Nine-time champion Rafael Nadal reached a record-equalling 11th French Open quarter-final on Sunday with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over Spanish compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut.
Nadal, who turned 31 on Saturday, equals the mark for Roland Garros last-eight appearances held by Roger Federer.
The fourth seed will face either Canada’s Milos Raonic or Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta for a place in the semi-finals.
Another quarter-final for Djokovic
Defending champion Novak Djokovic eased into the French Open quarter-finals, his 11th, after outclassing claycourt specialist Alberto Ramos-Vinolas 7-6, 6-1, 6-3.
The second seed, with new coach Andre Agassi absent from the stands, was too good for the Spanish 19th seed.
The Serb, bidding to become the first man in the professional era to win each of the four grand slams twice, found some resistance in the first set with the third game lasting 13 minutes before Djokovic won it.
“After that [first set], I started playing with fewer errors and that was good. That gave me a lot of confidence,” Djokovic said in a courtside interview.
Thiem dispatches Zeballos
Dominic Thiem moved into the quarter-finals with another quietly devastating performance.
The Austrian sixth seed swept aside Horacio Zeballos 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 to book a last-eight clash with either Novak Djokovic or Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Raonic halted by Carreno Busta
Fifth seed Milos Raonic had only himself to blame after he was dumped out of the fourth round by claycourt specialist Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, 8-6 on Sunday, with the Canadian committing a staggering 84 unforced errors.
The world No 6 fired an eye-popping 25 aces in an error-ridden performance and fought off six match points before the Spaniard grabbed victory with a volley to earn his first-ever grand slam quarter-final and a matchup with nine-times champion Rafael Nadal.
Holder Muguruza beaten by Mladenovic
Kristina Mladenovic overcame 16 double faults to stun defending champion Garbine Muguruza in the fourth round.
This was the biggest match of the women’s tournament so far – 2016 winner against great French hope.
Mladenovic has been one of the form players of the year and arrived in Paris high on the list of favourites to lift the trophy, despite only having reached the quarter-finals of a grand slam once.
She can now make that twice after a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Muguruza that was not short on drama.
Mladenovic raced through the first set but Muguruza pegged her back, with the Spaniard looking much more like the player who stunned Serena Williams last year than the one who has failed to make a single final since.
Muguruza had taken confidence from coming through three tough matches but a break of serve at the start of the decider gave the impetus back to Mladenovic.
The 24-year-old tweaked her back on the eve of the tournament and has struggled on serve ever since.
She was under pressure in almost every game – often self-inflicted with a raft of double faults.
But Mladenovic played superbly on the big points, pumping her fist and screaming after every one, and Muguruza’s resistance wilted in a poor final game.
The Spaniard stormed off court wagging her finger at the vocal crowd, while Mladenovic celebrated almost as if she had won the tournament, running to shake hands with French federation president Bernard Giudicelli.
Three more wins would see her become the first home winner of a singles title at Roland Garros since Mary Pierce in 2000, but there must be some concern over how much physical and emotional energy she has expended.
Venus Williams bows out
Venus Williams’ chances of adding a first French Open title to her collection of seven grand slams faded on Sunday after the 36-year-old was beaten 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 by Swiss Timea Bacsinszky in the fourth round.
Williams, seeded 10th and competing in her 20th French Open, fought back from 5-1 down rattling off six straight games to win the first set.
But she ran out of steam as the 27-year-old Bacsinszky, who had wasted two set points in the first set, chased her across the court and won the next two with ease, clinching the match with a perfect drop shot.
The Swiss, now guaranteed to be the only player to have reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros in 2015, 2016 and 2017, will face local favourite Kristina Mladenovic in the last eight.
Khachanov youngest man to reach the fourth round since 2009
Two weeks past his 21st birthday, unseeded Karen Khachanov of Russia became the youngest man to reach the French Open’s fourth round since 2009, beating 21st-seeded American John Isner 7-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6.
Isner was the last US man in the draw of 11 who entered the tournament.
Khachanov is playing at Roland Garros for the first time. It is only the third major of his career.
The match was suspended a night earlier after the first set because of rain.
Despite hitting eight double-faults, Khachanov won all 23 games he served against Inser, saving four break points. Khachanov converted one of six break points on Isner’s serve, but that was enough.
World No 290 through to last 16
World No 290 and qualifier Petra Martic reached the French Open last 16 on Sunday with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Latvian 17th seed Anastasija Sevastova.
Croatia’s Martic, a former top 50 player whose ranking slumped after a back injury sidelined her for 10 months, will face either Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina or Magda Linette of Poland for a place in the quarter-finals.
Nishikori survives two-set-blackout to win all-Asian battle
Kei Nishikori survived a two-set blackout to beat Chung Hyeon 7-5, 6-4 6-7, 0-6, 6-4 in their rain-delayed French Open third-round tie on Sunday, winning the first all-Asian battle at this stage of the tournament.
Japanese eighth seed Nishikori looked to be cruising into the fourth round on Saturday after grabbing the opening two sets against the in-form 21-year-old South Korean, who is ranked 67th in the world.
Chung battled back to force a tiebreak in the third, which he won, and then raced to a 3-0 lead before rain saved the day for Nishikori, who slammed his racket onto the ground in frustration just before the rain interruption.
On a sun-kissed Court 1 on Sunday, Chung, Asia’s rising tennis star, picked up where he had left off on Saturday to hand Nishikori his first grand slam bagel in six years.
The experienced 27-year-old Japanese, in his 100th Tour-level clay-court match, recovered his composure in time though, taking more risks and playing the angles to stretch Chung.
He earned a break to go 4-1 up and won the three-hour, 51 minute marathon when Chung double-faulted on matchpoint.
Svitolina reaches fourth round in Paris
Fifth seed Elina Svitolina huffed and puffed into the fourth round of the French Open with an error-ridden 6-4, 7-5 victory over Poland’s Magda Linette in a rain-delayed match on Sunday.
Svitolina, one of the pre-tournament favourites after winning titles at the Rome and Istanbul clay-court tournaments, made 25 unforced errors and served five double faults before overpowering the world No 94.
The 22-year-old Ukrainian, who lives and trains in Paris, put on an untidy display but played perfectly on the key points, holding serve throughout.
“Roland Garros has always been special for me,” Svitolina, who could not play on Saturday because of rain, said courtside.
“I’m very happy that I could win three matches here and hopefully I will keep it going. I was trained to stay focused and I’m happy I could finish it early.”
Next up for Svitolina is Croatian qualifier Petra Martic, who beat Latvian 17th seed Anastasija Sevastova 6-1 6-1.
Wozniacki into second French Open quarter-final
Caroline Wozniacki reached the French Open quarter-finals for the first time in seven years on Sunday with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 win over 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Danish 11th seed Wozniackimade her only other last-eight appearance in Paris in 2010.
“Svetlana’s a great player, especially on clay so I knew it wouldn’t be easy,” said the 26-year-old Dane after her eighth win in 14 meetings against the Russian.
Sunday’s clash was their first on clay.
“I played a great first set but I still knew I had to stay cool and aggressive.”
Ostapenko marches on
Latvian teenager Jelena Ostapenko reached her first grand slam quarter-final with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over 2010 runner-up Samantha Stosur.
Ostapenko, 19, who uses ballroom dancing as part of her training regime, hit 46 winners past the 23rd-seeded Australian, a semi-finalist last year.
Ostapenko will take on 11th seed Wozniacki for a place in the semi-finals.
Pliskova cruises into French Open last 16
Czech second seed Karolina Pliskova advanced to the fourth round at Roland Garros on Sunday with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Germany’s Carina Witthoeft.
Pliskova, who had won just twice in five previous French Open appearances before this year, will face Paraguay’s Veronica Cepede Royg for a quarter-final spot.
Pliskova can replace Angelique Kerber as world No 1 by reaching the final in Paris.
French Open women’s singles last 16 line-up (x denotes seeded player):
■ Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) v Samantha Stosur (AUS x23)
■ Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x11) v Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x8)
■ Garbine Muguruza (ESP x4) v Kristina Mladenovic (FRA x13)
■ Venus Williams (USA x10) v Timea Bacsinszky (SUI x30)
■ Elina Svitolina (UKR x5) v Petra Martic (CRO)
■ Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x21) v Simona Halep (ROM x3)
■ Caroline Garcia (FRA x 28) v Alize Cornet (FRA)
■ Veronica Cepede Royg (PAR) or Mariana Duque-Marino (COL) v Karolina Pliskova (CZE x2)
* Agencies
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