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| Dates: 28 May-11 June Venue: Roland Garros, Paris |
| Coverage: Live text and radio commentaries of selected matches across BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, the BBC Sport website and app |
Novak Djokovic joined Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open third round as the pair remained on course for a semi-final meeting in Paris.
Serbia’s Djokovic, bidding for a men’s record 23rd major singles title, beat Marton Fucsovics 7-6 (7-2) 6-0 6-3.
The win came after Djokovic was criticised for writing a political message about Kosovo on a camera lens at Roland Garros.
World number one Alcaraz earlier beat Japan’s Taro Daniel 6-1 3-6 6-1 6-2.
Djokovic cut a frustrated figure during the first set, having to save multiple break points in each service game before being taken to a tie-break after squandering a 5-3 lead.
A dominant second set was replicated for much of the third but a once-again irritated Djokovic was broken when serving for the match at 5-2.
However, he capitalised on a shaky service game from Hungary’s Fucsovics to win the match and set up a meeting with Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The 36-year-old, a two-time champion in Paris, wrote “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence” on a camera after his first-round win on Monday.
It was a reference to recent tension in Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia has never recognised Kosovo’s independence.
France’s sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said earlier on Wednesday that Djokovic’s message was “not appropriate” and “should not happen again”.
Alcaraz credits ‘smiling all the time’ with victories
Alcaraz, top seed at a major for the first time in his career, is one of the favourites for the title having won last year’s US Open.
The 20-year-old cruised to the first set but was broken early in the second by Daniel, who has claimed impressive wins over Grand Slam runners-up Casper Ruud and Matteo Berrettini this year.
However Alcaraz responded strongly, breaking a further five times across the final two sets to complete a routine win.
“I’m winning all the time because I am smiling,” Alcaraz said. “And I always said that smiling, for me, is the key of everything.
“I enjoy being this kind of stadium, these kind of tournament, cities. That’s the most important for me to enjoy, and that’s why I smile all the time.”
He will face Canada’s Denis Shapovalov next, while fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Diego Schwartzman.
Greek Tsitsipas, runner-up at Roland Garros in 2021, beat Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-2.
Asked about the way clay courts are cleaned and watered between sets, he said: “Those rituals, I have seen them over and over again.
“It’s kind of ingrained in me and it’s part of my identity.
“It’s a cleansing of the soul. You let the old pass and you start with the new.”
‘Winning in these atmospheres makes dark days worth it’
There was a five-set thriller on Court Simonne-Mathieu as Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia, having beaten Britain’s Dan Evans in the first round, overcame 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka.
The Swiss three-time Grand Slam champion took the first set but Kokkinakis rallied to win 3-6 7-5 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-3.
Kokkinakis won the men’s doubles with Nick Kyrgios at the 2022 Australian Open but has never gone beyond the third round in singles at a Grand Slam.
After suffering shoulder, pectoral, groin, knee and elbow injuries earlier in his career – as well as a serious bout of glandular fever that led to two hospital stays in 2020 – the 27-year-old wondered whether his chance had gone.
“I hit an age where I thought about quitting pretty early on,” he said. “I think I was 21 or 22.
“I played a couple of matches and tried to look back on the good moments that I had and good wins I had in the past and used those to fuel me.
“There’s a lot of dark days, but winning those matches in those atmospheres is what makes it worth it.
“I’ve missed a lot of opportunities in the past due to injury and other stuff, but I’ve still got a bit of my career left. I’m going to try to make the most of it while I can.”
Kokkinakis will play 11th seed Karen Khachanov in the third round after the Russian’s 6-3 6-4 6-2 win over Radu Albot of Moldova.
Russian seventh seed Andrey Rublev continued his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title with a 6-4 6-2 3-6 6-3 win over Corentin Moutet of France, while Juan Pablo Varillas of Peru fought back to complete a surprise 1-6 4-6 6-3 6-1 6-1 win over Spanish 19th seed Roberto Bautista Agut.
Varillas will face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, seeded 13th,who came from 2-1 down to beat Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands 6-3 5-7 6-7 (15-13) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.
Italy’s Fabio Fognini is also through after a 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 win over Jason Kubler of Australia.
Fognini will play the Austrian Sebastian Ofner, who beat American 24th seed Sebastian Korda 6-3 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 to reach the third round for the first time.
