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Two massive forehands then a glorious drop and Zverev leads Bonzi 6-3 5-4. He’s settled nicely into two weeks he hopes are transformative; if his forehand and net-play are on-point, he can beat anyone.
And to compound her situation, Krejcikova secures a hold in a matter of seconds; work to do for Baptiste. Meantime, Zverev breaks Bonzi for 6-3 5-4 and, at 40-15, has two set points…
Krejcikova forces Baptiste to deuce in game one of set two – well, really, Baptiste does it to herself, overhitting perhaps vexed with herself for not securing the first set when she had a point so to do. And down advantage, she wellies a forehand long, so Krejcikova leads by a set and a break.
Longtime readers will know Haddad Maia is a favourite of this blog, her lefty power-game a lot of fun to watch. I hoped she’d push on after making the last four here in 2023, but other than a last-eight appearance in New York, she’s not done loads at majors. At 29, she’s still got a bit of time, but after a couple of quiet years, she badly needs to recapture momentum.
Next on Court 14: Francesca Jones v Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Alejandro Davidovch Fokina beats Damir Dzumhur (3)6-7 6-3 2-6 7-5 6-3
What a ruckus that was. Davidovich Fokina poses like Wayne Rooney after scoring that overhead against Man City, enjoying a moment he’s fought just over four hours to live; he meets Llamas Ruiz or Tirante next.
Oh! At 7-7, Baptiste dances in to put away a forehand … and nets! set point Krejcikova, and a deep slice to the baseline is followed by a backhand which breaks the sideline, Baptiste wafting her response long. The Czech leads 7-6, and this is brewing into an epic.
Just as she looks to have seized a net battle, Krejcikova slams a drive volley into the tape, then another Baptiste hold means that, at 6-5, she holds set point … but a good first serve incites a long, wide return.
Krejcikova frames a forehand cross … for a winner. That’s the mini-break back, and a hold takes us to 4-4 in what is a really even contest.
Oooh yeah, Baptise panels a backhand winner down the line for 3-1, and her mahoosive game looks set to carry the day here. On 14, meanwhile, Davidovich Fokina has broken again for 4-3 in the fifth; Dzumhur looks to be flagging emotionally, sat at change of ends with head between legs.
Talking of Bonzi, of course, allows me to post this piece of cheap, “Remember when is the lowest form of conversation,” nostalgia.
But what level of patter is pointing that out?
Baptiste holds for 6-6 in the first and, though I’d almost always back the bigger server in a breaker, Krejcikova’s cunning makes her a live dog. Back on Chatrier, by the way, Bonzi leads 2-1 in the second on serve, Zverev by one set to love.
Baptiste is playing the better, more expansive tennis now, but Krejcikova is so tough and reliable, holding to 15 for a 6-5 lead in the first. I can’t think of too many, if any players like her, a doubles specialist who out of nowhere won two singles slams. I’m not sure how she even processes that – it’s astounding to think of for a rando like me, years later – a career she didn’t even plan that others give up everything to not achieve, hers with plenty of time to spare. That’s got to alter your sense of self in a seriously profound way.
Oh, but Dzumhur stands strong to break back, meaning he and Davidovich Fokina are level at 2-2 in the fifth.
Davidovich Fokina breaks Dzumhur for 2-1 in the fifth then, down break point, he spanks a flat forehand winner – not for the first time. Similarly, Baptiste monsters a one of her own level at 5-5 against Krejcikova, and this match looks like it might come down to a point here and there in a breaker.
Back on Lenglen, Baptiste earns a break point … but Krejcikova saves it with a cunning drop, then closes out the hold for 5-4 in the first. This is getting tense now.
Bonzi isn’t going away, saving two set points from 40-15 – a stone-handed volley from Zverev, a quirk he’s never quite addressed, costs him the second. And though a murderous forehand then raises another, again, he can’t convert … but after securing another, he finally sees it out to lead 6-3.
Leading 4-3, Krejcikova steps into court to take her returns a bit earlier, making 30-0 all … then Baptiste closes out the hold in short order. So far, these two are cancelling each other out.
Bonzi saves set point with a forehand winner and closes out the hold so, at 5-3, Zverev will now serve for what, so far, has been a routine first set, the break arriving as we knew it would, with very little threat coming back the other way.
Zverev holds easily for 5-2 and looks solid as you’d expect, while Davidovich Fokina calls out the trainer for a massage on his right quad. On Lenglen, Krejcikova is serving at 3-3 in the third, neither she nor Baptiste yet firing – they’re really well matched.
Bonzi has started well against Zverev but, down advantage on serve, he overhits a forehand and that’s the break. At 2-4, he must now find a way to retaliate against an opponent who’s so far lost on two points on his own delivery.
Great stuff dept:
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Machac, who I think might get good enough to threaten at majors, leads Bergs 6-4 1-3 … and Davidovich Fokina does indeed hold so will now play a decider against Dzumhur. This one may come down to which of the two handles the heat better.
On Mathieu, Volynets has smashed Burel 3 and 1 – her second-round contest with Kostyuk will be worth watching. Zverev leads Bonzi 3-2 on serve, while Davidovich Fokina has turned it around on 14, serving at 6-5 in the fourth to force a decider against Dzumhur.
Baptiste holds for 1-1 against Krejcikova, and this is a proper test of where she’s up to. She made round four of this competition last year and, a clay-court specialist, will hope to improve on that – Jasmine Paolini is the highest-ranked player ion he eighth. She beat her in Madrid last month, Bencic too, before dispatching Sabalenka in a third-set breaker, before losing the semi to Andreeva – her putative last-eight opponent here – and if she can reduce the unforced errors, she’s got a great chance of becoming a top player.
Tremendous work from Davidovich Fokina, who hooks a high backhand cross-court then punches another down the line too secure that break-back. He trails Dzumhur 6-7 6-2 2-6 4-5.
Dzumhur has played well today and he’s broken Davidovich Fokina for 2-1 5-3 … only to go down 0-40 serving for the match. He retrieves two break-back points, though, and a forehand into the net means we’re at deuce. On Lenglen, meanwhile, Baptiste and Krejcikova are knocking up – this should be a bazzer of a contest.
This makes me laugh:
Zverev begins his campaign with a love hold.
Mcnally has seen it out against Tomljanovic, a 6-3 third set earning her a round two meeting with Bencic; Dzumhur has broken Davidovich Fokina back in set four to lead 2-1 3-2; and Machac leads Bergs 5-4 on serve.
We watch VT of Zverev talking about his bad back, saying he felt “unbelievable” after seeing the famous German doctor, Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt, known as Healing Hans. After a few months, though, things worsened again, so he returned to him after Rome, and is back feeling good.
He’ll know this is a chance for him, with Carlos Alcaraz missing – he has the no 2 seed’s path through the draw, the best player in his eighth Khachanov, with a last-eight meeting against Fritz scheduled and Djokovic his likeliest semi-final opponents. This is a massive chance for him to break his grand slam duck – he’ll not get a better one, which brings with it immense pressure, the kind under which he’s previously wilted.
Next on Lenglen: Hailey Baptiste (26) v Barbora Krejciokova.
Karen Khachanov (13) beats Arthur Géa 6-3 7-6(3) 6-0
Géa played pretty well, especially in set two, but isn’t ready to compete physically at this level and towards the end, it showed. Still, he’s got some talent, and it’ll be interesting to see where he goes from here; Khachanov meets Jacquet or Trungelliti next.
Alright, Dzumhur has taken the third set 6-2 to lead Davidovich Fokina 2-1 … only to be broken in game one of the fourth. Kecmanovic has beaten Maroszan 6, 3 and 4, so meets Etcheverry or Borges next; Machac ands Bergs are level at 3-3 in the first; and Khachanov now leads Gea 2-0 5-0, the youngster wilting in the heat.
Next on Chatrier: Benjamin Bonzi v Alexander Zverev (2).
Bencic says she was naturally nervous in the first round, but she was so excited when she saw she’d play on Chatrier. This is her second Roland-Garros as a mum, which has changed a lot – Caroline Garcia, pregnant and interviewing her, will soon know the feeling, she says - but she’s really happy she can travel with her family and play lots of beautiful tournaments; she’s open to recommendations as to where they should go on her day off.
Belinda Bencic (11) beats Sinja Kraus 6-2 6-3
A decent workout for Bencic – Kraus, at 24, looks to be hitting her stride – and she’ll face Mcnally or Tomljanovic next.
Kraus is forced to fight through multiple deuces, but eventually holds for 3-5; Bencic must now serve for the match while, unsurprisingly, Khachanov holds the breaks the flagging Gea to leads 6-3 7-6 2-0.
Also going on:
On Lenglen, Bencic consolidates to lead Kraus 6-2 5-2, and will be really happy with that against an opponent giving her a proper test. The highest-ranked player in her eighth is Svitolina, who she’ll absolutely feel she can beat – but Kenin and Tauson will fancy themselves good enough to stop her getting there.
I wondered if Davidovich Fokina had taken over against Dzumhur … and he has not. The Bosnian leads 1-1 4-1, the no 21 seed in trouble. Elsewhere, Mcnally leads Tomjlanovic 3-0 in the third, Kecmanovic is up a break against Maraoszan at 1-1 4-3, and Wang has beaten Tagger, girls’ champion last year, 6-3 3-6 6-4. Next for her, Sorribes Tormo or Korpatch.
Khachanov races to 6-3, powers down his first ace of the match – yes, it really took that long – to lead 6-3 7-6(3). Gea had proper chances in both set and breaker, but couldn’t stay level enough to make them count. He’ll be better for the experience, though.
Gea makes the first mini-break, but Khachanov responds immediately, a big forehand to the corner setting up the kind of delicate drop he’s famous for not playing well. Oh, and Gea loses his next service-point too, which is to say the big dog looks like finding sufficient quality to repel whatever comes at home. Khachanov leads 4-2, while Kraus has also wilted, broken by Bencic who leads 6-2 4-2 and, after a decent workout, is almost home.
