QUARTER-FINAL
Eighth seed Nishikori led two sets to one but trailed by a double break at 3-0 down in the fourth set when rain halted play on Saturday.
Chung forced the contest into a deciding set as play resumed yesterday, but the World No 67 double faulted on match point to gift Nishikori a 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 0-6, 6-4 victory.
It was the first third-round meeting between two Asian players at Roland Garros, with 2014 US Open finalist Nishikori going on to play Fernando Verdasco for a place in the quarter-finals.
Karen Khachanov will play Andy Murray in the fourth round after the giant Russian beat American 21st seed John Isner 76 (7-1), 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-3).
Kristina Mladenovic ensured France will have women in the quarter-finals for the first time since 1994 after dumping out fourth seed Garbine 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
The French 13th seed is through to just her second Slam quarter-final after the 2015 US Open.
Never mind the 16 double faults, Kristina downed defending champion Garbine, sending the Roland Garros crowd into raptures as their darling reached the quarter-finals of the French Open yesterday.
After a jittery opening set, Spanish fourth seed Garbine rallied but 13th-seeded Frenchwoman Kristina perfectly played the key points for a place in the quarter-finals.
Kristina, who has been hampered by back problems, leads the tournament in terms of double faults, having served 40 of them since it started. Even though she won yesterday, she added a big contribution to that total.
“Kiki, Kiki" yelled the crowd as Kristina, a player born of Serbian parents and who speaks good English and cheers herself up in Italian, negotiated her way through the tricky fourth-round match.
“I love you, too,” she told the chanting crowd after the win on a sunbathed Court Suzanne Lenglen.
With Alize Cornet taking on Caroline Garcia in the fourth round today, two Frenchwomen will be in the last eight for the first time since 1994.
That year, Mary Pierce, the last Frenchwoman to lift the Suzanne Lenglen Cup in 2000, reached the final, losing to Spaniard Arantxa Sanchez.
Danish 11th seed Caroline Wozniacki knocked off 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 46, 6-2 to reach the last eight for just the second time.
Caroline, who made her only other quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros in 2010, will meet Latvian teenager Jelena Ostapenko next.
“Svetlana’s a great player, especially on clay so I knew it wouldn’t be easy,” said Caroline, a
Pablo Carreño-Busta (Spa) bt Milos Raonic (Can) 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 8-6; Rafael Nadal (Spa) bt Roberto Bautista Agut (Spa) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
Karen Khachanov (Rus) bt John Isner (US) 7-6 (7-1), 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-3); Kei Nishikori (Jpn) bt Hyeon Chung (Kor) 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 0-6, 6-4; Gael Monfils (Fra) bt Richard Gasquet (Fra) 7-6 (7-5), 57, 4-3 (retired).
Jelena Ostapenko (Lat) bt Samantha Stosur (Aus) 2-6, 6-2, 6-4; Caroline Wozniacki (Den) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.
Elina Svitolina (Ukr) bt Magda Linette (Pol) 6-4, 7-5; Petra Martic (Cro) bt Anastasija Sevastova (Lat) 6-1, 6-1; Verónica Cepede (Par) bt Mariana Duque (Col) 3-6, 76 (7-2), 6-3; Karolína Plísková (Cze) bt Carina Witthoeft (Ger) 7-5, 6-1. two-time US Open runner-up.
Second seed Karolina Pliskova advanced to round four with a 75, 6-1 victory over Germany’s Carina Witthoeft.
Karolina, who had won just twice in five previous French Open appearances before this year, will face Paraguay’s Veronica Cepede Royg for a quarterfinal spot.
World No 290 and qualifier Petra Martic reached the last 16 with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Latvian 17th seed Anastasija Sevastova.
Fifth seed Svitolina downed Magda Linette of Poland 6-4, 7-5. Agencies