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Three-time Roland Garros champion Williams, who has been stuck on 23 major titles since 2017, one behind Margaret Court’s all-time record, went through the gears in the opening set before letting her guard down.
“Trust me, I hate playing five sets. I don’t do it on purpose,” Nishikori said after a second straight five-setter which took his time on court at Roland Garros to just over eight hours.
Sixth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany negotiated two tiebreaks to beat Russian Roman Safiullin 7-6(4) 6-3 7-6(1). Zverev sent down 41 winners, including 15 aces, while also winning 80% of his first-serve points.
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| Serena Williams in action |
Former world number one Serena Williams, chasing a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title, overcame a second-set blip to reach the French Open third round with a 6-3 5-7 6-1 win against Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu on Wednesday.
Three-time Roland Garros champion Williams, who has been stuck on 23 major titles since 2017, one behind Margaret Court’s all-time record, went through the gears in the opening set before letting her guard down.
The 39-year-old, who is seeded seventh in Paris but has not been past the fourth round here since reaching the final in 2016, fell 4-2 behind in the second set as Buzarnescu broke for the first time.
But the American was back to her dominant self as she stole her opponent’s serve in the next game and set up two break points in the 11th game.
Buzarnescu kept her composure to stave them off and level for 5-5 before sealing the second set on Williams’s serve.
Williams was 4-0 up after breaking twice in the decider but the scoreline did not reflect the fight the Romanian put up to stay in the contest.
Williams’s experience, however, prevailed in the key moments as she set up a meeting with fellow American Danielle Collins.
Williams has come agonisingly close to matching Court’s record since winning the 2017 Australian Open.
She has fallen in four Grand Slam finals and earlier this year lost in the semi-finals at the Australian Open.
Following that she underwent oral surgery and played only three Tour-level matches heading into the French Open, winning one.
Highlights of the fourth day at the French Open on Wednesday (times GMT):
1640 TSITSIPAS ADVANCES
Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Spain’s Pedro Martinez 6-3 6-4 6-3 to move into the third round.
Tsitsipas fired eight aces and 45 winners, converting eight of 18 break points.
1630 NISHIKORI WINS FIVE-SET EPIC AGAINST KHACHANOV
Japan’s Kei Nishikori battled for four hours on Court Philippe-Chatrier before finally overcoming Russian 23rd seed Karen Khachanov 4-6 6-2 2-6 6-4 6-4. The Japanese will face Switzerland’s Henri Laaksonen in round three.
“Trust me, I hate playing five sets. I don’t do it on purpose,” Nishikori said after a second straight five-setter which took his time on court at Roland Garros to just over eight hours.
1535 AZARENKA DOWNS TAUSON IN STRAIGHT SETS
Victoria Azarenka, seeded 15th, came through in straight sets against Denmark’s Clara Tauson. The Belarusian converted five of her 13 break-point opportunities to secure her place in the third round.
1450 FOGNINI FLATTENS FUCSOVICS, ISNER THROUGH
Italy’s Fabio Fognini, the 27th seed, edged a first-set tiebreak before seeing off Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 7-6(8) 6-1 6-2.
American John Isner also reached the third round in straight sets, riding his booming serve to a 7-6(6) 6-1 7-6(5) victory over Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic, dishing out 23 aces.
1315 SEEDED BAUTISTA AGUT LOSES TO LAAKSONEN
Spanish 11th seed Roberto Bautista Agut was beaten 6-3 2-6 6-3 6-2 by unseeded Henri Laaksonen. The Swiss served well and won 10 points at the net, while also sending down 53 winners compared to Bautista Agut’s 17.
1245 ANDUJAR DEFEATED IN FIVE SETS
Argentina’s Federico Delbonis beat Spaniard Pablo Andujar 4-6 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-2 in three hours and 23 minutes, hitting 54 winners, including 14 aces, on Court 13.
Andujar stunned fourth seed Dominic Thiem in the first round, recovering from two sets down to beat the Austrian 4-6 5-7 6-3 6-4 6-4, but ran out of steam in his second five-setter at Roland Garros.
1235 RUUD POWERS PAST MAJCHRZAK
Danish 15th seed Casper Ruud sent down 39 winners and won 81% of his first-serve points en route to defeating Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak 6-3 6-2 6-4 on Court 7.
1135 ZVEREV BEATS SAFIULLIN IN STRAIGHT SETS
Sixth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany negotiated two tiebreaks to beat Russian Roman Safiullin 7-6(4) 6-3 7-6(1). Zverev sent down 41 winners, including 15 aces, while also winning 80% of his first-serve points.
1110 TAN TAMED BY VONDROUSOVA
Marketa Vondrousova, the 20th seed, ended local wild card Harmony Tan’s run with a crushing 6-1 6-3 victory. The Czech cruised past Tan without dropping serve, winning 80% of her first-serve points.
1025 BENCIC AND BRENGLE CRASH OUT IN STRAIGHT SETS
Swiss Belinda Bencic was knocked out after a 6-2 6-2 defeat by Russian Daria Kasatkina, who fired eight aces and 27 winners past the 10th seed to move into the third round for the first time since 2018.
American Madison Brengle lost 6-4 6-1 to Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia, who converted five of six break points in a contest that lasted 65 minutes.
REUTERS
