Key events
Thiago Tirante beats Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 4-6 7-6(4) 6-1 6-3
It’s a funny thing, really: I once spoke to an agent on behalf of a young tenniser, and the first question he asked me was how tall is he? Yet Tirante, “just” 6’1, is the fastest server on tour and in the tournament, and he’s through to face either Kokkinakis or Carreño Busta. I’m excited to see how he progresses, because Fritz, Lehecka and Davidovich Fokina, the highest seeds in his eighth, have gone.
Not quite yet, Rublev coming back to hold for 1-0, while Khachanov now leads 2-1 4-1, Trungelleti’s legs quitting on him. Meanwhile, we’re away again on Chatrier, the question – not one that’ll be answered today – whether Svitolina is finally ready to take a major. In Madrid, she lost in the first round to Bondár, but then in Rome, she beat Baptise, Rybakina, Swiatek and Gauff en route to the title. That is qiote some work.
As we feared, Trungelleti has gone. He takes a break between sets, still loses his serve twice at the start of the fourth, and Khachanov leads 2-1 3-0. On Mathieu, though, it might just be a different story, Carabelli levelling with Rublev at 1-6 6-1 and making 0-30 at the start of the third. We shall see.
De Jong is through, beating Cina 3, 1 and 3; replacing them on Court 6 are Navone and Mensik, who are level at 3-3 in the first.
Next on Chatrier: Elina Svitolina (7) v Kaitlin Quevado.
She says that Bejlek has a tricky game, breaking rhythm. so she needed to adjust to that, likewise the lefty serve out wide.
Otherwise, on her new coach, Francisco Roig she says it was good to start the clay-court season in Majorca and they speak the same language – he wants for her game what she wants for her game. With every coach, there’s a different approach, but she’s adjusting.
Finally, asked by Henri Leconte about how she’ll spend her time off, given generally speaking, she likes to see the places she visits, she confides that this year is more about cuisine. She has a chef from Roland-Garros in the evening, so is exploring healthy French food; there are loads of things she’d like to do, but they’ll probably have to wait until she’s finished playing.
Khachanov breaks Trungelleti to secure a 6-1 third set and with it a 2-1 lead, which means, finally, we can go to Swiatek’s interview…
On the other hand – or maybe the same hand – Carabelli is bang into it against Rublev, up 4-0 in the second set having lost the first 6-1. We’ve got to assume it’s a purple patch that will soon expire, but against an opponent given to imploding, he might not need to play that well for that long.
Khachanov is racing away with it against Trungeletti who, as we’ve seen so often, has a decent top level but can’t sustain it through a five-set match – can anyone? So, now he’s cooled, he’s finding his modal level isn’t high enough when faced with an opponent this good.
Iga Swiatek (3) beats Sára Bejlek 6-3 6-3
It wasn’t as easy as the scoreline suggests – Bejlek offered a challenge on return, just couldn’t hold serve – but Swiatek is through. Next up: Ostapenko, against whom she’s 0-6, or Linette.
Er, or not. Again, Bejlek is broken, meaning Swiatek is now serving for the match.
Oh have a look! Bejlek breaks yet again, doing brilliantly to stay in the decisive point before directing a forehand to the tootsies; the pick up goes into the net. That’s 38 unforced errors Swiatek’s made today, and this match might just be getting close.
When less heralded players take on seeds, it’s often not the top level that gets them but the consistency, and that’s what happens on Lenglen, Trungelliti – who played beautifully in set two – handing Khachanov a break to love that he didn’t have to earn. The Russian leads 7-6 5-7 2-0.
Rublev is playing nicely, rushing to a 6-1 first set against Carabelli, but will this be the major he finally beats a player seeded higher than him? In his eighth is Alex de Minaur, who he definitely has the game to bin, but does he have the head?
Again, Bejlek just can’t consolidate, broken by Swiatek for 6-2 3-1, but the four-time champ looks a lot less than impregnable here. Of course, she’ll improve through the rounds as she does, a relatively friendly draw facilitating that, but she’s seeded to meet Rybakina in the semis, and that’s a match that’d need the best version of her or close to it.
Tirante, who serves faster than anyone on tour, has taken the first set against Davidovich Fokina to lead 4-6 7-6 6-1. I daresay the hard courts and quick ball-speed are helping him in that regard.
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…Trungelliti has a set! An ace down the T levels the match at 1-1, and this is brewing into something extremely intriguing.
It’s all going on: Bejlek breaks Swiatek but can she consolidate – she trails 2-6 1-2 having not yet managed so to do; Rublev breaks Carabelli for 3-1 in the first; and Trungelliti has 40-0…
Swiatek breaks Bejlek for 6-2 2-0 but let’s go back to Lenglen, where Trungelliti, who looks not unlike Danny from Withnail, has a break point … and he stays in the rally, then casually flicks a drop that’s far too good! He leads 6-5 in the second, and will serve for it following change of ends.
I don’t suppose anyone will be surprised to learn that Khachanov has three break-back points … and he takes the first, so leads 7-6 5-5 and looks just too good to lose to Trungelliti, well though he’s playing.
… but Khachanov responds well, battling to deuce before securing the hold; Trungelliti will now serve for the set at 6-7 5-4. Meantime, Swiatek is forced to and from deuce and advantage in game one of set two, but she gets there in the end, leading Bejlek 6-2 1-0.
Trungelliti holds for a 5-3 second-set lead and when an inside-out forehand from Khachanov drop wide, he’s two points from levelling the match … make that one, a forehand dumped into the net making 15-40…
On 14, Tirante took the second-set breaker to level with Davidovich Fokina at a set apiece, then broke at the start of the third for 1-0; Wang, the no 32 seed, also levelled her match at one set all, Korpatsch taking the opening game of the decider; and De Jong now leads Cina by two sets and a break. He, you may remember, beat Jack Draper in the 2024 edition of this competition, also taking a set off Carlos Alcaraz when they met thereafter, and saw off Stan Wawrinka in round one, so he’s got some game.
Though Swiatek isn’t really at it, Bejlek can’t play well enough for long enough to compete seriously, immediately handing back a set point before offering an overhead to seal it, the four-time champ punishing a winner to lead 6-2.
I’m enjoying Bejlek’s approach to this match, really attacking her forehands. It’s not working perfectly, but it’s a necessary tweak to enable her to live with the best around and evidences the aggressive mindset necessary in elite sport. At 15-40, though, she faces two set points … saving both …. and over on Lenglen, Trungelliti breaks Khachanov to love, leading 3-2 in the second having lost the first 7-6.
The left-handed Bejlek powers a sensational forehand winner down the line to raise break point at 1-5 and, though Swiatek saves it, she sends down a double to hand it back … then another. It’s probably too late to affect the outcome of this set, but at 2-5, the youngster is still in it.
Next on Mathieu: Ugo Carabelli v Andrey Rublev (11).
On Chatrier, Swiatek now leads Bejlek 5-1, but it hasn’t been as easy as the score suggests; on Lenglen, Khachanov leads Trungelliti 7-6 1-1; Korpatsch leads Wang 6-2 2-4; Davidovich Fokina leads Tirante 6-4 6-6 (3-5); and De Jong leads Cina 6-3 6-1 1-0.
Bencic is into round three for the first time since 2022, correcting the interviewer who says it’s 2019 and she’s delighted – she had good success at Roland-Garros as junior.
Mcnally is a very tricky opponent who isn’t easy to play, changing rhythm well, specially on clay, but she settled well and is happy.
On family life, she says “We’re living beautiful moments, I love to be a mum,” and is delighted to have her daughter in Paris with her.
Belinda Bencic (11) beats Caty Mcnally 6-4 6-0
Bencic does what she needs to do, easing through to a third-round meeting with Snigur or Stearns.
Mcnally has fully gone, broken again, and at 6-4 5-0, Bencic will shortly serve for the set.
While all that was going on, Bencic broke Mcally again for 4-0, and she’s almost into round three while, on Chatrier, Bejlek gets on the board only to be broken again; she trails Swiatek 3-1.
A backhand to the baseline from Khachanov is too good, Trungelliti unable to get it back and ceding three set points. The first vanishes when Khachanov goes long on the forehand; the second looks set for conversion when a colossal serve out wide captures momentum, but Trungelliti sticks in the point and elicits the error; oh, but have a look! The third, on return, sees him out wide to retrieve a high-kicking serve, Khachanov gets it back into play … then monsters a backhand winner down the line for to secure the set! He leads Trungelliti 7-6(5).
Swiatek breaks Bejlek for 2-0 and Bencic consolidates hers to lead Mcnally 6-4 2-0; Khachanov is up 4-3 on serve but oh, Trungelliti bets a forehand and, at 5-3, is in bing trouble.
Khachanov holds, then secures an immediate mini-break and, ultimately, this looks like one of those matches in which you know the favourite will find a way to do whatever is asked of him to win. Oh, but Trungelliti recovers it and we’re back on serve at 2-1, after which, consternation: Khachanov tries a moon-ball, it hits the overhead camera, and costs him a point; 2-2.
Bencic, up 6-4 0-40, hooks a terrific forehand into the corner for an immediate break in set two, and Mcnally is not enjoying this, at all – she just cant hit her spots consistently. Meantime, Trungelliti holds for 6-5, meaning Khachanov must do likewise to force a breaker in a set he looked to have won.
On Chatrier, Swiatek is preparing to serve against Bejlek; I’m excited to see how the youngster does, and how one of the most meticulous players on tour handles someone she’s never barely seen.
Khachanov saves another break-back point but Trungelliti earns another and they swap loopy, high-bouncing forehands … until the underdog tries a drop. Khachanov hares in to return it but cedes initiative in the process, and though he then has a chance to finish the rally with a forehand, he overhits, and we’re back level at 5-5, Trungelliti saluting the crowd and enjoying his morning.
Bencic, serving at 40-15, comes in to meet a loopy return, and though she doesn’t finish the point, Mcnally dumps her riposte, and that concludes a 6-4 set, taken by the no 11 seed.
Trungelliti tries a drop that works nicely for 0-15, so goes again next point and nets; no matter, a big forehand is backed up with a leaping back, and that’s 15-30. And, well, ahahaha, you’ve got to laugh: all that work, quickly eradicated by an ace down the T … but just as Khachanov unloads on forehands that look definitive, Trungelliti gets one back then creams a glorious backhand winner down thew line to raise break-back point. For all the difference it makes, a big serve out wide dulty cleaned up towards the opposite corner; deuce, while, on Mathieu, Bencic makes it seven consecutive points in racing to 40-0 and three set points.
I don’t think I understand why the stands are so sparsely populated; surely they could just charge less to give the players, tournament and sport the crowds they deserve? Anyroad up, back on Mathieu, Mcnally again breaks Bencic back, and again, Bencic unloads on return, racing to 0-40; a fifth double follows, Mcnally tossing her racket in frustration, and the Swiss leads 5-4; she’ll serve for the set after change of ends, likewise Khachanov on Lenglen.
This is so tangential and obscure, even for me, but the name Tirante reminds me of one of the most luminously brilliant concerts i’ve ever been to, Ludovico Einaudi’s Taranta! It’s not his usual classical thing, but a collection of incendiary folk tunes – Ferma zitella is our family favourite, but they’re all worth your time.
This is the difference with Bencic: once, she might’ve lost confidence and discouraged herself, but now, she immediately restores her break for 4-3. Meantime, on Lenglen, Trungelliti is starting to ask questions of Khachanov, who leads 5-3 having held under pressure, while Davidovich Fokina is up 6-4 0-1 on Tirante.
Of course, as I type, she’s broken back for 3-3 but, as we said at the top, Mcnally is a tricky test and a battle not unlikely.
Bencic looks a slightly different player since returning from maternity leave. I’m not going to attempt any cod psychology about a sense of perspective and wellbeing, but it’s hard not to. Of course, she’s still got a no-show in her – remember her Wimbledon semi against Swiatek – but she’s no longer one of the mist likely seeds to suffer an upset.
We’re away on all courts bar Chatrier. On Lenglen, Khachanov leads the unheralded Argentine, Marco Trungelliti, 4-2; on Mathieu, it’s Bencic 3-2 Mcnally, with a break; and elsewhere, Davidovich Fokina, who came through a marathon against Damir Dzumhur, leads Tirante 5-2; Korpatch leads Wang 3-1; and Cina leads De Jong 2-1 with a break.
Preamble
Salut et bienvenue à Roland-Garros 2026 – quatrième jour!
And into round two we go. We open today with a nasty one for Belinda Bencic, the no 11 seed taking on Caty Mcnally while, at the same time Karen Kahchanov returns – and, an hour later, so too does Iga Swiatek, the four-time champ facing the Czech youngster, Sara Bejlek.
The match of the day, though, could well come on Court 4, where Marta Kostyuk meets Katie Volynets and Joan Fonseca faces Dino Prizmic, the 20-year-old Croatian who’s beaten both Novak Djokovic and Ben Shelton this clay-swing. That said, don’t be sleeping on the tussle tucked away on 13 between young Americans Alex Michelsen and Nishesh Basavareddy, conqueror of Taylor Fritz.
Otherwise, we’ve plenty of big names getting to it – Elina Svitolina, Elena Rybakina, Andrey Rubelv, Jasmine Paolini, Mirra Andreeva, Karolína Muchová, Hailey Baptiste and more – some of whom will presumably be involved in epics, the joy that of them that, at this stage, we can’t predict which. And if to that we add Fran Jones – coming off the biggest win of her career against Bea Haddad Maia – against Marie Bouzkovà, Ugo Humbert v Quentin Halys and Casper Ruud v Hamad Medhedovic, we have another day of compelling Grand Slam TennisTM to elevate and enrich our existence.
Chauette! On y va!
