PARIS – Rain wreaked havoc again on Saturday at the French Open, but not for long enough to delay any singles matches to be held over to Sunday. That means the fourth round is complete for both the men and the women.
Sister act: Venus and Serena Williams both won in third-round encounters against French players, Venus needing three sets to get by Alize Cornet and Serena five match points against Kristina Mladenovic.
Hot as… It was during Serena’s match that a small fire broke out in front of her player’s box, most likely due to a cigarette. Coach Patrick Mouratglou helped douse the small flame, which was letting off smoke, as Serena battled through her second-set tiebreak. No injuries were reported.
Dark day: After rain fell for nearly three hours, at times very heavily, TV providers struggled to get their feeds back when power had gone out in the compound. Many American viewers watched the conclusion of Serena-Mladenovic from a fixed camera high above the court, with Tennis Channel and NBC oscillating between live and taped coverage.
No Djok: Novak Djokovic was the last to finish on Saturday night, a 9:29 p.m. finish over Aljaz Bedene. Djokjovic was so happy with chair umpire Pascal Maria that he brought him into his post-match on-court interview, putting his arm around the umpire.
Four strong: Venus and Serena are joined by Americans Madison Keys and Shelby Rogers in the fourth round, the latter two making their debut at this stage in Paris. It’s just the second time in 12 years that the U.S. has qualified four women for the round of 16, 2013 being the other year. John Isner is the lone American man remaining, and he faces No. 2 Andy Murray in the fourth round Sunday.
Double trouble: After they won their singles on Saturday Venus and Serena Williams teamed up in doubles, winning the first set against Vitalia Diatchenko and Galina Voskoboeva before fading light forced their match off court. Should they win their continued match Sunday afternoon, the sisters will go on court for a second doubles match later in the day. They’re due to play in singles Monday.
Wet week: The forecast looks abysmal for week two of the French Open, including a 90 percent chance of rain on Sunday. At least some precipitation is forecast for each day of week two.
Home (dis)advantage: It’s been a bad-luck event for home hosts France, who lost Mladenovic and Cornet on Saturday, as well as men’s hope Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who retired in his match against Ernests Gulbis leading 5-2. A leg injury did him in. “For me, it's a big disappointment,” said the 2015 semifinalist. “It's just really difficult to accept that I'm not anymore in the tournament. I mean, that's part of the game.” Gael Monfils withdrew from the event leading in, meaning Richard Gasquet, the No. 9 seed, now shoulders French hopes. He plays No. 5 seed Kei Nishikori on Sunday.
#NextGen battle: Twenty-two-year-old Dominic Thiem held off Alexander Zverev, 19, in four sets on Saturday in a battle that many think could be the next big rivalry in men’s tennis. Thiem plays Marcel Granollers next, the player who was due to meet Rafael Nadal in round three before Nadal withdrew.
Emoji-tional: How did Keys congratulate Rogers, a former constant traveling mate, on her fourth round berth? Emojis. “I think there were a lot of American flags, hearts, and like kissy faces,” Keys said of their text exchanges, laughing. “That pretty much sums up our conversations.”
PHOTOS: BEST OF THE FRENCH OPEN
