Rain delays Serena Williams' third round French Open match
PARIS – Serena Williams was in the midst of an epic battle on Saturday when rain stopped play during third round action at the French Open.
Williams, the world No. 1 and defending champion, led Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic by a set (6-4) as the two did battle into a tiebreak in the second. Light rain fell through much of the latter part of set two, the players going off court as the score evened at 6-all, heavy precipitation taking over the Roland Garros tournament site.
Rain was forecast to fall through the early evening in Paris, though play could resume before the 9:42 p.m. Paris sunset.
Williams, 34, was playing the 23-year-old Mladenovic for the first time. The French player, known for her doubles prowess, dropped serve for the first time in the match when she served to stay in the first set in game 10, 4-5 down.
Williams could not pull away in the second, however, leading by love-40 on Mladenovic’s serve in the fourth and sixth games, but failing to convert. The American was one for 12 on break point opportunities as Mladenovic used a series of drop shots to keep Williams off balance. Mladenovic had won eight of 12 points at the net.
Elina Svitolina, a 21-year-old Ukrainian, awaits Williams in the fourth round should Serena win, Svitolina having beaten former Roland Garros champion Ana Ivanovic in the third round for the first time in eight tries, 6-4, 6-4. Svitolina is advised by Justine Henin, a former Williams rival and particular nemesis on the clay courts.
Williams led her head-to-head 8-6 against Henin, though the Belgian won both meetings here, including an infamous 2003 semifinal.
Venus Williams had just taken to Court Suzanne Lenglen to face another Frenchwoman, Alize Cornet, in her third round match. They were on serve in the first set, Venus ahead 2-1.
Earlier in the day, 2015 semifinalist Timea Bacsinszky advanced, beating Pauline Parmentier 6-4, 6-2. No. 12 seed Carla Suarez Navarro and Yulia Putintseva also won, setting a fourth round face off.
Fast-rising 22-year-old Dominic Thiem won a battle between two next-generation stars on the men’s circuit, holding off good friend Alexander Zverev 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3. Thiem will now meet Marcel Granollers in the fourth round, the Spaniard who received a walkover after Rafael Nadal’s shock withdrawal on Friday due to a left wrist injury.
In the locker room, Nadal’s exit from the tournament was a surprise, though not a total shock, said defending champion Stan Wawrinka late on Friday.
“It's not a total surprise in the sense that we all saw photographs where he was touching his wrist or his wrist was hurting. It was no big secret,” said Wawrinka, who is into the fourth round. “But then again, it is a surprise because no one knew how much it hurt (Nadal). It's unfortunate for the tournament, for the fans, for tennis.”
American John Isner is the lone U.S. man remaining at a Slam once again, and he’ll take on No. 2 Andy Murray in the fourth round, Murray leading their head-to-head 5-0. 2001 was the last time two U.S. men reached the second week here, when Andre Agassi was joined by Michael Russell.
The schedule for later Saturday included world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, 2015 semifinalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, American Madison Keys as well as Venus and Serena in doubles, scheduled last for Court 2.