Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece performs a backhand towards Zhang Zhizhen of China within the Males’s Singles Third Spherical match through the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros on Might 31, 2024 in Paris, France.
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Stefanos Tsitsipas was in a reflective temper after beating Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 to succeed in the fourth spherical of the French Open on Friday. The 2021 runner-up mentioned tennis performs a elementary half in shaping his considering.
“I get the sensation that with out tennis my life would have been a lot completely different, on the subject of difficult myself and setting private targets for myself,” Tsitsipas mentioned. “Tennis helps me fill out these goals and fulfil my deepest needs as a human being.”
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The ninth-seeded Tsitsipas, who gained the Monte Carlo Masters in April, feels his sport is in fine condition. Subsequent up for the big-serving Greek is unseeded Italian participant Matteo Arnaldi.
“I’ve been keeping track of him the final six months,” Tsitsipas mentioned. “He is an excellent fighter.” Arnaldi superior by eliminating sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev 7-6 (6), 6-2, 6-4.
Rublev got here as a contender after successful the Madrid Open this month however he confirmed frustration towards Arnaldi for his lack of precision, committing 37 unforced errors and 4 double faults. After netting a forehand within the third set, Rublev smashed his racket on his knee 4 occasions.
“I’m utterly dissatisfied with myself, with the way in which I behaved, the way in which I carried out, and I can not keep in mind ever behaving worse in a Grand Slam event,” he mentioned. “It was the primary time I ever behaved that badly.” Arnaldi disagreed.
“He does these issues virtually each match. Personally, I do not pay an excessive amount of consideration,” Arnaldi mentioned. “Nevertheless it positively does give me a little bit confidence, as a result of it means I’m giving him hassle, and what I used to be doing was working.”
No. 2 Jannik Sinner of Italy progressed by downing Pavel Kotov 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. The Australian Open champion subsequent faces Frenchman Corentin Moutet.
Two-time main winner Carlos Alcaraz additionally superior after beating Twenty seventh-seeded American Sebastian Korda 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-3. Alcaraz was a semifinalist final 12 months at Roland Garros, shedding to Novak Djokovic.
On the ladies’s facet, top-ranked Iga Swiatek reached the fourth spherical by beating Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2. The three-time French Open champion from Poland gained on her fourth match level, celebrating one other Roland Garros victory on the day she turned 23.
Former French participant Fabrice Santoro did the post-match interview and obtained the gang on Court docket Philippe Chatrier to affix in with him as he sang “Glad Birthday.” Swiatek put her head in her fingers, shyly, then lifted it up and smiled broadly.
The match was not the thrill-a-minute contest she had with Naomi Osaka within the second spherical, when Swiatek saved a match level and grabbed the final 5 video games.
Nonetheless, Bouzkova held on. She saved one match level with a forehand winner, and Swiatek hit a forehand huge on one other. A crisp forehand down the road sealed Swiatek’s win on the fourth try. Subsequent for Swiatek was unseeded Anastasia Potapova.
No. 3-seeded Coco Gauff beat Australian Open semifinalist Dayana Yastremska 6-2, 6-4 however fellow American Sofia Kenin was stopped.
Kenin misplaced 6-2, 7-5 to unseeded Danish participant Clara Touson, who has lined up two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur. The eighth-seeded Tunisian gained towards No. 31-seeded Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 7-6 (5).
Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova defeated Frenchwoman Chloé Paquet 6-1, 6-3. The fifth-seeded Czech, a runner-up at Roland Garros in 2019, subsequent faces qualifier Olga Danilovic, ranked one hundred and twenty fifth.
Danilovic beat Donna Vekic 0-6, 7-5, 7-6 (8) to make her first fourth-round look at a Grand Slam event. Danilovic lay on her again and cried as she took in her victory.
Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto upset No. 17 Liudmila Samsonova 7-6 (4), 6-2 on Court docket Suzanne Lenglen to additionally attain the final 16 at a Grand Slam for the primary time. She has Gauff subsequent.
For the fourth consecutive day, rain interrupted play. There was a delay of about 1 1/2 hours on Friday adopted by one other delay within the night.
