Serbia’s Novak Djokovic serves to Argentina’s Guido Pella during a French Open second round match at the Roland Garros Stadium in Paris, yesterday.
PARIS: World number one Novak Djokovic moved effortlessly closer to a first Roland Garros crown yesterday while 2011 women’s champion Li Na crashed out at a rain-ravaged Roland Garros.
Four rain stoppages meant that there was less than four hours of play going into the early evening.
But top-seeded Djokovic wasted no time in making the third round and setting up a mouth-watering clash with Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov for a last-16 place.
The Serb, bidding to win a first French Open and become just the eighth man to complete a career Grand Slam, eased past Argentina’s world 83 Guido Pella, 6-2, 6-0, 6-2.
Dimitrov, the 26th seed, will be playing in the last 32 of a major for the first time after breezing past French wildcard Lucas Pouille, the world number 324, in straight sets 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1.
Djokovic lost to Dimitrov in the Madrid Masters second round earlier this month.
“Even though his style of game could be better on the hard court or faster surfaces, he’s showing that he can play equally well on clay,” said Djokovic.
“Here it’s best of five. It’s going to be very physical and all the hard work that I put into in preparations for this tournament hopefully will play into my advantage and will pay off on the court.”
Li went down 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 to brash American Bethanie Mattek-Sands in what was the 31-year-old’s earliest defeat at the tournament in seven appearances.
As Mattek-Sands, the world number 67, looked forward to a third round match-up with Argentine qualifier Paula Ormaechea, Li was left surveying the wreckage of a second successive Roland Garros failure.
Twelve months ago, she went out in the last 16 to Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova, who herself was beaten by Ormaechea on Thursday.
“I know for sure I lost seven games in a row. It was tough conditions, back to the court three times,” said Li after her on-off encounter which started shortly after 1100 (0900GMT) but was only completed just after 1700 (1500GMT).
Mattek-Sands had lost to Li in the semi-finals on clay in Stuttgart, but admitted yesterday’s win was one of her most satisfying.
“I knew Li wasn’t going to give it to me. She’s consistent and good in these situations,” said the American.
Rain meant that there were four frustrating stoppages.
Seven-time champion Rafael Nadal, who is hoping to become the first man to win the same major eight times, had only started warming up against Slovakia’s Martin Klizan when play was halted again.
That match was eventually called off for the day.
Women’s champion Maria Sharapova was 4-1 up on Canadian teenager Eugenie Bouchard when her second round match was halted.
Third seed Victoria Azarenka reached the third round with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Germany’s Annika Beck.
Australian Open champion Azarenka, a quarter-finalist in Paris in 2009 and 2011, next faces either France’s Alize Cornet or Spain’s Silvia Soler-Espinosa for a place in the last 16.
Ninth-seeded Stosur was a set and 4-1 up on France’s Kristina Mladenovic before a first stoppage.
The Australian then took advantage of a 20-minute window on their return to Court Philippe Chatrier to complete a 6-4, 6-3 win.
The 2011 US Open champion will face Serb 18th seed Jankovic for a place in the last 16.
Jankovic, a semi-finalist in 2007, 2008 and 2010, beat Spain’s Garbine Muguruza 6-3, 6-0.
AFP
