Day 10 of the 2020 French Open put several players closer to a Grand Slam title while a few underdogs kept their surprise runs alive.
Only five of the 10 singles players in action Tuesday were seeded—including both Round 4 and quarterfinal competition—and the favorites had some trouble once again at Roland Garros.
Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem and Elina Svitolina were among those trying to earn spots in the semifinals at Court Philippe-Chatrier, but this event continued to feature surprises.
Tuesday Results
Men’s Draw
No. 2 Rafael Nadal def. Jannik Sinner, 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-1
No. 12 Diego Schwartzman def. No. 3 Dominic Thiem, 7-6(1), 5-7, 6(6)-7, 7-6(5), 6-2
Women’s Draw
Nadia Podoroska def. No. 3 Elina Svitolina, 6-2, 6-4
Danielle Collins def. No. 30 Ons Jabeur, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Iga Świątek def. Martina Trevisan, 6-3, 6-1
Recap
One match stood out on paper entering the day and it lived up to the hype as Diego Schwartzman outlasted Dominic Thiem in a battle that went five hours and eight minutes.
Both players came through with some impressive points throughout the match, creating a back-and-forth battle that featured three different tiebreaks.
These competitors weren’t exactly sitting back in long rallies either, going to the net a combined 124 times in this one with each successful more than 60 percent of the time.
The match remained close until Thiem seemingly ran out of gas in the fifth set and struggled with his accuracy. It was an understandable reaction for the No. 3 seed, who had won a five-set match in the fourth round against Hugo Gaston.
Schwartzman was able to come away with the win and felt he deserved it afterward.
Nadia Podoroska continued her incredible run with a straight-set victory over Svitolina thanks to an outstanding performance as a returner. The Argentine won 64 percent of receiving points during the match on the way to eight breaks in the two sets.
It was an outstanding showing against a woman who had become a favorite in the women’s draw.
The win also put her in historic territory with a run into the semifinals from the qualifying spot.
The semifinal will also feature another surprise entry as Iga Świątek breezed by Martina Trevisan in straight sets.
Świątek had already knocked off big names Simona Halep and Eugenie Bouchard without dropping a set in this tournament, making the quarterfinals a relatively easy matchup while tallying six breaks. The 19-year-old still hasn’t lost more than five games in a single match during this shockingly dominant run.
Unseeded Danielle Collins will try to join them in the semifinals after a win over No. 30 Ons Jabeur in a rescheduled Round 4 match.
Rafael Nadal also faced a red-hot underdog in his match Tuesday, although he was able to pull away as he usually does on clay.
Jannik Sinner showcased plenty of fight in the first set, forcing a tiebreak before falling short. He then led 3-1 in the second set before Nadal fought back to win.
It was clearly a close battle despite the 2-0 score.
It put us one step closer to a potential dream final between Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Semifinals
Men’s Draw
No. 12 Diego Schwartzman v No. 2 Rafeal Nadal – Friday, Oct 9
Women’s Draw
Iga Świątek v Nadia Podoroska – Thursday, Oct 8
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