2014 Roland Garros Day 8 (Video)
Federer Upset by Gulbis; Murray Survives; Djokovic Overwhelms Tsonga
Sharapova Avoids Stosur Upset; Muguruza, Bouchard Continue Excellent Run
atpworldtour.com: June 1 2014 Paris France – Ernests Gulbis claimed the biggest win of his career on Sunday as he stunned Roger Federer 6-7(5), 7-6(3), 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals.
“It’s the biggest win of my career,” Gulbis told Cedric Pioline in an on-court interview. “Sorry I had to win. I know how everyone likes Roger. It was a tough match but this is sport. I’ve been playing very well in France. I won tournaments in Marseille and Nice, hopefully Paris is the next one.” The Latvian is through to his second Grand Slam quarter-final, with his first also coming at Roland Garros six years ago (l. to Djokovic). He will face Czech Tomas Berdych, against whom he has a 2-4 FedEx ATP Head2Head record, losing their past.
World No. 8 Andy Murray held his nerve to close out a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 12-10 victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber on Sunday to secure his place in the Roland Garros fourth round.
The match had been suspended due to bad light at 7-7 in the fifth set on Saturday evening. On the resumption, Murray was denied a match point at 8-9 on Kohlschreiber’s serve and saved a break point himself a game later before taking his chance in the 22nd game of the set. With two match points, Murray rifled a backhand return winner to clinch victory in four hours and seven minutes. Defeat brought to an end Kohlschreiber’s run of six straight wins. The German came into Roland Garros on the back of victory in Dusseldorf (d. Karlovic).
Murray goes on to face Fernando Verdasco, who returned to Court Philippe Chatrier to defeat French hope Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. The match had been suspended due to bad light with the score balanced at 2-2 in the third set.
Sixth seed Tomas Berdych was the first man through to the Roland Garros quarter-finals as he dismissed John Isner 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday in Paris. The Czech served 11 aces, limiting Isner to just seven, and hit 36 winners to only 13 unforced errors, claiming victory in one hour and 51 minutes. It was his fifth win in seven FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings with Isner.
World No. 2 Novak Djokovic reached his 20th Grand Slam quarter-final in a row on Sunda with a resounding 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 victory over French hope Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
The Serb advanced in just 89 minutes, improving to a 12-5 record in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Tsonga. He converted seven of his nine break points and benefitted from 38 unforced errors from the racquet of Tsonga. The match was in stark contrast to two years ago, when the pair contested a gripping quarter-final at Roland Garros, which Djokovic won in five sets after saving four match points.
Sharpova Survives Stosur; Muguruza, Bouchard Continue Run
wtatennis.com: May 31 2014 Paris France - Inspired upset bids had been a dime a dozen, but unlike many of the other top players, this one survived - Maria Sharapova fought off an in-form Sam Stosur at the French Open, coming within points of going out before turning the match around and cruising into the quarters.
From early on it was clear Stosur was dialed in - from 2-3 she won four straight games to claim the first set, 6-3, and after going down an early break she got the second set back on serve, and up 4-3, she threatened to get another break by winning the first point of Sharapova's service game. And when it got to 30-all, Stosur was just six points away from the victory - another Parisian shocker in the cards?
But with her back against the wall the No.7-seeded Sharapova went into complete battle mode, firing her groundstrokes with her trademark power and champion's precision, reeling off nine games in a row to send the No.19-seeded Stosur out, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0. She blasted her 25th winner of the match - an inside out forehand - on match point, then let out a war cry that echoed across Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Garbiñe Muguruza reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal by defeating Pauline Parmentier 6-4 6-2 on Sunday at the French Open. Muguruza picked up where she left off after shocking World No.1 Serena Williams in the second round by beating Anna Schmiedlova in the third round. The 20-year-old Spaniard was playing a Grand Slam fourth round match for the second time, having also gotten that far at this year's Australian Open.
Eugenie Bouchard put on a dazzling display of power to outdo Angelique Kerber on Court Philippe Chatrier and become the first player into the quarterfinals of the French Open. Bouchard piled up a massive 30 winners to just 11 unforced errors, compared to 12 and 10 for Kerber, and she saw off the No.8-seeded German in 52 rapid-fire minutes, 6-1, 6-2.
No.14 seed Carla Suárez Navarro ended the Roland Garros run of Croatian 21-year-old Ajla Tomljanovic with a straight set 6-3 6-3 victory in fourth round action on Sunday. In her first French Open main draw, Tomljanovic was making her Grand Slam fourth round debut. Her dream fortnight has included a triumph over former Roland Garros champ Francesca Schiavone in the first round and a career-best win over World No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska in the third round.
French Open Men's Singles Fourth Round Sunday Jun 1
2-Novak Djokovic beat 13- Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1 6-4 6-1
18-Ernests Gulbis beat 4-Roger Federer 6-7(5) 7-6(3) 6-2 4-6 6-3
6-Tomas Berdych beat 10-John Isner 6-4 6-4 6-4
8-Milos Raonic beat Marcel Granollers 6-3 6-3 6-3
French Open Women's Singles Fourth Round Sunday Jun 1
Garbine Muguruza Blanco beat Pauline Parmentier 6-4 6-2
7-Maria Sharapova beat 19-Samantha Stosur 3-6 6-4 6-0
14-Carla Suarez Navarro beat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3 6-3
18-Eugenie Bouchard beat 8-Angelique Kerber 6-1 6-2
Milos the man! @milosraonic into his 1st major QF, def. #Granollers 6-3, 6-3,
6-3. Faces Tsonga-Djokovic winner #RG14 pic.twitter.com/VJTu7z02EQ
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 1, 2014
Beaucoup de respect entre Ernests Gulbis et Roger Federer lors de la poignée de main #RG14 pic.twitter.com/qy6Zzy1LdQ
— rolandgarrosFR (@rolandgarros_FR) June 1, 2014