PARIS: French Open veteran Richard Gasquet’s career ended in defeat by Jannik Sinner while seasoned campaigner Novak Djokovic continued his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title by battling into the Roland Garros third round on Thursday.
Third seed Alexander Zverev, teenager Mirra Andreeva and American title contenders Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys all won on a windy afternoon but former champion Barbora Krejcikova and ninth seed Alex De Minaur crashed out.
Top seed Sinner brought the curtain down on Gasquet’s long professional journey, hammering the 38-year-old 6-3 6-0 6-4 for his second win over the local favorite in as many editions of Roland Garros and then led the tributes.
“We’re different generations, but it’s your moment. You played in such an incredible era of tennis and everyone will recognize you, even after retirement,” said Sinner, before a touching video tribute featuring Gasquet’s peers.
Gasquet’s compatriot Gael Monfils, also 38, lit up the evening session on Court Philippe Chatrier as he pushed fifth seeded Briton Jack Draper in a sensational match that had a partisan crowd screaming for more.
Draper eventually won 6-3 4-6 6-3 7-5 but had to battle back from 5-2 down in the fourth set to avoid a decider.
“My brain was fried out here. I’m not sure if I am going to go to sleep tonight because my brain is just all over the place with what he was doing out here,” Draper said of the man he described as a magician.
While Sinner and Gasquet showcased clean hitting in their match, third seed Alexander Zverev had to chase down dozens of drop shots from Dutchman Jesper de Jong before securing a 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-3 victory.
Surprise 2024 semifinalist Andreeva took apart the powerful Ashlyn Krueger 6-3 6-4 with her inventive approach and confirmed her caliber on the sport’s slowest surface after runs to the Madrid and Rome quarterfinals this season.
“This match wasn’t easy, I’d lost to her at the US Open,” Andreeva said, reflecting on her second-round defeat by Krueger in New York last August.
“She’s a powerful and aggressive player. I knew I had to play well ... I suffered and struggled with my serve, but I’m happy I found a way to stay calm.”
Pegula, Krueger’s frequent doubles partner this season and the third seed, had to battle against fellow American Ann Li but found her best level when it mattered to prevail 6-3 7-6(3).
Up next for the 2024 US Open runner-up is former Paris finalist Marketa Vondrousova, after the Czech sent 25th seed Magdalena Frech packing 6-0 4-6 6-3.
Gauff cruises
Gauff moved ahead by beating unseeded Czech Tereza Valentova 6-2 6-4 while fellow Grand Slam champion Keys overcame Briton Katie Boulter 6-1 6-3 but it was the end of the road for 2021 champion Krejcikova who fell 6-3 6-3 to Veronika Kudermetova.
Three-time French Open champion Djokovic had to work but the 38-year-old continued his quest for more history after his 100th title in Geneva last week as he beat Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-3 6-2 7-6(1).
The Serbian’s sixth victory in a row marked his longest winning streak since his run to the Paris Olympics gold at the same venue last year.
“Mentally you have to be concentrated throughout such a match. Corentin is very quick, he is a fighter, especially in the third set,” said Djokovic, who came close to losing the third set.
“He had set point. At that moment anything could happen but I stayed in the set. At the right time I found a good serve.”
Teen sensation Joao Fonseca beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-6(4) 7-6(4) 6-4 in a clash where French and Brazilian fans competed for vocal superiority at a packed Court 14.
Up next for Fonseca is a mouth-watering clash with Draper.
Czech Jakub Mensik, who at 19 is a year older than Fonseca but equally talented as confirmed by his Miami triumph, failed to conjure up any magic and fell 2-6 1-6 6-4 6-3 6-3 against Henrique Rocha of Portugal.
Local crowds had reason to cheer despite Gasquet, Moutet and Herbert falling, however, as 14th seed Arthur Fils rallied for a 7-6(3) 7-6(4) 2-6 0-6 6-4 win over Spaniard Jaume Munar.
“In the fifth set, I thought about Gael Monfils, who has flipped millions of matches,” said Fils, referring to his 38-year-old compatriot who earned his 12th five-set win at the French Open on Tuesday.
Jiri Lehecka earlier took out Spanish 26th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-2 and Kazakh showman Alexander Bublik awoke from his
slumber to upset Australian ninth seed Alex De Minaur 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2.
De Minaur put down his own problems in the match down to fatigue amid a gruelling season and called for changes to the calendar to prevent players from burning out.
