This is the big performance of this fourth day of competition on the French side. In a long match of 3 hours 45 minutes, Luca Van Assche, 79e world player, took out the number 25 seed, the Italian Lorenzo Musetti, on Wednesday January 17. Trailing two sets to one, the Frenchman reversed the situation to win in five sets (6-3, 3-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-0).
This is the second five-set match for Luca Van Assche in this competition. In the first round, he won in 3 hours 32 against the Australian James Duckworth (6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3). Musetti, for his part, eliminated Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in a tight game (7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 6-2).
The 19-year-old Frenchman reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. He will face the winner of the duel between the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, world number 7, and the Australian Jordan Thompson for a place in the round of 16.
Caroline Garcia eliminated
At the same time, the French number 1 lost to the Polish Magdalena Frech, 69e world player. A disappointment for the Habs, who won in the first round by delivering a solid match against the Japanese Naomi Osaka, former world number 1, who however returned from fifteen months without playing.
However, the meeting started well for the Lyonnaise, taking her opponent’s serve from the start. Leading 4-2, Caroline Garcia foiled and committed many unforced errors – 39 in the match – before conceding the first set. In the second set, she failed to win the decisive points. While serving for the set, the Habs were joined and lost in the deciding game (2-7).
Earlier in the day, Diane Parry won against Russian Kamilla Rakhimova (7-5, 6-2). In the third round, she will face Russian Mirra Andreeva, 16, who defeated world number 6 Ons Jabeur (6-0, 6-2).