Halep wondered aloud whether those in charge of the French Open insisted on going forward with matches in the rain because they “are scared” about completing the tournament on time. They didn’t make it back on court until Tuesday, began more than an hour late because of more rain, played for about a half-hour, then were halted by a 2 1/2-hour delay. During a sudden storm Saturday, a lightning bolt struck a children’s birthday party at a Paris park.
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“Usually if the court is not fit for play, like if it’s slippery, they would cancel the match right away”, said Pironkova, who reached her first French Open quarterfinal.
After dropping his first set at Roland Garros this year, top-ranked Novak Djokovic has recovered and leads 14th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 6-4, 4-1 when their match was suspended.
The top-seeded Djokovic, seeking to win a fourth consecutive major title and complete a career Grand Slam, was facing 14th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain at a almost empty Court Philippe Chatrier, where the handful of spectators huddled under umbrellas.
It proved to be a bad day for the big names in doubles as Venus and Serena Williams, who were the last women’s team to hold all four majors in 2010, also perished in the third round, beaten 6-3 6-3 by the Dutch-Swedish pairing of Kiki Bertens and Johanna Larsson. “I think that in two days we will be on time”. Muguruza is already into the quarterfinals; the other three were scheduled to play in the fourth round later Tuesday.
Forget noted that Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam tennis venue without a roof and insisted that the situation can not be allowed to continue. “What happens tomorrow if a match is interrupted after two hours and three minutes, or two hours and seven minutes of play?”
Finally in action, in Wednesday’s opening match at Court Philippe Chatrier, Williams looked very much like a 21-time Grand Slam champion facing a 21-year-old who has only reached one major quarterfinal, losing at that stage in Paris last year.
The damp conditions don’t suit Agnieszka Radwanska on Court Suzanne Lenglen, where the second-seeded Polish player has just lost six games in a row and the second set against Tsvetana Pironkova.
Belgian David Goffin and Latvian Ernests Gulbis had been expected to open proceedings on Court Philippe Chatrier but, after they spent nearly three hours in the locker room, organisers told soggy and disappointed fans to apply for a refund from the tournament’s official website.
Matches on other courts continued, though.
She is into the quarterfinals in Paris for the fourth time.
Schedule Tuesday: Singles matches scheduled to start at 11 a.m. local time (5 a.m. ET), instead of originally planned 2 p.m. (8 a.m. ET).
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If Djokovic and Bautista Agut were able to complete their match, it was scheduled to be followed in the main stadium by defending champion Serena Williams against 18th-seeded Elina Svitolina. No. 9 Richard Gasquet, No. 3 Stan Wawrinka vs. Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
