Key events
Munar takes the fourth set 6-0, but can and will Fils continue? I guess he might’ve tanked to allow any painkiller he’s taken to hit; we’ll soon see.
Sinner has broken Gasquet and leads 4-1. It’s hard to see how this one can be close.
Meantime Coach Calv, fresh off court with Henry, says: “Rocha is [redacted] good. Maybe not a top-tier but he’s a very talented lad. Played him a few times in doubles.”
And on Bublik: “Harri’s coach grew up with Bublik. He said ‘no chance’ at the start of the match,” which tells us exactly what a magical win it was.
Munar, meanwhile, is up a double-break at 3-0 in the fourth, and I fear for Fils – not just because I wanted to use those words consecutively.
A huge hold for De Jong, who’s made to fight for it, but he there. He and Zverev are now 1-1 1-1, and the next 15 minutes or so will tell us if we’re going to see a contest or a procession.
I was lucky enough to meet Henry recently, and also allowed to cut about the Wimbledon clubhouse, each absolutely great.
Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara, the reigning Wimbledon and Aussie Open men’s doubles champs, seeded two here, are into round two having beaten Petr Nouza and Patrik Rill 3 and 4.
Henrique Rocha beats Jakub Mensik (19) 2-6 1-6 6-4 6-3 6-3
Wow wow wow! A second comeback from a battering in the first two sets, and a potentially career-cementing win for the 21-year-old Rocha! Mensik, a prodigy himself, is no joke, and to duff him up like that is extremely impressive. Next for Rocha: Sascha Bublik!
Fils takes a medical timeout. He was struggling to reach on the backhand, but when he emerges he’s running, presumably to tell Munar he’s still in dis ting. Meantime, back on Mathieu, Zverev has taken over, sealing a 6-1 set, and on Chatrier, Sinner and Gasquet have just got going.
Alreet, Munar is not disappearing. He’s serving at 5-2 in the third – I didn’t see how or what, but Fils has hurt himself, barely attempting to return the ace that seals the set.
And here it is. Bublik is the first Kazakh to reach round three at Roland Garros and perhaps, at 27, he’s finally ready to milk the most from his talent.
Anyhow, our butcher just dropped off some meat, so I’m going to take a swift screen-break to stick it in the fridge, after which we’ll dive right back in because there remains an indecent quantity of tennis for us to enjoy and Sinner v Gasquet is imminent.
Alexander Bublik beats Alex de Minaur (9) 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2
An amazing win from Sasha Bublik, who doesn’t really like clay, definitely doesn’t like playing Demon, and is unrenowned for his fighting spirit. But he has ridiculous talent and what a day out he had; next for him, it’s Rocha or Mensik and, ironically, Rocha leads 2-1 with a break in the fifth, having been two sets down. Shame about the neck-beard, but we’ll forgive it.
…and he swipes a backhand long! This is not yet over as we mooch to deuce.
A fine forehand from De Minaur saves match point, but Bublik has another…
De Minaur makes Bublik serve for it, but at 30-0 he’s in decent shape meantime, Zverev builds on that difficult hold to break De Jong and suddenly looks to be in charge, while Munar breaks Fils only to be broken back immediately afterwards, to trail 6-7 6-7 2-2.
“Please leave the typo at 12:33,” writes Mathias Kowoll. “In Paris it might indeed be Dinner or Gasquet.”
Oh that’s good. Usually, my favourite such errors comprise accidental profanity – the “cut-shot” is a prime candidate – but this is good. Gasquet or Dinner, a difficult choice indeed.
Next on Chatrier: Jannik Sinner (1) v Richard Gasquet. Oh go on then, don’t mind if we do.
Jessica Pegula (3) beats Ann Li 6-3 7-6(3)
We knew she’d get there. Next for Pegula: Marketa Vondrousova, and already I can’t wait for that one.
Goodness gracious me, Bublik has broken Demon! He breaks again for 4-1 in the decider and this is the performance we’ve always known was in there. Bublik has loads of talent but considerably less desire, so from 2-0 dpwn he’s not one you’d back to come back, especially against De Minaur, his precise opposite. But here we are! He’s two games away!
A sumptuous cross-court pass and again, De Jong has break point in the first game of a set. Zverev saves it, though, then hammers a forehand to the corner on advantage only for De Jong to make him play one more shot, on overhead … which he totally botches! And have a look! A tremendous lob, with Zverev at the next expecting to be passed, earns a second opportunity … saved with an ace. This is on a rolling boil now, another ace making advantage … and another sealing a massive hold. De Jong leads 6-3 1-0.
De Jong is playing with so much confidence. Up 40-30, he hauls Zverev to the net, passes him, and I’m far from certain the no 3 seed can just play better. Losing that Australian Open final in such conclusive style hurt him badly, advising him there’s a strong chance he may never win that Slam, and he’s not been quite the same since.
Meantime, Bublik consolidates for 2-0 in the fifth, while Pegula leads Li 6-3 5-5 and Rocha, also once two sets down, is serving to force a decider against Mensik.
Fils just has a bit too much for Munar. He’s playing the big points better because he is better, taking the second-set breaker to four while, on 14, Bublik is on one, breaking De Minaur for 1-0 in the fifth! what a comeback this is, because he didn’t just lose the first two sets, he was trounced in them 6-2. Meantime, on Mathieu, De Jong is serving for set one at 5-3 and is up 30-15.
Jiri Lehecka beats Alexander Davidovich Fokina (26) 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-2
A terrific win for Lehecka, who surely won’t be unseeded at majors for long. Next for him: Dinner or Gasquet.
The first mini-break goes to Fils, who leads 4-2 … ah, but another overhead makes 5-2, and he poses- Cantona-style, as Lenglen cheers. Back on 14, Bublik, the crowd singing his name, responds to decent return with a tweener-drop then, when De Minaur retrieves, he nails a backhand winner down the line that means he’s come back from two sets down to force a decider! Amazing behaviour!
Elsewhere, Pegula leads Li 6-3 4-3 on serve; Rocha has taken the third set to trail Mensik 2-1 and they’re 2-2 in the fourth; and Lehecka leads Davidovich Fokina 5-1 in the fourth, so is a game away.
Brutal hitting that Munar defends admirably but he can’t resist forever, Fils slamming down an overhead with the whole court to aim at, the equivalent of smashing into the next from three yards. He secures the hold at we’re about to undertake our second tiebreak in two sets. I’d always back the bigger server, and Fils looks the better player because he is, but Munar is as gritty as he is canny, so.
Interesting! Out on 14, having been spanked in sets one and two, Bublik took the third off De Minaur and now leads 4-2 in the fourth. I’d stuck Pegula on my third screen, but with a decider in the offing, I’m going to switch.
Mine eyes were elsewhere, but the commentary advises me that, after being broken, Munar looked broken, and yet he found something within himself, seizing Fils’ serve to prevent him from sealing set two. The French no 1 now leads 7-6 5-5.
De Jong’s enjoying himself, holding for 3-0 after saving, I think, four break points, while Fils has broken Munar for 7-6 5-4. But serving for the second set, he’s down 0-30…
Marketa Vondrousova beats Magdalena Frech (25) 6-0 4-6 6-3
A terrific win for Vondrousova – Frech played well in beating Jabeur in round one – and she now faces Pegula or Li, both of whom she’ll feel are eminently beatable.
Vondrousova now leads Frech 5-3 and, at 15-40, has two match points; Frech saves the first, but she’s second-best now, the 2019 finalist’s craft too much for her.
De Jong holds in game one against Zverev, and his is a name you might remember from last year – he beat Jack Draper over five sets, then lost to Alcaraz in four. He’s also in reasonable form, having beaten Davidovich Fokina in Rome to make the third round of a Masters for the first time, And, as I type, he breaks for 2-0; Zverev won’t panic, of course, but he’ll not have expected that.
I’ve gone for Vondrousova v Frech, as it’s nearly over and with Sinner v Gasquet imminent, it makes sense not to get involved in something we’ll have to turn off.
Pegula leads Li 6-3 1-0 on serve; Fils leads Munar 7-6 3-3; De Minaur leads Bublik 6-2 6-2 4-6 0-1 on serve; Mensik leads Rocha 6-2 6-1 4-4; Vondrousova leads Frech 6-0 4-6 3-2 with a break; Baptiste, who binned Haddad Maia in round one, leads Hibino 4-1; and Lehecka leads Davidovich Fokina 6-3 3-6 6-1.
Right, let’s go around the grounds, and while we do I’ll decide which of the various matches replaces the one that’s just finished on my screen.
Marie Bouzkova beats Sonay Kartal 6-1 6-4
Kartal had plenty of decent moments but couldn’t string good points together and is well beaten. Next for Bouzkova it’s Valentova or Gauff.
And there is better! Facing a fourth match point, a pair of forehands close to the sideline save the day, but then another zips wide and again, Kartal has to find something…
Kartal’s service-action is similar to Jo Durie’s – as it happens, Durie is commentating on her match – in the way she puts the racket head behind her own head pre-toss. But back to the actual tennis, she saves three match points, raises advantage, and swipes wide. She’s capable of much better than this.
“Have you noticed that the players are not asking the ball-boys and ball-girls to fetch their towels for them?” returns Michael Bulley. “I think the players must have been told not to, as this bad habit had been creeping back in some recent tournaments (Djokovic was a notable offender). Apart from reasons of hygiene, the ball-gatherers have quite enough to do already.”
I had not noticed this, no, though I guess I’m watching three matches, the CMS and my little fingers. I’d get my own towel just to avoid the constant need to say thank you, already on top with the balls.
Back to Kartal, she did indeed break but was, for the third time, broken back before a hold for Bouzkova – the first in seven games – means that at 6-1 5-4 she’ll now serve to stay in the match.
