PARIS – Top-ranked tennis players experienced mixed results during Wednesday’s action at the French Open, with some stars moving forward while others suffered unexpected defeats in challenging weather conditions.
Four-time champion Swiatek managed to advance to the third round despite struggling with 38 unforced errors during her match against Czech player Sara Bejlek, winning 6-2 6-3 in the intense heat.
“It was a tricky match in terms of the rhythm, because Sara plays differently than most of the players,” Swiatek explained. “I’m happy with the way I adjusted and how I was making decisions, because sometimes it wasn’t obvious when to attack and stay back. In the end I felt pretty good.”
Three-time champion Djokovic faced a challenging battle against French player Valentin Royer but ultimately prevailed 6-3 6-2 6-7(7) 6-3, keeping his pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam title alive at age 39.
“I think Valentin deserves a big round of applause for his performance today. I hope I won’t play any more French players for the rest of the tournament,” Djokovic commented after the match.
The Serbian star noted the difficult playing conditions, saying “The feelings on the court are different when you win. But it was a tough match in difficult conditions.”
However, second seed Rybakina suffered a stunning early elimination, falling to Yuliia Starodubtseva 3-6 6-1 7-6(10-4). The recent Australian Open champion struggled significantly, committing 71 unforced errors throughout the contest.
“I feel like if you’re trying to beat one of the best, you have to think that you can,” Starodubtseva said following her first victory over a top-five player. “I was trying to go into this match with this mindset, try not to give too much respect, even though she’s a great player and someone you can look up to.”
Ukrainian players continued their recent success, with Rome champion Elina Svitolina defeating Kaitlin Quevedo 6-0 6-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier. Fellow Ukrainian and Madrid winner Marta Kostyuk also advanced, beating Katie Volynets 6-7(4) 6-3 6-3.
Drama unfolded off the court when Spanish player Alejandro Davidovich Fokina discovered his coach had abandoned him mid-tournament. Mariano Puerta left the venue after sending a text message and flew to Miami without explanation.
“After the match against Damir Dzumhur, we had lunch and after that, I went to cool down. He said he was feeling bad, he was going to the hotel,” Davidovich Fokina revealed after his four-set victory over Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante. “In the afternoon … he texted me a message (saying) he’ll not continue … he didn’t say nothing to anybody, he just took the flight and flew to Miami.”
Additional tension arose during Tamara Korpatsch’s 6-2 2-6 6-3 victory over 32nd seed Wang Xinyu on Court Seven. The match concluded without a handshake after a disputed line call led to heated exchanges between the players.
The controversy began when Wang believed her shot had landed inside the baseline, but Korpatsch pointed to a ball mark outside the court. Wang crossed the net to examine the mark, earning a code violation from chair umpire Aurelie Tourte for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“I can’t say I’ll gift her the point,” Korpatsch explained. “I’m a bit surprised, because we have a good relationship, we’re not enemies. I didn’t offer her my hand because that’s not fair for me. She was unfair to come on my side, and I’m not an unfair player.”
Other notable results included Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Belinda Bencic’s commanding 6-4 6-0 victory over American Caty McNally. German player Alexander Zverev was scheduled to face Czech Tomas Machac in the evening session as he continues his quest for a first Grand Slam title.
