BIRTHDAY BASH
Nadal defeats Gasquet in straight sets to sail into the third round
Clay court machine Rafael Nadal celebrated his 35th birthday by handing Richard Gasquet a 6-0, 7-5, 6-2 masterclass on Thursday as he stormed into the third round of the French Open men’s singles event.
Thirteen-time Roland Garros champion Nadal showed no mercy as he demolished the Frenchman for the 17th time in as many professional encounters. Thursday’s match, which was scheduled in the night session, was played on an empty Court Philippe Chatrier because of the local 9pm curfew amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Gasquet managed only nine points in the opening set, losing seven games in a row at one point.
However, he put up a fight in the second set but even that was not enough to rattle Spaniard Nadal. The Frenchman nudged to a 5-4 lead with a splendid service return, but Nadal earned another break in the 12th game to take a twoset advantage. A more relaxed Gasquet unleashed some delightful backhands, but Nadal broke for 4-2 in the decider as his opponent started to run out of steam.
Meanwhile, Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev put in a commanding performance against the tall Reilly Opelka on Friday, beating the American 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to storm into the fourth round.
Medvedev broke the American’s booming serve two times in the opening set as Opelka committed an array of unforced errors. The 25-yearold Russian continued his dominance in the second set as Opelka failed to rein in his errors and got broken twice more. Medvedev then sealed the match with an early break in the third set.
Serena, Azarenka progress
Veteran Serena Williams powered confidently into the women’s singles fourth round with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of fellow American player Danielle Collins on Friday.
The 39-year-old seventh seed produced a calm and composed display against a dangerous opponent and is now the highest-ranked player left in the bottom half of the draw. Meanwhile, Victoria Azarenka reached the fourth round of the French Open for the first time since 2013 with a 6-2, 6-2 victory against American Madison Keys.
Azarenka broke for 3-2 on her third opportunity as Keys hit a backhand long. A passing shot winner earned her another break before she bagged the opening set on serve. The Belarusian stole her opponent’s serve twice again in the second set, keeping Keys on the back foot throughout the contest.
Russian player Sizikova arrested over match-fixing allegations
Russian women’s player Yana Sizikova has been arrested at the French Open and placed in custody over match-fixing allegations, according to news agency Reuters. A police source and the French Tennis Federation (FFT) on Friday said that the player has been arrested, but did not elaborate on the reasons. A source with direct knowledge of the matter, however, said that the arrest was related to match-fixing allegations.