E-Paper
Stefanos Tsitsipas advances in straight sets in Paris
Tsitsipas excelled at the net and saved 11 break points to defeat solid baseliner Pedro Martinez of Spain 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
For the third straight year, Stefanos Tsitsipas will be playing in the third round at Roland Garros following another straight-set win Wednesday. The fifth-seeded Greek player excelled at the net and saved 11 break points to defeat solid baseliner Pedro Martinez of Spain 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
Tsitsipas achieved his best result in Paris last year when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. He arrived in the French capital this year on the back of an excellent clay-court campaign that included titles in Monte Carlo and Lyon.
Earlier, Kei Nishikori needed five sets again to win at the French Open. The former U.S. Open finalist rallied past 23rd-seeded Karen Khachanov 4-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 after having also gone the distance to beat Italian qualifier Alessandro Giannessi in the first round.
Nishikori next faces Swiss qualifier Henri Laaksonen, who upset 11th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 for his first victory against a top-20 player.
Khachanov was treated by a trainer in the fifth set after cutting his right middle finger by hitting his racket strings out of anger.
In another match, Swiss qualifier Henri Laaksonen upset 11th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut in their second-round match at the French Open.
It's the first time that Laaksonen reached the third round at a major tournament thanks to his 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win.
The 29-year-old Swiss had never beaten a Top 20 player before.
