It’s day six at Roland Garros, and while we’ve had the usual mix of blistering winners and medical timeouts, the real drama has unfolded in the press room, where a 12-year-old’s homemade salad dressing has stained the worktops. The culprit has been disowned. Elsewhere, actual tennis happened.
Mirra Andreeva, the eighth seed, has dispatched Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2 with the kind of controlled aggression that suggests she’s finally figured out that finishing points is a good thing. Her inside-out forehand remains a “helluva thump,” and she’s now waiting to face either Jil Teichmann or Karolína Muchová. Teichmann, meanwhile, played what might be the best set of her life to lead Muchová 6-1, before Muchová’s class began overriding form in the second.
Andrey Rublev, after defeating Nuno Borges 7-6, 7-6, 6-3, admitted in his post-match interview that his mental state resembles “the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes.” He’s working with Marat Safin to introduce some “charisma” to his game, which is a polite way of saying he’s trying not to implode. Next up: either Jakub Menšík or Alex de Minaur.
On Court Suzanne Lenglen, Rafael Jodar is looking very good indeed, leading Alex Michelsen 7-6, 6-4. Coach Calv Betton rates him: “He’s class. Huge hitter. Very composed for his age.” Jodar is seeded to meet Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals, which would be a tremendous tussle if both get there.
In doubles, Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez tripped over an advertising sign, crashed into a wall, and retired after 17 minutes. Her right leg is bruised, but her head is apparently fine. The sign, presumably, is also fine.
Iga Swiatek, after her win, said training with Rafael Nadal was “an amazing experience,” which is probably the understatement of the tournament. She also noted that sometimes you have to be patient, because going for a winner and missing is just embarrassing.