The Men

Fabio Fognini reacts after wining a match

Many of Thursday’s matches were cancelled or suspended and the matches that were completed were interrupted as rain and darkness ruled the day. Thursday was a good day for Fabio Fognini, the world’s 92nd ranked player. The unlikely winner overcame darkness, a vocal French crowd and one of the tour’s most athletic players when he started the day by ousting Gael Monfils. In a match that was halted Wednesday night at 5-5 in the fifth set, Fognini picked up where he left off and carried the play against the Frenchman.

His break in the 16th game of the 86 minute final set sent the 13th seed packing and moved the Fabulous Fab on to the third round in one of the most remarkable matches ever played a Roland Garros. The scoreboard will read 2-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 9-7 but will hardly tell the whole story. Fabio was down tow sets to one and two breaks in the fourth set before rallying to save the set and the match. At times, it must have seemed like he was playing the whole of Paris but once he gained the momentum, Fab refused to let go in the five hour, two-day marathon.

In another match carried over from Wednesday, Andy Murray moved on to round three with a hard-earned 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2 over 30-year old Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina. The match took three hours 30 minutes. Murray’s play was much crisper than in his first round as the Scotsman hit 75 outright winners and converted 7 of 16 break opportunities.

American strongmen Andy Roddick and John Isner muscled their ways into the third round. For the sixth seeded Roddick, it marks just the third time in nine Roland Garros appearances that he has advanced past the second round. The serving star downed Slovenia’s Blaz Kavcic 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 in under three hours. Roddick recorded 13 aces and hit 67 winners.

Isner, the 6’9” behemoth, outplayed Switzerland’s Marco Chiudinelli 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (7), 6-4 in the day’s best encounter. Isner hit 38 aces and 83 winners. He leads the tour in aces and has now had 30 aces or more in nine matches this season.

The 25th seeded Cypriot continued his outstanding season with a four set triumph over Spain’s Marcel Granoliers. Friday will be a busy day in Paris as many matches will need to be completed prior to commencement of Thursday’s evening matches.

The Women

Jalena Jankovic in French Open

Most of the women’s schedule was suspended, but fourth seeded Jalena Jankovic continued her good run with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 win over Kaia Kanepi. Kanepi played aggressively and pushed Jankovic to the brink but the Serb rallied to record a win she might have lost last year. Kanepi did not look like the 188th ranked player on the women’s tour and appears headed for a rapid rise back to the top 20. Meanwhile, Jankovic’s newfound confidence makes her a dangerous opponent.

Eighth seeded Agnieszka Radwanska was upset by Yaroslava Shvedova 7-5, 6-3. The win was the aggressive Shvedova’s second over a top ten opponent.

Eleven seed Li Na and seventeen seed Francesca Schiavone both advanced but 21st seeded Vera Zvonareva was upset by Anastasia Rodionova 6-4, 6-4. Kateryna Bondarenko was also eliminated by Aleksandra Wozniak. Ana Ivanovic, who won the French Open just two years ago, was rudely ousted by Alisa Kleybanova 6-3, 6-0. Ivanovic did not appear competitive against he younger opponent.

Henin and Maria Sharapova are both up one set when play continues on Friday.

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