Some more catching-up on yesterday:
Jack Draper will, of course, be hurting after his exit yesterday,but sometimes you simply have to say too good to your opponent – Alexander Bublik was inspired and played probably the match of his life. This has still been a clay-court season of real progress for Draper, reaching the fourth round for the first time, having never won a match at Roland Garros previously, as well as getting to the final of the Madrid Open and moving up to No 5 in the world. He can now turn his focus to grass, a surface that has brought him more success than clay so far in his career, having won his first ATP title, at the Stuttgart Open, last year. He’ll very much be in the mix at Wimbledon if he can handle the expectation.
Philippe Chatrier (11am start/10am BST)(1)Aryna Sabalenka(Blr) v (8) Zheng Qinwen (Chn)(13) Elina Svitolina (Ukr) v (5) Iga Swiatek (Pol)(8) Lorenzo Musetti (Ita) v (15) Frances Tiafoe (US)Night match: (12) Tommy Paul (US) v (2) Carlos Alcaraz (Spa)Suzanne Lenglen (11am/10am BST)(6) Veronika Kudermetova (Rus) & Elise Mertens (Bel) v (2) Sara Errani (Ita) & Jasmine Paolini (Ita)Olga Danilovic (Ser) & Anastasia Potapova (Rus) v (4) Mirra Andreeva (Rus) & Diana Shnaider (Rus)(1) Lyudmyla Kichenok (Ukr) & Mate Pavic (Cro) v Desirae Krawczyk (US) & Neal Skupski (GB)Simonne Mathieu (11am/10am BST)(9) Christian Harrison (US) & Evan King (US) v (2) Harri Heliovaara (Fin) & Henry Patten (GB)(8) Joe Salisbury (GB) & Neal Skupski (GB) v (15) Matthew Ebden (Aus) & John Peers (Aus)(4) Taylor Townsend (US) & Evan King (US) v Laura Siegemund (Ger) & Edouard Roger-Vasselin (Fra)
Bonjour et bienvenue! After a fourth round featuring surging comebacks, a French revolution from a wildcard ranked 361 in the world, Jannik Sinner in continued cyborg mode and a total wipeout for the Brits, it’s time for the quarter-finals to begin.
The day session features no less than a four-times French Open champion, a world No 1, an Olympic gold medallist, a mother and honorary Frenchwoman playing some of the best tennis of her career, a stylish Italian who’s a new player on the block in the top 10 and a rejuvenated American who’s broken new ground on clay this fortnight. Oui, it’sAryna Sabalenkav Zheng Qinwen, Iga Swiatek v Elina Svitolina and Lorenzo Musetti v Frances Tiafoe.
All three matches promise much: Musetti and Tiafoe for their charisma, Sabalenka and Zheng for their clinical ball striking and Swiatek and Svitolina for, well, everything if their quarter-final comes anywhere close to matching the drama of their utterly absorbing fourth-round wins over Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini respectively.
Play begins at:11am Paris time/10am BST. Don’t go anywhere!