French Open: Federer makes short work of Granollers, Sharapova strolls

Swiss star and defending champion advance to third round with straight-sets wins

PARIS: Roger Federer advanced to the third round of the French Open on Wednesday as Maria Sharapova brushed aside fellow Russian Vitalia Diatchenko to also reach the last-32.

Swiss second seed Federer beat Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-2, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 in front of a packed crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen and got the job done in one hour, 47 minutes, although he was broken twice and his opponent made life tough in the second set in particular.



The 2009 champion eventually came through a tiebreak before running away with the third set and will now meet Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia, who knocked out experienced Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis for a spot in the last-16.

Sharapova, who was also champion at Roland Garros in 2012 and runner-up in 2013, defeated Diatchenko 6-3, 6-1 in the first match on Court Philippe Chatrier to set up a clash with former finalist Samantha Stosur in the third round.

Stosur of Australia, the runner-up in 2010 who is seeded 26th this year, breezed past French wildcard Amandine Hesse 6-0, 6-1 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Stosur and Sharapova also met in the last-16 a year ago, with the Russian prevailing in three sets.

“She [Stosur] is always a tough opponent and loves playing on clay,” said Sharapova of her next opponent. “But I have a good record against her and I hope I can continue that.”

In other action, Federer’s compatriot Stan Wawrinka, seeded eight, ousted Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 and faces Steve Johnson of the US next.

Lucic-Baroni stuns Halep

Croatian veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni reached the French Open third round for the first time since 2001 when she defeated Romanian third seed Simona Halep 7-5, 6-1.

Lucic-Baroni, ranked at 70 in the world and who had also defeated 2014 Roland Garros runner-up Halep in the US Open last year, goes on to face France’s Alize Cornet.

On facing home hope Cornet in the next round, the Croatian said, “I just hope at least three French people cheer for me.”

Halep, who required treatment on her right hand towards the end of the first set, is the second top 10 casualty this week.

Sixth seed Eugenie Bouchard was knocked out in the first round on Tuesday.

The other results

Kei Nishikori, the fifth seed who was the only one of five Japanese players in the initial men’s draw to have made it through to the second round, eased past Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.

Next up for Nishikori is Germany’s Benjamin Becker, who eliminated Spain’s 32nd seed Fernando Verdasco, emerging from a marathon fifth set to progress 6-4, 0-6, 1-6, 7-5, 10-8.

French 12th seed Gilles Simon gave the locals something to shout about by defeating Martin Klizan of Slovakia 7-5, 6-2, 6-3. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th,  2015.

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