Winds of change blow on a day of upsets at the French Open
PARIS — On a Sunday of upsets among the women at the French Open, revenge was a dish served up in an autumnal chill by a Polish teenager.
But it was business as usual for the men, with Rafael Nadal reaching his 14th quarterfinal on the red clay of Paris that, by now, must run in his veins. The 12-time French Open champion ran up a — excuse the pun — practically purrr-fect 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 victory against a player who idolizes him so much that he named his cat “Rafa.”
“All of our generation, we try very hard to be passionate,” Nadal said after seeing off Sebastian Korda, a 20-year-old qualifier who has set his sights on winning at least two Grand Slam titles, one more than his dad, 1998 Australian Open champion Petr Korda.
“If that’s a good inspiration for the young generation, that’s good,” added the winner of 19 major titles who has yet to drop a set in his pursuit of a recordtying 20th.
A young generation is making its mark at this French Open pushed back by the coronavirus from its usual May-June spot, especially in the women’s draw.
Against the player who humbled her 6-1, 6-0 at the same stage last year, 19-year-old Iga Swiatek turned the tables on top-seeded Simona Halep, sending the 2018 champion packing 6-1, 6-2 with powerful groundstrokes and exquisite net play to advance to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Halep, who also lifted the title at Wimbledon last year, never got into her stride under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier and was unable to exert any pressure on the nowconfident youngster who wilted with nerves in their fourthround meeting last year that was over in just 45 minutes.
Swiatek used that defeat as fuel.
“A huge lesson,” she said. “I knew that I can, like, play differently and I can finally show my best tennis.”
Halep lasted just 23 minutes longer this time. She never had a break point against her opponent who racked up 14 against her, breaking her twice in each set and keeping her serve under near-constant stress.
“She was everywhere,” said Halep, who had been on a career-best winning streak of 17 matches. “I will have a chocolate and I will be better tomorrow.”
Adding to a sense that winds of change are blowing across women’s tennis, Italian qualifier Martina Trevisan ousted fifth-seeded Kiki Bertens moments later, winning 6-4, 6-4 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
With three Roland Garros debutants — Trevisan, Argentinian qualifier Nadia Podoroska and Paula Badosa of Spain — playing in the fourth round, the French Open’s second week has already been one of new faces. Halep and Bertens had been among just six seeded women who made the last 16. And sixth-seeded Serena Williams’ pursuit of a recordtying 24th major title ended with an Achilles injury after her first-round win.