French Open Day 6: Djokovic survives stern Schwartzman test, Nadal storms into last 16

Novak Djokovic celebrates his five-set victory over Diego Schwartzman. Lionel Bonaventure / AFP

A round-up of reports and results from the men’s and women’s singles on Day 6 at the French Open.

MEN’S

Nadal shows no mercy

Rafael Nadal sent out an ominous warning to his French Open rivals after dismantling Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-0, 6-1, 6-0 to book his place in the last 16. Nadal, aiming to win his 10th French Open title from 12 visits, was in ruthless form, allowing Basilashvili just eight points in the first set as he wrapped up the opener in 25 minutes. The second set looked to be going the way of the first as Nadal raced into a 5-0 lead before Basilashvili got his name on the scoreboard. Nadal was more forgiving in the second set, with Basilashvili winning 10 points. Nadal continued to pulverise his opponent in the third set, before sealing the match in one hour and 34 minutes. Nadal next faces compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the quarter-finals.

Djokovic survives Schwartzman test

Defending champion Novak Djokovic survived his first stern test at the French Open, to overcome world No 41 Diego Schwartzman 5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 and move into the last 16. The second seed, now joint third on the all-time list for most wins at Roland Garros with 58, broke the Argentine to go 3-1 up in the first set. But instead of cruising through he was broken twice, with Schwartzman, in top form on clay this season, snatching the set as dark clouds gathered above Court Philippe Chatrier. The Serb recovered to secure the second set but with 42 unforced errors in the first three sets alone, including a backhand that flew long to hand Schwartzman the third, he struggled for consistency. Under threat of becoming the first defending champion to lose prior to the round of 16 since Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2004, Djokovic kept his cool, despite a time violation and a warning, to take the match to a decider. Two more breaks put him in control and a third gave him a spot in the last 16, where he will face either France’s Lucas Pouille or Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Raonic through after Garcia-Lopez retires

Fifth seed Milos Raonic reached the last 16 for the second year in a row after Spanish veteran Guillermo Garcia-Lopez retired at the start of the second set with a thigh muscle injury. Raonic, the world No 6, cruised through the first set 6-1 in 21 minutes and led 1-0 in the second when the Spaniard retired at the changeover after a brief exchange with his opponent. “He told me he had dealt with this in his first rounds. He was happy to have gone through the first two matches and he could not bear it any more,” Raonic said. The 26-year-old Canadian, who will next face Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, had been struggling with an injury himself earlier this season and said he was happy not to have played longer even though it was unfortunate how it had come about. “I take it when I can have it. I have played a lot in the last weeks. I made good progress and am getting better and better,” he said.

Injury forces Goffin exit

Belgian 10th seed David Goffin was forced to retire from his third-round encounter against Argentine Horacio Zeballos after slipping and hurting his ankle. The in-form Goffin, ranked No 12 in the world, was leading 5-4 in the first set when Zeballos, who had earned his first break point, forced him to the edge of the court near a cover with a deep groundstroke. Goffin managed to get to the ball, lifting a lob over the Argentine but slipped in the process, hurting his ankle. Medical staff rushed on and helped him off the court for a medical check. The umpire announced minutes later that the 26-year-old was forced to retire. Zeballos, 32, is through to the fourth round of the French Open for the first time, and will now play the winner of the match between sixth seed Dominic Thiem of Austria and American Steve Johnson.

Dimitrov falls to Carreno Busta

Bulgarian 11th seed Grigor Dimitrov surrendered a comfortable first set lead to tumble out of the French Open 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta. Bidding to make the last 16 in Paris for the first time, Dimitrov looked fit, sharp and focused as he raced to a 4-0 lead. But Carreno Busta, pummelling groundstrokes deep into both corners, turned the match in a 20-point sixth game, winning it on his second break point after Dimitrov failed to covert four chances of his own. That seemed to melt the steel in the Bulgarian’s game, and he speared a backhand into the net to concede the first set and the second and the third. In all, unforced errors on his signature shot cost him 29 points — more than Carreno Busta’s combined total for backhand and forehand. The win took the Spaniard into the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time where he will face Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic.

WOMEN’S

Muguruza sweeps into last 16

Defending champion and fourth seed Garbine Muguruza reached the fourth round with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Kazakh 27th seed Yulia Putintseva. Spain’s Muguruza, 23, will face either French 13th seed Kiki Mladenovic or unseeded Shelby Rogers of the United States for a place in the quarter-finals. Muguruza’s match on Friday featured 11 breaks of serve in the 20 games played.

Ostapenko dances on

Latvian teenager Jelena Ostapenko has said her love of ballroom dancing has helped her reach the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time. Ostapenko, 19, downed Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko 6-1, 6-4 before admitting the Brazilian rhythms of the Samba are key to her success. “At home I try to go ballroom dancing four times a week,” said the world No 47. “It really helps with the footwork on the court. My favourite dance is the Samba.” Ostapenko said she did ballroom dancing for seven years as a child, took a break for another seven years, before dusting off the sequins again in 2014. “I have the dress, the shoes — everything has to be matching. I go to a club and dance with the teacher there, he’s a professional dancer.”

Mladenovic feeds off home crowd to advance

Kristina Mladenovic took her love affair with Roland Garros to a new level, feeding off the home crowd to battle into the fourth round with a 7-5 4-6 8-6 victory over American Shelby Rogers. “I have no words to describe the love I have for you,” said Mladenovic, who rallied from 5-2 down in the third set to book a clash with defending champion Garbine Muguruza on Monday. “Honestly, I went through so many emotions during this match that I don’t know what to say. Your support helps me so much. I had goose bumps.” “Kiki! Kiki!,” the crowd chanted again in an electric atmosphere, declaring their love back to Mladenovic. One of the favourites after reaching the final in the Madrid and Stuttgart claycourt tournaments, the 13th-seeded Mladenovic is looking to become the first French woman since Mary Pierce in 2000 to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup.

* Agencies

RESULTS

MEN

Third Round

Rafael Nadal (ESP x4) bt Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 6-0, 6-1, 6-0

Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP x20) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x 10) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4

Milos Raonic (CAN x5) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-1, 1-0 — retired

Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x17) bt Jiri Vesely (CZE) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3

Horacio Zeballos (ARG) bt David Goffin (BEL x10) 4-5 — retired

Dominic Thiem (AUT x6) bt Steve Johnson (USA) 6-1, 7-6, 6-3

Novak Djokovic (SRB x2) bt Diego Schwartsman 5-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1

Women

Third Round

Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) 6-1, 6-4

Garbine Muguruza (ESP x4) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 7-5, 6-2

Samantha Stosur (AUS x23) bt Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 6-2, 6-2

Kristina Mladenovic (FRA x13) bt Shelby Rogers (USA) 7-5, 4-6, 8-6

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