Novak Djokovic, was very briefly made to work hard by unseeded Spaniard Roberto Carballés Baena before sealing a routine 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 victory and motoring into the French Open third round on Thursday.
Djokovic has been some way from his convincing best in an erratic season where he is bidding to win a record 25th grand slam title and the top-seeded Serb was dragged into a battle by Carballés Baena after recovering an early break.
Having nosed ahead on serve in the ninth game, the 37-year-old Djokovic set up break point with a big overhead smash after a 24-shot rally and pounced to take the first set as spectators on Court Philippe-Chatrier sensed a return to a more familiar level.
Djokovic moved up a few notches in the next set for a 4-0 lead before his 31-year-old opponent even got on the board and the three-times Roland Garros champion tightened his grip on the contest in quick time.
The pair’s previous two encounters were both at hardcourt majors but the outcome was no different on Parisian clay as Djokovic sauntered ahead 5-1 in the third set before wrapping up the victory. (Reuters)
Ostapenko 6-7, 3-0 Tauson is another latest score in the women’s singles. Along with Collins 7-6 (3), 5-7, 3-3 Danilovic.
On Court Suzanne Lenglen, Mayar Sherif now leads Madison Keys 6-5 in the second set. Keys won the first 6-0.
The fifth seed is safely through to the third round of the women’s singles after a very decent test against the American world No 108. Chloé Paquet (ranked 136) will be Vondrousova’s opponent next.
“Firstly thanks to the crowd,” says Djokovic, who will face Gaël Monfils or Lorenzo Musetti in the third round.
“Thank you for being here. I think it’s been a difficult few days for the fans. There’s been so much rain. But thanks for coming out to support.
“It was difficult against Roberto. He has a lot of quality, a lot of precision …
“I’m happy. I’m happy with my performance today.”
Reaction from Djokovic coming up.
And that is that. The first set was a good contest. The rest was a bad contest, at least if you’re a big Carballés Baena fan.
Shapovalov and Tiafoe are locked at 2-2 in their fourth set.
*Djokovic 6-4, 6-1, 5-2 Carballés Baena (*denotes next server)
The Tenerife-born Spaniard manages to get over the line and forces Djokovic to serve this out.
*Djokovic 6-4, 6-1, 5-1 Carballés Baena (*denotes next server)
The Spaniard is serving to stay in the match. But pesky Djokovic is engaging the world No 63 in a deuce battle.
On Court 10, Danielle Collins is in a duel with Olga Danilovic, who is a break up in the third! The Serb is ranked 125 and is threatening to upset the 11th seed in the women’s singles.
Volynets is serving to stay in her match against Vondrousova (5), over on Court 14.
6-0, 6-1, 3-5 are the scores on the doors there.
There are some huge, regular roars audible on Philippe-Chatrier from a nearby court. Maybe it’s Shapovalov v Tiafoe, which is into a fourth set, and looks like a belter.
As it stands: Shapovalov 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2, 1-2 Tiafoe
*Djokovic 6-4, 6-1, 4-1 Carballés Baena (*denotes next server)
Ouch. A speedy break to love from the Serb, stretching his opponent to breaking point over and over again with punishingly accurate groundstrokes to either side. He’s two games away from thinking about what he’s having for dinner. Maybe he already is?
Djokovic 6-4, 6-1, 3-1 *Carballés Baena (*denotes next server)
The Serb rounds off a dismissive hold to 15. He’s in total control, coming to the net once to crash an imperious smash beyond his helpless opponent.
Thank you Daniel. There is some blue sky in Paris. The commentators sound shocked.
Now, Djokovic is serving at 2-1 in the third against Carballés Baena …
Righto, I’m off to do the school run, so here’s Luke McLaughlin to chill with you through the next bit.
Sherif is finally on the board, holding in the first game of set two while Shapovalov serves out to 15; he leads Tiafoe by two sets to one, and the number 25 seed is in trouble.
Carballes Baena overhits a forehand and as he did in set two, Djokovic breaks in the first game of three, while Shapovalov will shortly serve for a 2-1 lead over Tiafoe at 5-2 in the third.
Yup, he’d already won, and a match that started yesterday morning but feels like it’s been in progress for a fortnight, is over. Next for Oor Hubes: Shapovalov or Tiafoe.
On Lenglen, Keys completes a 19-minute set, bagelling Sherif, and Vondrousova might just do the same to Volynets, now up 4-0 in the decider. So assuming that match is did, I move to watch the fourth-set breaker between Hurkacz and Nakashima. Problem being…
Djokovic burns two set points but Carballes Baena eventually nets a backhand and there is it; he leads 6-4 6-1 and is hitting it very nicely.
Er yeah, about that last post. Djokovic regains his two-break situation and is now serving for set two at 6-4 5-1, while Keys leads Sherif 4-0.
Hold tight Roberto Carballes Baena! He might give it up but instead retrieves a break, now trailing only 4-1 in set two; and going around the courts, Hurkacz leads Nakashima 6-7 6-1 6-3 6-5; Paquet leads Siniakova 6-7 7-3 2-3; Samsonova leads Anisimova 3-2; Baez leads Offner 6-3 6-3 4-6; Fernandez leads Wang 6-3 0-1; Auger-Aliassime leads Squire 6-4 4-6 3-6; Collins leads Danilovic 7-6 4-3 with a break; and Tiafoe and Shapovalov are locled at 1-1 2-2.
Vondrousova is at it now, breaking Volynets in the first game of set three.; Djokovic also breaks, Carballes baena now trailing 6-4 4-0; Keys breaks Sherif first up; and Ostapenko is just under way against Tauson, leading 2-1 on serve.
Vondrousova quickly levels her match with Volynets at a set apiece; decider coming up. Meantime, Djokovic is starting to purr – Carballes Baena might, by virtue of playing well, have got him going.
I hate to say it but this is no great surprise: Carballes Baena cedes a tame break and Djokovic now leads 6-4 2-0. He might just’ve broken the back of this match.
Vondrousova and Volynets are out, Volynets up 6-0 1-5. It must be brutal for the players having to hang about all keyed up and hoping the rain stops and who knows for how long the rain will pause. But it looks quite bright, so.
Elina, I love you but … no.
Now then! On the outside courts, covers are off and nets are up; lovely stuff.
Next on Lenglen: Madison Keys (14) v Mayar Sherif.
Back to that Zverev interview, he says the crowd is always unbelievable in Paris – his opponent might have some thoughts on that – and the crowd go wild for him. I don’t know, I really really don’t.
What a sickener that is for Carballes Baena. I don’t think he can play much better than he did in that say, and what’s he got to show for it? He’ll have to dig deep to keep maintain that level because the disappointment must be burning deep inside his soul.
Back on Chatrier, Djokovic makes 15-30 with forehands, then outlasts Carballes Baena in a sapping rally, raising two set points in the process … and he only needs one, again dominating the rally and taking it over with a backhand down the line, then smiting a forehand to the opposite corner and sticking away an overhead. He is quite good at tennis.
Zverev says the slowness under the roof didn’t help him, but he hit it well today against someone who’s given him grief in the past. Before Nadal there were nerves – the whole tennis world was speaking about the match – and he was glad to have two days off because emotionally he had to ground himself after it He’s really happy with his levle today and hopes he can keep at it.
Goffin waves to the crowd as he departs – I wonder if we’ll see him again here – and that’s another tremendous performance from Zverev. He meets Darderi or Griekspoor next, and looks a contender – but again, if the top three play close to their best, I’d still expect them to beat him.
Carballes Baena makes 15-30 and in the context, this is a chance. So Djokovic serves out wide and cleans up with the forehand, of course he does. No matter: at 40-30, Carballes Baena picks a second serve, smoking a winner down the line; Djokovic quickly serves out for 5-4 and can his opponent hold as relaxedly with the set on the line?
Carballes Baena is doing a tremendous job of sticking with Djokovic, holding for 4-4 in set one. Meantime, Zverev breaks Goffin a second time and will shortly serve for the match at 7-6 6-2 5-2.
Hang about! They’re mopping up on the outside courts, which tells us it’s stopped raining!
Goodness me, up advantage, Zverev races in to flick back a drop, Goffin slams at him, and hew proffers a racket, the ball somehow flying off it to invent a perfect volley down and on to the line! Zverev leads 7-6 6-2 3-2 with a break, and this is even overer than it was before.
Goffin has made a better start to set three, level at 2-2 and leading 40-15. But Zverev pursues a volley and digs out an incredible pass on the run – for a man so tall to get down to that requires some athleticism – and we wind up at deuce. Then, on game point, a double returns us to deuce while, on Chatrier, Carballes Baena – who’s playing pretty much at his maximum – sends a quality backhand down the line for 3-3.
This is good from Djokovic, his backhand slice zoning over the net to make 0-15. He soon reaches 0-40, but then sends a forehand wide and another long before losing out at the net, Carballes Baena retrieving a drop then hoisting a telling lob, noising up the crowd in celebration. Naturally the karma police are on to him immediately, a double ceding a fourth break point, but he saves that too, then reads a pat across the face of the net to charge after it and dig out a winner for his hold! Djokovic, though, assumed the rally was over, failing to cover the angle, and we’re level at 2-2 in the first.
