French Open: Coco Gauff advances to fourth round, Madison Keys makes comeback win
Coco Gauff and Madison Keys continued their strong campaigns at Roland-Garros on Saturday, notching very different but equally significant victories to advance to the French Open's fourth round.Gauff, the No. 2 seed, booked her place in Week 2 with a straight-sets win over Marie Bouzkova, 6-1, 7-6. The 21-year-old American came out blazing on Court Philippe-Chatrier, dominating the early exchanges and storming to a 3-0 lead within ten minutes. She wrapped up the first set with commanding ease, showcasing her powerful groundstrokes and movement.advertisementFrench Open 2025 Day 7 Live Updates
The second set, however, tested her mettle. Bouzkova pushed back with renewed intensity, breaking Gauff's serve multiple times and coming within two points of forcing a third set. But Gauff held her nerve, stepped up when it mattered, and took control in the tiebreak to close out the match. It marked her fifth consecutive appearance in the Round of 16 at Roland-Garros, where she was runner-up in 2022. She next faces 20th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.On Court Suzanne Lenglen, Madison Keys delivered one of the tournament's most dramatic comebacks. The seventh seed battled from a set down and saved three match points to defeat fellow American Sofia Kenin 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a thrilling all-American showdown.Kenin, a 2020 French Open finalist, looked on course for the win after building a 3-0 lead in the deciding set. But Keys, digging deep into her reserves of power and composure, reeled off the last three games to seal the win in front of a roaring Paris crowd. It's her first trip to the fourth round here since 2022 and her 10th straight Grand Slam match win.She will face American Hailey Baptiste next as she continues her hunt for a first French Open title.
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Sinner became the second Italian man to reach the final at Roland-Garros in the Open era, which began in 1968, after Adriano Panatta, the 1976 champion. Earlier, Alcaraz led 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 against Lorenzo Musetti when the eighth-seeded Italian retired with a leg injury. Djokovic fought back in the third set but wilted in the tiebreaker, somehow missing an easy smash at the net to trail 3-0 and then lost on the second match point he faced when his forehand hit the net. 'These are rare and special moments,' Sinner said. 'I'm very happy.' Djokovic was emotional and said it might have been his last ever match at Roland-Garros. He kissed his hand after the defeat, then put it on the clay, as if saying farewell to the stadium. Sinner's tennis legacy here, and elsewhere, is still growing. He extended his winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments to 20 matches, after winning the U.S. Open and the Australian Open. Djokovic was bidding for a record-extending 38th Grand Slam final and eighth at the French Open, a tournament he was won three times. But he spent much of the semifinal camped behind the baseline, sliding at full stretch and grunting loudly while Sinner sent him scurrying left and right like a windscreen wiper. 'I felt constantly under pressure, and he didn't allow me to have time to swing through the ball. He was just constantly on the line, trying to make me defend,' Djokovic said. 'So that's why he's the No. 1 in the world. I wish him best for the finals. I think it's going to be an amazing matchup with him and Carlos, the two best players at the moment.' Sinner praised Djokovic after beating him for a fourth straight time. 'It was such a special occasion playing against Novak in the semifinals of a Grand Slam,' Sinner said. 'I had to step up. I had to play the best tennis I could.' When they met at the net, Djokovic gave Sinner a warm embrace and bumped his chest several times. Djokovic seemed unsure how to trouble the Italian. He tilted his head back in frustration when, in the second game of the second set, his attempted drop shot landed short. Then, his lob was not quite high enough and Sinner smashed it easily. Finally, when a 26-stroke rally went his way — featuring sliced drop shots and even improbable retrieves — Djokovic got a huge ovation from the crowd, who bellowed out 'Novak! Novak!' as he milked their applause. That made it deuce. But Sinner took the game. Sinner was becoming the Roland-Garros showman Djokovic so often was on the main court, where he won three of his major titles. One improvised flick-of-the-wrist drop shot from back of the court was majestic, too good even for Djokovic to get back. Djokovic had a brief massage on his upper right thigh during the changeover at 6-5 down. Serving for the second set for a second time, Sinner clinched it when Djokovic could not return his strong serve. Djokovic took a medical time out immediately and received massage treatment on the same leg for a few minutes. He looked sharper in the third set, but Sinner held his nerve. What was wrong with Musetti? Earlier, Musetti was struggling with his left leg. He was 5-0 down after 16 minutes of the third set when he called for a trainer. Alcaraz broke Musetti in the next game to clinch the set in 21 minutes, winning 24 of 29 points. 'It's not great to win a match like this. Lorenzo is a great player,' Alcaraz said. 'I wish him all the best.' Musetti called for the trainer again after the third set and, after Alcaraz broke his serve to lead 2-0, Musetti walked slowly up to the net and received a hug from Alcaraz. 'I felt at the beginning of the third when I was serving, I start losing a little bit of strength on the left leg behind,' Musetti said. 'Tomorrow I will do exams.' Frustration got to Alcaraz during the second set, and at one point he aimed a side-footed kick at his changeover seat. 'The first two sets were really tough,' Alcaraz said. 'When I won the second set I was relieved.' Musetti was playing in only his second major semifinal after reaching the same stage at Wimbledon last year. Alcaraz said he feels in top shape physically for the final. 'Really good. It's been three intense weeks but I'm feeling great,' he said. 'I have a lot of confidence right now.' Alcaraz improved to 21-1 on clay this year, winning titles on the dirt in Rome — beating Sinner in the final after the Italian returned from his doping ban — and Monte Carlo.
