inching closer. Thiem, the No. 7 seed, defeated in-form No. 19 seed Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4 on Sunday to advance to the quarter-finals on the terre battue for the third consecutive year. The eight-time clay-court ATP World Tour titlist has reached back-to-back semi-finals at the year’s second major, and will have an opportunity to extend that streak against No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev. "I was playing very, very well in the beginning, had a great start," Thiem said....
Henri Kontinen and John Peers booked their spot in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros on Saturday, beating Italians Daniele Bracciali and Andreas Seppi 7-6(2), 6-4. The reigning Nitto ATP Finals champions hit five aces and won 59 per cent of second-serve return points to beat the Italians after one hour and 36 minutes. Kontinen and Peers will meet 2016 champions Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez for a spot in the semi-finals. The Spaniards progressed after 76 minutes, beating Leonardo Mayer and Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-3. Rohan Bopanna and Edouard Roger-Vasselin took just 90 minutes to upset top seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 6-4, 7-6(1) at Roland Garros on Saturday. Bopanna and 2014 champion Roger-Vasselin (w/Benneteau) fired six aces and...
All streaks are meant to be broken. But not for Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros. The World No. 1 continued his march towards an unprecedented 11th title at the clay-court Grand Slam with a dominant 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 rout of longtime rival Richard Gasquet on Saturday. He advances to the Round of 16 at a major for the 40th time, becoming just the sixth player to acheive the feat in the Open Era. With the victory, Nadal extended a pair of staggering streaks. He has now won his past 34 completed sets at Roland Garros, breaking his own personal best of 32 in a row from 2007-09. Only Bjorn Borg, who won 41 consecutive sets in 1979-81, has recorded a...
Marin Cilic reached the Round of 16 for the fifth time in 12 visits to Roland Garros on Saturday, defeating American Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. "Everything felt quite good," said Cilic. "[My] movement and serving was great, [it was] very consistent serving... I felt that I was controlling most of the points." The World No. 4 won 83 per cent of service points and dropped just one point at the net (11/12) to secure the win after one hour and 34 minutes. Cilic has now reached the Round of 16 at the Grand Slam level on more occasions than any other Croatian man (20), breaking a tie with former coach Goran Ivanisevic. Cilic, who reached his first ATP World...
David Goffin saved four match points to reach the fourth round at Roland Garros for the third time on Saturday, defeating home favourite Gael Monfils 6-7(6), 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. The World No. 9 led by a break at 3-2 in the third set before the match was suspended on Friday, but looked in real danger of elimination as Monfils took charge upon the resumption of play. The Frenchman served for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set but Goffin, as he did in the first round, held his nerve to battle back. The Nitto ATP Finals runner-up saved four match points in a marathon 10th game to level the scores at 5-5, before forcing a decider and sealing...