A RAFT of qualifiers defied their entry into the 2020 ATP Roland Garros fantasy tennis competition to post up impressive wins over higher ranked opponents and move through to the second round on day three of the competition. Among those qualifiers were Australian Bernard Tomic, Spaniard Carlos Taberner, Serbian Janko Tipsarevic and Bosnia and Herzegovian Damir Dzumhur.

Tomic had a come-from-behind win over Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori, 4-6 7-6 6-2 6-2 to continue his revival in the sport as he moved into the second round, whilst Taberner also dropped a set against Ugo Humbert before posting a four-set win, 6-2 4-6 7-6 6-0. Tipsarevic downed French wildcard Maxime Janvier easily, 6-2 6-1 6-1, whilst Dzumhur knocked off Japan’s Yuichi Sugita 6-0 6-4 7-6 in their match.

A number of other qualifiers pushed their respective opponents in matches with Indian qualifier Sumit Nagal going to five against Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis before the latter pulled away late to win 4-6 6-4 6-1 2-6 6-3. Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Canada’s Denis Shapovalov also dropped a set against their qualifying opponents before holding strong and winning. Sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas had an easier time against Italian qualifier Paolo Lorenzi, storming to a 7-5 6-0 6-1 win.

At the other end of the scale, every seed bar Alex de Minaur moved through to the second round on the clay Grand Slam. De Minaur suffered a defeat at the hands of Italian Gianluca Mager, 6-4 4-6 7-5 6-4, whilst David Goffin came the next closest, dropping a set against veteran Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, but still winning 6-3 6-2 1-6 6-3.

The remaining seeds stormed through without a problem, as Roger Federer, Gael Monfils, Cristian Garin and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga all made it to the Round of 64. Joining them in there were the other unseeded winners from day three, Aljaz Bedene and Thiago Monteiro who won against French wildcard Arthur Rinderknech and Spaniard Fernando Verdasco respectively.

ROUND OF 128 RESULTS:

[4] Roger Federer (SUI) defeated Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 6-0 6-4 6-2
[6] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) defeated [Q] Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) 7-5 6-0 6-1
[9] Gael Monfils (FRA) defeated Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-4 6-4 6-2
[11] David Goffin (BEL) defeated Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-3 6-2 1-6 6-3
[19] Cristian Garin (CHI) defeated Radu Albot (ROU) 6-2 6-0 6-2
[22] Denis Shapovalov (CAN) defeated [Q] Ilya Ivashka (BLR) 2-6 6-3 6-4 6-2
Gianluca Mager (ITA) defeated [25] Alex de Minaur (AUS) 6-4 4-6 7-5 6-4
[27] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) defeated Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN) 6-1 6-1 6-4
Aljaz Bedene (SLO) defeated [WC] Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) 6-1 6-1 6-1
[Q] Bernard Tomic (AUS) defeated Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) 4-6 7-6 6-2 6-2
[Q] Carlos Taberner (ESP) defeated Ugo Humbert (FRA) 6-2 4-6 7-6 6-0
[Q] Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) defeated [WC] Maxime Janvier (FRA) 6-2 6-1 6-1
Thiago Monteiro (BRA) defeated Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 5-7 6-1 6-2 3-6 6-2
Ricardas Berankis (LTU) defeated [Q] Sumit Nagal (IND) 4-6 6-4 6-1 2-6 6-3
[Q] Damir Dzumhur (BIH) defeated Yuichi Sugita (JPN) 6-0 6-4 7-6
Kei Nishikori (JPN) defeated [Q] Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) 6-7 6-1 6-4 6-4