Sixth-seed, Alexander Zverev, of Germany has advanced to the round of 16 of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris. Zverev beat Serbia’s 55th-ranked, Laslo Djere, in straight sets to progress.
Zverev dominated from the word go. He broke Djere twice early on in the opening set to race to a 4-0 lead.
The 24-year-old held serve in the eighth game with a powerful forehand to go one set up. The German won the second set 7-5 to tighten his grip on the match-winning four games in a row after the Serbian had raced to a 3-0 lead.
The world number six upped his game in the third set and sealed a 6-2 7-5 6-2 win to advance.
Women’s draw
Third-seed, Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus crashed out of the tournament to leave the women’s draw without its top three seeds.
Sabalenka lost 4-6 6-2 0-6 to Russia’s 32nd-ranked, Anastasia Pavlyuchenko.
Sabalenka was the highest seed in the women’s draw after the exits of top-seed, Ashleigh Barty and second-seed, Naomi Osaka.
But she committed far too many unforced errors to lose to Pavlyuchenkova. The Russian won the first set but Sabalenka rallied back to win the second and level matters.
Pavlyuchenkova went off the court for medical attention at the end of the second set. She returned with her left thigh heavily strapped.
The injury seemed to have made no difference to her game. She handed a bagel to her opponent in the decider to set up a meeting with the 16th-ranked, Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus. The 31-year-old Azarenka beat the United States’ 24th-ranked Madison Keys in straight sets to also advance.
Azarenka dominated both sets winning them 6-2 6-2 to seal the win and book her place in the next round.
