ALEJANDRO Davidovich Fokina provided the upset of the day in the men’s Roland Garros action, knocking out 15th seed Norwegian and clay court specialist Casper Ruud in five sets. The match was a momentum-swinging contest, with Ruud funnily enough only dropping two games total in the sets he won, but not able to close out the closer ones, losing first and third set tiebreakers, and then finally a 12-game fifth set. Davidovich Fokina won 7-6 2-6 7-6 0-6 7-5 in a four-hour and 35-minute epic contest.

Davidovich Fokina closed out the first set 7-3 in the tiebreaker, before Ruud hit back with a dominant 6-2 second set. Davidovich Fokina against ground out a third set tiebreak win, this time going all the way to 8-6, but then Ruud piled on six consecutive games to win the fourth 6-0. It looked as though the Norwegian would run away with it in the fifth, but the Spaniard held his nerve and found a way to grab the momentum back and win 7-5 in the fifth. Both players hit 59 winners, with Davidovich Fokina hitting an additional nine unforced errors (61-52), but had a higher first serve efficiency and winning percentage. In the end, the points in crunch moments counted for more than the overall scheme of things and the Spaniard advanced.

The other big upset was Argentinian Federico Delbonis knocking out Italian 27th seed Fabio Fognini in straight sets. Delbonis won 6-4 6-1 6-3 in two hours and six minutes, only hitting five less winners (14-19), but was far more conservative with throwing away points as the Italian firebrand smashed 53 unforced errors to 24. The Argentinian also won 78 per cent of his first serve points compared to Fognini’s 63 per cent, as well as a dominant 59 to 28 per cent off the second serves, while claiming 47 per cent of his receiving points in the process. Six breaks from 14 chances compared to one from five was what helped the Argentinian advance through to the Round of 16 without too many problems.

At the the top end, top five seeds Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas both advanced over big-serving Americans. The Greek fifth seed weathered 19 aces from 31st seed John Isner to serve eight of his own, and only drop 10 points off his first serve, to have a higher first serve winning percentage (86 to 77 per cent) and second serve winning percentage (60 to 51 per cent). Tsitsipas had 12 less winners (40-52) but taking out the aces, he was only down one (32-33), whilst Isner had 29 unforced errors to Tsitsipas’ 19. Meanwhile Medvedev cleaned up 32nd seed Reilly Opelka in straight sets 6-4 6-2 6-4, in one hour and 38 minutes. Medvedev hit 28 winners to 26, but also only 16 unforced errors to 36, as he made it count on his serve with 89 and 60 per cent success rates off his first and second serves to move through to the next round at Roland Garros.

In other results, sixth seed Alexander Zverev also advanced without a hitch, defeating Serbian Laslo Djere in straight sets, 6-2 7-5 6-2. Zverev won in two hours and eight minutes, hitting nine more winners (31-22) and nine less unforced errors (36-45). He joined fellow seeds, Pablo Carreno Busta and Cristian Garin in the Round of 16. Both claimed American scalps to make it four losses from four competitors from the United States on the day, with Carreno Busta knocking out Steve Johnson in straight sets, 6-4 6-4 6-2, while Garin took down Marcos Giron in four sets, 6-1 5-7 6-2 6-2. In the other match that got underway, Japan’s Kei Nishikori was afforded safe passage through to the next stage after Swiss qualifier Henri Laaksonen retired following the first set which Nishikori won 7-5.

ROLAND GARROS ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[2] Daniil Medvedev (RUS) defeated [32] Reilly Opelka (USA) 6-4 6-2 6-4
[5] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) defeated [31] John Isner (USA) 5-7 6-3 7-6 6-1
[6] Alexander Zverev (GER) defeated Laslo Djere (SRB) 6-2 7-5 6-2
[12] Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) defeated Steve Johnson (USA) 6-4 6-4 6-2
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) defeated [15] Casper Ruud (NOR) 7-6 2-6 7-6 0-6 7-5
[22] Cristian Garin (CHI) defeated Marcos Giron (USA) 6-1 5-7 6-2 6-2
Federico Delbonis (ARG) defeated [27] Fabio Fognini (ITA) 6-4 6-1 6-3
Kei Nishikori (JPN) defeated [Q] Henri Laaksonen (SUI) 7-5 0-0 RET

Picture credit: ATP Tour