Carlos Alcaraz can continue to dream. The Spanish phenomenon, brilliant during the clay court tour, embarked on a decisive fifth set against his compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas on the Simonne-Mathieu court. Later, a young Frenchman will face the challenge of Rafael Nadal. Corentin Moutet, 23 years old and 139th in the world, finds his Spanish idol on Wednesday evening in the second round for the night session on the central court Philippe-Chatrier. Before that, other Tricolores will be in the running. Richard Gasquet or Diane Parry, who showed all her talent on Monday by leaving defending champion Barbora Krejcikova, play at the end of the day.
Several other headliners tread the clay at the Porte d’Auteuil this Wednesday. World number one Novak Djokovic defeated Slovakian Alex Molcan, recent runner-up in Lyon, in straight sets. On the women’s side, the young Briton Emma Raducanu, winner of the US Open last year to everyone’s surprise, was eliminated by Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Follow this fourth day of Roland-Garros live thanks to our special correspondents on site and throughout the day on Europe 1, the tournament’s official radio.
The main information:
– The phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz saved a match point before winning
– The semi-finalist of the 2021 edition Maria Sakkari eliminated in the second round
– Grégoire Barrère, Elsa Jacquemot and Richard Gasquet eliminated on the French side
– End of the adventure for the Briton Emma Raducanu, winner of the US Open last year
– Corentin Moutet challenges Rafael Nadal at 9 p.m.
– Gilles Simon, heroic, qualified for the second round last night
Diane Parry qualified for the 3rd round
Diane Parry continues her momentum: the 97th player in the world who had achieved the feat of eliminating the defending champion in the first round qualified for the third on Wednesday by dismissing Colombian Camila Osorio (66th) 6-3 without trembling, 6-3. The 19-year-old Frenchwoman thus reached the 3rd round of a Major for the first time, after having already reached the 2nd in 2019 in Paris when she was still a junior. She will face Friday to try to climb in the round of 16 the American Sloane Stephens (64th), finalist at Roland-Garros in 2018 and winner of the US Open 2017.
Gasquet did not overcome the mountain Korda
Richard Gasquet, 70th in the world, did not come across a great Sebastian Korda (30th), but he nevertheless came up against the American obstacle without finding a solution and lost 7-6 (7/5 ), 6-3, 6-, Wednesday in the second round of Roland-Garros. The Frenchman, semi-finalist in Geneva just before Roland-Garros, has not passed the 2nd round of the Parisian Major since 2018, when he was beaten by Rafael Nadal in the 3rd round. The same Nadal who had beaten him sharply last year in the second round.
Alcaraz passed to a point of elimination
One point away from disillusion: Spanish phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz dismissed a match point to qualify on Wednesday in five sets 6-1, 6-7 (7/9), 5-7, 7-6 (7/2) , 6-4 in 4h34 min for the third round of Roland-Garros, at the expense of his compatriot Albert Ramos. After a one-sided first set, the pupil of Juan-Carlos Ferrero, world No.6 at 19 after a hair-raising spring, dropped the next two and had to erase a match point at the end of the fourth set, at 5 -4 on Ramos’ serve.
For a long time very wise, as if drowsy, the public of the Simonne-Mathieu court, in the hollow of the greenhouses of Auteuil, woke up when the match became unbreathable at the end of the fourth round. And was downright carried away in the fifth. Alcaraz thus stretches its series to twelve matches won in a row. In the third round, the young prodigy will face either the American Sebastian Korda or Richard Gasquet.
Djokovic holds his rank
World number one Novak Djokovic logically emerged victorious on Wednesday from his duel against world 38th Alex Molcan, new protege of his historic coach, and won without forcing his ticket for the 3rd round of Roland-Garros.
Not really disturbed by the presence of his former coach for 15 years, Marian Vajda, in the box of the Slovak that he has been training since the beginning of the month, the Serb has quietly unrolled his score. Molcan, finalist this year in Lyon and Marrakech, barely managed to delay him in the third set, pushing him to play a tie-break, before the Serb won in 2:15.
Former US Open winner Andreescu swept away by Bencic
Winner of the 2019 US Open, Bianca Andreescu did not compete with the Swiss Belinda Bencic, 14th player in the world, who dominated her on Wednesday in two expeditious sets 6-2, 6-4 in the second round of Roland-Garros. Plagued by mental wear and tear in the offseason, the Canadian did not return to the courts until April and had only nine matches before entering the Parisian Grand Slam.
Zverev pulls through in pain
The German Alexander Zverev, 3rd in the world and the main outsider of the tournament, got scared in his second round against the Argentinian earthman Sebastian Baez, 36th at the ATP. The semi-finalist of the previous edition still came out in five sets, when he was down two sets to zero (2-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 7- 5).
Sakkari, semi-finalist of the 2021 edition, eliminated in the second round
The Greek Maria Sakkari, 3rd player in the world and Roland-Garros semi-finalist last year, was taken out in the second round by the Czech Karolina Muchova, 81st in the world in two tight sets (7-6, 7-6). The Greek is the fifth member of the women’s top 10 who will not see the third round in the Parisian Grand Slam, after the eliminations of Barbora Krejcikova (number 2 and defending champion), Anett Kontaveit (5), Ons Jabeur (6) and Garbine Muguruza (10).
Barrere gives up in the second round
Grégoire Barrère, the first Frenchman involved in the second round of Roland-Garros, gave up on Wednesday against the American John Isner in four sets, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, (7/5) . After saving two match points in the tie break, one of which was a well-felt drop, Barrère, 210th player in the world and guest, ended up folding on a 23rd ace from the American tower (2.08 meters), seeded N.23 Porte d’Auteuil.
The Parisian had disposed of the Japanese Taro Daniel in the first round after a duel in five sets. Aged 28, he had only reached the second round of the Parisian Grand Slam once before in 2019.
Elsa Jacquemot, outclassed by Kerber, stops in the 2nd lap
Elsa Jacquemot, 215th in the world, resisted the German Angelique Kerber, 17th in the world, Wednesday in the second round of Roland-Garros, but ended up giving in, 6-1, 7-6. Despite several hanging games, the 19-year-old Frenchwoman, former Porte d’Auteuil junior champion, did not know how to exploit her opportunities to annoy the German – only one break point converted out of 11 – committing too many unforced errors (40 ) despite a nice slew of winning shots (44).
In the next round, Kerber, former world No.1 and three-time Grand Slam winner, will be opposed to the Belarusian under neutral banner Aliaksandra Sasnovich (47th), faller of the Briton Emma Raducanu (12th).
Taylor Fritz, 14th player in the world, eliminated by a player from the qualifications
Seeded 13, the American Taylor Fritz fell Wednesday in the second round of Roland-Garros against the Spaniard Bernabe Zapata, from the qualifications, in four sets, 3-6, 2-6, 2-6, 3 -6. The 24-year-old Californian, winner in March of Indian Wells against Rafael Nadal in the final, multiplied the unforced errors (43) against Zapata, 131st player in the world.
Zapata, who reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time at 25, will find another American there, John Isner, who fell the Frenchman Grégoire Barrère.
Already finished for Emma Raducanu
Emma Raducanu, 12th in the world and champion of the US Open 2021, was eliminated on Wednesday in the second round of Roland-Garros by Belarusian under neutral banner Aliaksandra Sasnovich (47th), 3-6, 6-1, 6-1. The 19-year-old Briton made her debut in the Parisian Grand Slam and was only playing the 4th major tournament of her career.
The previous confrontation between the two players, in Indian Wells in October 2021, had already resulted in a victory for the Belarusian. In the next round, Sasnovich will face either German Angélique Kerber (17th) or Frenchwoman Elsa Jacquemot (215th).
Simon offers himself one more ride
Gilles Simon prolongs the pleasure: at 37 and for his last Roland-Garros, he emerged victorious on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday in his first round match against the Spaniard Pablo Carreno (18th in the world) 6-4, 6- 4, 4-6, 1-6, 6-4 in 3h54. In a football stadium atmosphere created by a few hundred courageous supporters who braved the cold and the night, Simon emerged victorious from one of those extended matches of which he has the secret. After winning the first two sets, he let himself be dragged into a fifth set where he looked like he had to let go after his faceoff was quickly lost.
But he hung on, as usual, and, leading 3-4, he lined up three games in a row, taking advantage of a double fault followed by a long unforced error from Carreno to win and give the right to face the American Steve Johnson (92nd) in the second round. The former world number 6, down to 158th place, announced on May 7 that his body was no longer able to keep up, he would end his 20-year career at the end of the year.