Sinner and Djokovic win on day of upsets and drama

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2 days ago

French Open 2025
Dates: 25 May-8 June Venue: Roland Garros
Coverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app
There were five-set thrillers, significant upsets and an emotional goodbye on day five at the French Open - but it was business as usual for Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic.
World number one Sinner was ruthlessly efficient as he brought the curtain down on Frenchman Richard Gasquet's career and advanced to the third round.
Sixth seed Djokovic continued his bid for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam singles title with a straight-set victory over Corentin Moutet.
But while Sinner and Djokovic advanced, two of the top-20 players in the men's draw were knocked out in marathon matches.
Italy's three-time major winner Sinner extended his winning streak against players ranked outside the top 20 to 63 matches.
In doing so, he brought an end to Gasquet's playing career, 23 years after the 38-year-old made his Roland Garros debut.
Sinner claimed a commanding 6-3 6-0 6-4 win over Gasquet but the day was still Gasquet's, with the Frenchman addressing the adoring crowd and accepting a commemorative trophy.
"I've thought a lot about this day, you hope it never comes, but today is it," Gasquet said.
"I can't dream of anything better than standing on this incredible court, the most beautiful court in the world."
Later in the day, 38-year-old Serb Djokovic continued his recent good form with a 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-1) victory against France's Moutet.
Djokovic came to Roland Garros, where he is a three-time champion, on the back of winning his 100th ATP singles title in Geneva last week and maintained his good from against Moutet, winning in just over three hours.
The only potential blip for Djokovic was having to receive treatment on the toes of his left foot in the third set, but he appeared to shrug it off by recovering to win the match on a tie-break.
He will face either Canadian 27th seed Denis Shapovalov or Austria's Filip Misolic in the third round.
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Australian world number nine Alex De Minaur and Czech 19th seed Jakub Mensik both exited Roland Garros on Thursday - and both after winning the first two sets.
De Minaur lost 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2 to 62nd-ranked Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, a talented but often temperamental payer.
Bublik said afterwards he had already accepted defeat before mounting a comeback.
"I was checking the tickets [home] already in my head. I didn't really care, in a way. I was like I will accept the loss," the 27-year-old said.
"It was a bit early for me. I was a bit sleepy in the first two sets. So it was key to wake up and then to play one of the best Slam matches that I ever played in my life."
Bublik will now face Portugal's world number 200 Henrique Rocha, who surprisingly beat Mensik.
Rocha, who came through qualifying and had never won a main-draw match at a major before this year's French Open, triumphed 2-6 1-6 6-4 6-3 6-3 against talented 19-year-old Mensik.
Second seed Gauff through to Paris third round
Home hope Arthur Fils came through a gruelling four-and-a-half-hour match against Spain's Jaime Munar, despite being unable to move at one point because of a back injury.
The 20-year-old required treatment during the third set and looked down and out after the fourth set.
But after taking painkillers, and roared on enthusiastically by the French supporters, the 14th seed fought back from a break down in the decider to compete victory.
Fils ripped off his shirt as he celebrated the 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 0-6 6-4 victory and lapped up the applause from the crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
"This is my best match of all time" Fils said.
"I have had some difficult matches but this one is the best five-set match that I have ever played. I could have lost this match.
"I was lucky. But it's going to be one of my best five-set matches ever of my life."
'It can't look like a circus' - Munar on crowd
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