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Djokovic is strangely attired \u2013 who picks his schemes, seriously \u2013 but playing well, which is less so. He\u2019s not had much preparation, and we don\u2019t know if his body will allow him more than one epic \u2013 in Melbourne, he didn\u2019t have much left in the final after beating Jannik Sinner in the semi \u2013 but he\u2019s still a long way off losing to randoms in week one, breaking Royer to lead 6-3 1-0.<\/p>\n
Is this a camo situation? Photograph: Beno\u00eet Tessier\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Djokovic does indeed secure set one, leading Royer 6-3, while Kostyuk gets her second break, sparing herself the stress of having to serve out the set. She and Volynets will now endure a decider while, looking around the courts, Mensik and Navone are about to begin a fifth; Carre\u00f1o Busta leads Kokkinakis 7-5 0-1 with a break; and Kecmanovic leads Borges 6-3 2-4.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n On Chatrier, Djokovic is serving for set one at 5-2, having missed a point to get it won on return; Starodubtseva survives break points to hold for 5-0, having won seven of the last eight games; and Kostyuk can\u2019t quite get the second break she\u2019s chasing to level with Volynets, the game having gone for around six minutes now<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I don\u2019t do that entirely willingly, not because I\u2019m not buzzing for the rest of the match but becuase I\u2019d love to be on Basvareddy v Michelsen from the off \u2013 we\u2019ll get there. But gosh, on Lenglen, Starodubtseva now leads Rybakina 4-0 in set two, the no 2 seed now under serious pressure.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Back on Chatrier, Djokovic leads Royer 5-2; on Lenglen, Rybakina now trails Starodubtseva 3-0 in set two, so I\u2019m going back to watch that; and I\u2019m also returning to Kostyuk v Volynets, the latteer up 5-23 in the second and poised to force a decider.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Next on Mathieu: Ugo Humbert (32) v Quentin Halys.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Marie Bouzkova (27) beats Fran Jones 6-0 7-6(3)<\/p>\n Jones will be disappointed, having twice served for the second set, but she fought back well and looks to be developing her game nicely. As for Bouzkova, she moves on to face Bassols Ribera or Mirra Andreeva.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Back with Jones, she trails Bouzkova 5-3 in the tiebreak and, when she can\u2019t exploit a weak second serve, a booming forehand means she faces three match points.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Magda Linette beats Jelena Ostapenko (29) 6-2 2-6 6-2<\/p>\n The 2017 champ has gone, a relief for Iga Swiatek<\/a>, who is 0-6 against her; it\u2019s Linette who earns the biggie in round three.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Rublev is happy to be in Paris and says it\u2019s tough to describe how special the support is. The toughest aspect of the match was the focus, but in the heat and with the wind it\u2019s not easy to play aggressively all the time, but the ideas was to keep hitting because if you slow down, the other guy has an advantage right away.<\/p>\n This is his fifth third-round in a row, but he doesn\u2019t know what it means until after the next match \u2013 and of course, we all know that he\u2019s great at beating those he should, just unable to get it done against those he shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Andrey Rublev (11) beats Ugo Carabelli 6-1 1-6 6-3 7-6(5)<\/p>\n That was a blinding match, perhaps the best I\u2019ve seen so far this week, and it\u2019s great to see Rublev come through. Next for him it\u2019s Borges or Kecmanovic, the latter currently a set to the good.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Down 5-6, Carabelli opens shoulders to unleash an inside-out forehand; it looks wide to me but he celebrates, Rublev is sure it\u2019s out \u2026 but what will the umpire say?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Carabelli goes long, ceding a mini-break at 5-4, quickly consolidated for two match points; Bouzkova breaks Jones back a second time and they\u2019re now playing a second-set tiebreak.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Two massive forehands from Rublev, one massive point won; he leads 4-3 in the breaker, on serve. And we\u2019re under way on Chatrier, Djokovic up 2-1 on Royer, so I\u2019m now watching them, not Rybakina.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Rublev does indeed force his breaker and it\u2019s great to see him enjoying a proper ruckus, rather than turning the stress of it inwards. It\u2019s currently 2-2, both men giving absolutely everything, while Rybakina serves out her first set with Starodubtseva at the second time of asking to lead 6-3 \u2013 she\u2019s not playing all that well \u2013 and Jones breaks Bouzkova again, so will serve for a decider again, at 0-6 6-5.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Nope, Jones can\u2019t serve it out, Bouzkova diverting a wide serve back with a tremendous stretch and levelling the set at 5-5 having taken the first 6-0,<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Linette leads Ostapenko 5-2 in the third; Rublev must now serve at 5-6 to force a fourth-set tiebreaker with Carabelli; an ace takes Jones to deuce as she tries to level at a set apiece with Bouzkova; and Mensik leads Navone 6-3 2-6 6-4.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019ve put Jones v Bouzkova on, at least until Djokovic and Royer are under way, but when they emerge i think I\u2019ll leave Rybakina who, at 4-1, is well in charge against Starodubtseva. And hing aboot! A Bouzkova double donates Jones a break and, at 0-6 5-4, she\u2019ll shortly serve for the second set!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Oh! Carabelli breaks Rublev back and at 4-4 in the fourth, this match is still in the balance. And so, just about, is Jones v Bouzkova, the Brit breaking back in set two to trail 0-6 4-4.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I wouldn\u2019t, though, count Kostyuk out. She\u2019s got the bigger game, which means a higher top level but also greater margin for error; if she hits a seam, she can blow Volynets away.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Kostyuk overhits a forehand, meaning Volynets, who saved a load of set-points prior to the breaker, now has two of her own \u2026 and she only needs one, easing a forehand to the corner to go in front 7-6(4).<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n On Lenglen, meanwhile, Rybakina is up 3-0 on Starodubtsevawithmyheadman, and on Mathieu, Rublev has broken Carabelli to lead 2-1 4-3.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n We\u2019ve got two matches in the women\u2019s competition that I wish I had scope to watch, and actually, I\u2019m going to stick on Kostyuk v Volynets while we await Djokovic, as they\u2019re playing a first-set breaker. Otherwise, Linette leads Ostapenko 2-1 in the third, on serve, while out on Court 13, Bouzkova leads Fran Jones, of GB, 6-0 4-2.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Next on Chatrier: Valentin Royer v Novak Djokovic<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Svitolina is happy, saying she played really well in the first set, but knew Quevedo would improve, and she was happy that she stayed strong then served it out nicely.<\/p>\n In round one, she had to win a match tiebreak against Bondar, which gave her confidence, as she did from her run in Rome. A really big battle at the start of a tournament puts you \u201cdirectly into fighting mode and tournament mindset\u201d and now she\u2019s happy to have moved on,<\/p>\n In 2010, she won the junior edition of this event and it\u2019s crazy to think it was that long ago, but now she\u2019s married \u201cto the French guy\u201d, has a little daughter at home, and tries a bit of French that I don\u2019t fully understand \u2013 but I fully grasp her infectious happiness. She is delighted to be in her own skin, and it\u2019s beautiful to behold.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s getting seriously physical on Mathieu, Rublev leading 2-1 but trailing 2-3 on serve. Both he and Carabelli are hitting it seriously hard \u2013 and chasing even harder.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Elina Svitolina (7) beats Kaitlin Quevedo 6-0 6-4<\/p>\n A decent work out for Svitolina, though the double she serves on her first match point is instructive, her second delivery so tame it barely reached the net. But she\u2019s through to meet Korpatsch in round three, the question about whether she\u2019s big enough weapons to win a slam will remain unanswered until she either does or retires.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Quevedo, just 20, has done a really good job in this second set, but with a tiebreaker in sight, Svitlina breaks her and will shortly serve for the match at 6-0 5-4.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Ostapenko does indeed take Linette to a third set, seeking that round three meeting with her bunny, Iga Swiatek<\/a>. Long-time readers will know she\u2019s a favourite of this blog, or was until her US Open gozzing-off; hopefully she\u2019s learnt from that experience.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n OK, let\u2019s nip around the courts. Svitolina leads Quevado 6-0 3-4, on serve; Rublev leads Carabelli 6-1 1-6 6-3 2-1 on serve; Kostyuk and Volynets are level at 4-4 in the first; Ostapenko is serving at 5-2 in the second to force a decider against Linette; and Navone is level with Mensik at 1-1 2-2.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Next on Lenglen: Yuliia Starodubtseva v Elena Rybakina (2).<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cPlease, don\u2019t remind me,\u201d says Khachanov when Alex Corretja mentions the missed overhead \u2013 in the process of gassing up both players following a terrifically entertaining match. \u201cThis is what it\u2019s about, grand slam,\u201d he says. \u201cYou live through these moments, one ball at a time, step by step.\u201d He then explains that he could see he was getting closer, dominating as Trungelliti tired, but then all of a sudden the comeback happened \u2013 \u201che made me suffer, unbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally, he says he tries to stay calm when it gets tight, but he has feelings. He played Trungelliti when he was much younger but at 36 it looks like he\u2019s in his prime, forcing his younger opponent to complete plenty of sprints \u2013 and that\u2019s our lot.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Back on Chatrier, Quevedo is up 3-2 in the second set having lost the first 6-0, and she\u2019s giving Svitolina plenty, raising break point \u2026 confiscated via ace. From there, she secures her hod, but this is a proper contest now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Khachanov looks seriously relieved. Had he lost, that missed overhead \u2013 and when I say missed I mean actually missed \u2013 would\u2019ve haunted him beyond the grave. But he\u2019s safely into round three, while Trungelliti, at 36, has us all wondering why it\u2019s taken him until now to break into the top 100. I very much hope to see more of him, and I\u2019m sure i\u2019m not alone.<\/p>\n