The round of 16 was coming to an end on Monday at Roland-Garros, marking the end of Varvara Gracheva’s journey, the last French representative still in the singles tournament.
At the beginning of the second week of Roland-Garros, the round of 16 started on Monday, June 3. This sunny day was marked by exceptional performances, notably that of Novak Djokovic who impressed despite an injury. Indeed, after a marathon match of 4 hours and 29 minutes against Lorenzo Musetti, the world number one had to battle for 4 hours and 39 minutes against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo. Trailing 4-2 in the fourth set, Djokovic was on the brink of elimination but managed to dig deep and win in five sets to reach the quarterfinals, in front of a supportive crowd.
On her side, Varvara Gracheva, the last Frenchwoman in contention, had to bow to the young Russian prodigy Mirra Andreeva. Despite a good start to the match, Gracheva couldn’t contain the fiery play of her opponent and was eliminated in two sets. This defeat marks the end of the French player’s journey in this tournament, but hints at a bright future for the French-Russian Andreeva who reaches the quarterfinals for the first time in a Grand Slam.
In the women’s draw, the favorites continue their smooth progress. Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina both won their matches in straight sets, confirming their status as title contenders. Sabalenka, still undefeated since the start of the tournament, crushed her American opponent Emma Navarro, while Rybakina dominated Elina Svitolina.
Finally, Casper Ruud, a regular in the quarterfinals at Roland-Garros, once again qualified for this stage of the competition by defeating Taylor Fritz. The Norwegian will face Novak Djokovic in a promising duel, after beating the Serb in their last encounter in Monte Carlo. Ruud’s consistency and strong character could allow him to create a surprise in this tournament.
Information source: francetvinfo.fr
Pascal Petibon, born in 1980 in Lyon, is a renowned journalist and author, passionate about information and communication. After earning a degree in journalism from the University of Paris, he quickly joined various editorial teams, where he became known for his sharp analysis and clear writing style.
