The Chan sisters crashed out of the rain-delayed quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the French Open yesterday, leaving Taiwanese hopes at the second Grand Slam of the year resting with the mixed doubles competition.
Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-jan lost the first set 6-1 on Tuesday, but were leading 2-1 and serving in the second set against Russian seventh seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina when rain suspended play for the day at Roland Garros.
However, the third seeds lost their break advantage immediately after the match resumed on Court 3 yesterday, eventually falling to a 6-1, 6-3 defeat.
Photo: AP
The Russian duo saved one of two break points and converted five of 14, winning 71 of the 118 points contested to advance to a semi-final against unseeded Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, who defeated sixth-seeded fellow Czechs Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hraddecka 6-3, 7-6 (11/9) in their quarter-final after having stunned top seeds Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza in the third round.
Younger sister Chan Hao-ching was due to play her mixed doubles quarter-final with Britain’s Jamie Murray later yesterday on Court 6.
The top seeds were due to take on sixth seeds Hlavackova and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France.
Chan Yung-jan is also still alive in the mixed doubles alongside partner Max Mirnyi of Belarus.
In the singles, Novak Djokovic recovered from a mediocre start to reach the men’s quarter-finals with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-5 rain-delayed victory over plucky Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
The world No. 1, chasing the only Grand Slam title to elude him, is to take on either former runner-up David Ferrer of Spain or Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych.
After conceding the opening set in damp conditions on Tuesday, Serbian Djokovic played tighter and had won the second set and was 4-1 ahead in the third when rain cut short his victory charge on day 10 of the championships.
Back on Court Philippe Chatrier yesterday for a match that should have been played on Monday, Djokovic closed it out, but encountered stiff resistance from the 14th seed, who forced him into lung-busting rallies.
“He is a player with great qualities on clay courts. I have the feeling I played three matches against him,” said Djokovic, wearing courtside interviewer Fabrice Santoro’s yellow rain hat. “I had to come back focused today.”
The match started a day late after Roland Garros suffered its first washout in 16 years. A second delay was threatened on Tuesday as steady drizzle fell on Paris and Djokovic found it hard to adjust.
After an early exchange of breaks, Bautista Agut stole the Serb’s serve in the sixth game with an overhead shot, bagging the opening set as he finished off a long rally with a forehand winner.
The supervisor sent the players to the dressing room for almost three hours and Djokovic, always the joker, came back with an umbrella.
He finally converted a break point at his eighth attempt to lead 5-3, leveling the match with a backhand winner. The Serb stayed focused and opened up a 4-1 lead in the third set before the match was again interrupted by rain.
Yesterday, Djokovic picked up where he had left off, winning two games to wrap up the third set.
His Spanish opponent hit long and hard and, after the Serb netted a routine overhead smash to gift him a break point, Djokovic sent a backhand long to fall 4-2 behind.
He broke back in the following game and again in the 11th when Bautista Agut netted a backhand at the end of another long rally, serving it out at lunchtime.
Should he make it to the last four, Djokovic would have to play on three consecutive days as his quarter-final and semi-final matches are scheduled for today and tomorrow.
In the women’s singles, defending champion Serena Williams powered into the quarter-finals. The world No. 1 reached the last eight at Roland Garros for the 10th time after pulverising 18th seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-1, 6-1 in a little more than an hour on Court Philippe Chatrier. Timea Bacsinszky dumped out Venus Williams, winning 6-2, 6-4.
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