Cilic, Thiem battle into last 32 in France

TITLE challengers Marin Cilic and Dominic Thiem struggled into the French Open last 32 yesterday as Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal waited to join them.

Third seed Cilic reached the third round for the eighth time with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-7 3/7), 7-5 win over Polish qualifier and world No. 188 Hubert Hurkacz.

Former US Open champion Cilic, who reached the quarterfinals in Paris last year, will face Steve Johnson of the United States for a place in the last 16.

However, it was a roller-coaster of a performance by newly-wed Cilic who cracked 48 winners but also 52 unforced errors. He also squandered a match point in the third set.

“I was in control but played a poor third set so I had to start all over again,” said 29-year-year-old Cilic after his 20th match win of the season.

“I had to be positive, positive, positive. I screamed just to let it all out and I got the break in the 11th game.”

Seventh seeded Thiem, a semifinalist in 2016 and 2017, racked up his 31st win of the year. The Austrian, the only man to beat world No. 1 Rafael Nadal on clay this year, saw off Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a match which had been suspended overnight after the third set. Next up for Thiem is Italy’s Matteo Berrettini.

Highly-rated Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov was knocked out by Germany’s Maximilian Marterer 5-7, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, 6-4.

World No. 70 Marterer, 22, has now reached the third round at successive Grand Slam events and will face Estonian lucky loser Jurgen Zopp.

Spanish third seed Garbine Muguruza, the 2016 champion, was too strong for France’s No. 257 Fiona Ferro 6-4, 6-3.

“She was unknown to me. It’s always tricky when you face a French, a young, talented player,” said Wimbledon champion Muguruza.

Meanwhile, Australian 24th seed Daria Gavrilova came back from a set and 5-2 down, saving a match point in the process, to defeat America’s Bernarda Pera 5-7, 7-5, 6-3.

Serena Williams takes on Australia’s 17th seed Ashleigh Barty. Victory for Williams will take her a step further to a potential last-16 clash with old rival Maria Sharapova.

Men’s top seed and world No. 1 Rafael Nadal tackles fellow left-hander Guido Pella of Argentina. Pella, the world No. 78, has never got beyond the second round at the Slams.

Women’s top seed Simona Halep, the 2014 and 2017 runner-up, plays big-hitting Taylor Townsend of the United States. Halep needed three sets to see off Alison Riske in the first round on Wednesday. – AFP