Roland-Garros Day 6 men’s recap: Wins for Medvedev, Tsitsipas, and Zverev, Fognini falls to Delbonis

• Notable names winning on Friday at Roland-Garros (3rd round): Daniil Medvedev (2), Stefanos Tsitsipas (5) Alexander Zverev (6), Pablo Carreno Busta (12), Cristian Garin (22), Kei Nishikori
• Notable names losing on Friday (3rd round): Casper Ruud (15), Fabio Fognini (27), John Isner (31), Reilly Opelka (32)
• To read about Thursday’s men’s coverage including wins by Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, you can click here
• To follow our full coverage of the 2021 French Open, please visit this page.
• To follow live results and to see the men’s draw and women’s draw, we recommend you follow the official Roland Garros website
• You can also check out the Tennis Majors team’s breakdown of the men’s and women’s draw
• Tomorrow’s programme at Roland-Garros will be updated here (and by the way, today’s schedule is here).
• All the practical information – how to watch the tournament, how to buy tickets and everything else you could possibly need to know – are hopefully in this page.

TSITSIPAS WINS AT NIGHT

Stefanos Tsitsipas recovered from losing the first set to defeat John Isner 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(3), 6-1 on Friday night. Tsitsipas advanced to a fourth-round meeting with Pablo Carreno Busta after two hours and 38 minutes of play.

STRAIGHT SETS FOR MEDVEDEV AND ZVEREV

Daniil Medvedev — seeded second despite his professed dislike for clay — got a straight-set win against another seed, Reilly Opelka of the USA, winning 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

“This year I’m enjoying myself in Roland Garros,” the Russian commented. “I don’t hide it. I’m really enjoying.”

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Alexander Zverev got past Laslo Djere in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5, 6-2, but the Serb did have a chance to serve for the second set — on which he failed to capitalise.

“I felt comfortable today on court,” Zverev assured. “It’s getting important, because the matches are getting tougher. The opponents are getting tougher. I feel like now is the time where you need to start playing your best tennis to get through.”

The German is now through to the fourth round in Paris for the fourth successive year.

FOGNINI OUT

Fabio Fognini fell in straight sets to Argentina’s Federico Delbonis 6-4, 6-1, 6-3. The 27th seed was so enraged at one point that he sustained a hand injury from hitting his own racquet in frustration.

“Well, analysis is clear: I play very bad tennis today,” the Italian said in his post-match press conference. “I don’t know how to win. I mean, he was really solid. He’s really in confidence. I play really bad. That’s all.”

Delbonis, aged 30, had never reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam.

NISHIKORI THROUGH

Kei Nishikori will be relieved to avoid another lengthy match, but he will doubtless be sending best wishes to Henri Laaksonen, who retired from their third-round encounter after the first set. The Japanese star was leading 7-5 after his opponent required treatment on court for what appeared to be a left thigh injury.

“I went on the 2-1 game to the backhand corner, and I tried to recover from there, and then I felt pain on the adductor, abductor, I don’t know which one it is, inside,” said Laaksonen in his press conference afterwards. “I couldn’t move then any more.”

The Swiss had knocked out Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the previous round.

OTHER RESULTS

• In one of the day’s most eventful matches, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain knocked out 15th seed Casper Ruud 7-6(3), 2-6, 7-6(6), 0-6, 7-5. This will be the first time the 21-year-old has played in the fourth round at Roland-Garros, equalling the run he made at last year’s US Open.
• Another Spaniard, Pablo Carreno Busta, the 12th seed, beat Steve Johnson of the USA 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.
• Cristian Garin, seeded 22nd, came through a little scare against Marcos Giron to win 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.