French Open: Novak Djokovic beats Alex Molcan to progress into third round in Paris | Tennis News

The world No 1 will now face Aljaz Bedene in the third round as he looks to defend the title he won 12 months go; Alexander Zverev came from two sets down to beat Sebastian Baez; Maria Sakkari has been knocked out of the tournament

Novak Djokovic is through to the third round of Roland Garros

Novak Djokovic won his second round match against Alex Molcan 6-2 6-3 7-6 (7-4) as he looks to defend his French Open title in Paris.

The world No 1, playing in his first major of the year, hit 40 winners and 10 aces during a purposeful performance on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.

Molcan was able to push Djokovic to a third-set tie-break, but he threw his racket down in frustration after hitting the ball into the net.

That error presented Djokovic with match point, and he duly closed it out.

Aljaz Bedene, the world No 195, awaits the defending champion, a player Djokovic has never lost to.

Zverev edges out five-set thriller

Alexander Zverev came back to win from two sets for the third time in his career

Alexander Zverev saved a match point before triumphing over Sebastian Baez 2-6 4-6 6-1 6-2 7-5 in a thrilling contest on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

The two players battled for three hours and 36 minutes with Zverev having to use every ounce of his experience to get past his 21-year-old opponent.

Baez, who is ranked 36 in the world, created his match point opportunity on the Zverev serve, but the German pulled out a big first serve to erase it and took control from that point.

“I said to him that how he feels now is the worst you’re going to feel on a tennis court,” Zverev said about his exchange with Baez at the net.

“It was such an incredible match. I know how it feels, as I lost the US Open final from being two sets to love up. I was two points away from winning it and I lost 7-6 in the fifth.

“You always get better from it. I wish him nothing but the best, he’s an unbelievably great kid and he’s going to do a lot of great things in this sport.”

Zverev, who was a semi-finalist at Roland Garros last year, will face Brandon Nakashima of the United States in the third round.

Sakkari out, Gauff and Azarenka progress

Maria Sakkari suffered a straight-sets defeat

Maria Sakkari became the latest seed in the women’s draw to be knocked out after a 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4) defeat to Karolina Muchova.

Sakkari, a semi-finalist in Paris last year, never found her groove on Court Suzanne-Lenglen and her opponent took the chances that were presented to her.

The Greek follows Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur (6) and defending champion Barbora Krejcikova (2) in exiting the tournament after they departed in the first round.

Coco Gauff advanced to the third round by beating Alison van Uytvanck of Belgium 6-1 7-6 (7-4).

The 18-year-old is trying to improve on her quarter-final run at Roland Garros last year, which is her best result at a Grand Slam.

Gauff twice fell behind in the second set but broke back on both occasions. The American then forced three errors from Van Uytvanck in the tie-break.

Gauff is the youngest player remaining in the draw and celebrated her high school graduation this week with pictures at the Eiffel Tower.

Victoria Azarenka will meet Jil Teichmann in the third round

Two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka overcome Andrea Petkovic 6-1 7-6 (7-3) in her second-round match.

Azarenka, who is the 15th seed, produced a clean match by hitting just 13 unforced errors in comparison to Petkovic’s 42. She has twice won the Australian Open and was a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 2013.

While the US Open champion Emma Raducanu lost in the second round to Aliaksandra Sasnovich, her opponent in the final at Flushing Meadows – Leylah Fernandez – breezed through against Katerina Siniakova 6-3 6-2.

Fernandez is being tipped to go deep into the tournament, although she said: “Honestly this is the first time I’m hearing about this.

“But I’m just focusing on my own game. I have been trying to improve my game every single day, trying to get to a level where I think is deemed to be here at a top-level.

“I think my team and I were doing a good job, just trying to improve every day and not thinking about wins and losses or any external voices.”

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