Despite struggles, big names advance to 3rd round in Paris
PARIS — For Serena Williams, it was a bad right elbow that led to some shaky serving and a dropped set.
For Novak Djokovic, first it was a balky right hip that needed treatment from a trainer; later came an embarrassing mistake.
For Andy Murray, it was a time warning from the chair umpire and losing a set for the first time in six matches against his opponent.
While nine-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal won in straight sets on a cloudy, windy Thursday, some red dirt got in the machine for three of the other biggest names at Roland Garros. That trio put those moments aside and reached the third round, where more significant challenges could await.
Unforced errors
Calling her performance “not professional,” Williams was sloppy in a 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Anna-Lena Friedsam, committing 52 unforced errors.
The American was particularly subpar with her serve, which she said she hasn’t been able to work on properly in practice because of an elbow injury that led her to withdraw from a clay-court tournament in Rome this month.
She double-faulted eight times and allowed Friedsam to accumulate 15 break points, four of which were converted.
“I know my level is literally 100 times better than I played today,” the 19-time major champion said, rolling her eyes, “so I think I take more solace in the fact I can play better, as opposed to the fact that that’s the best I could play. Then I would be in trouble.”
Next comes 27th-seeded Victoria Azarenka, a former No. 1 player and two-time Australian Open champion.
Infusion of youth
The top-seeded Djokovic and Murray, seeded No. 3, will next take on talented young Australians. Djokovic faces 19-year-old Thanasi Kokkinakis, while Murray meets 20-year-old Nick Kyrgios.
There hadn’t been a teenager in the men’s third round at Roland Garros since 2008, but now there are two: Kokkinakis and Croatia’s Borna Coric, 18.
Coric beat 33-year-old Tommy Robredo 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 and now will meet Jack Sock, a 22-yearold American.
“All of them — Kyrgios, Kokkinakis and Coric — are showing some great skills and potential to be … top players,” Djokovic said. “But it’s a long way ahead.”
Djokovic proclaimed the pain in his upper right leg “nothing serious” after taking a medical timeout late in the second set of his 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over Gilles Muller.
Murray stretched his post-wedding winning streak to 12 matches by defeating Joao Sousa 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Murray had won all 12 previous sets the pair had played against each other.
He was cited for a time violation by the chair umpire shortly before frittering away the second set.
“I was struggling,” Murray said.
But he dealt with the difficulty, just as Djokovic and Williams did, and moved on to a new test.