#RG17 day four wrap: Tsonga out, champions survive

The French crowd is notorious for being one of the most vocal – and patriotic – in the world. However, they weren’t enough to inspire home favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to victory as the Frenchman crashed out at the first hurdle.

Tsonga crashes out, Nadal & Djokovic safely through

Few players enjoy the kind of support that Jo-Wilfried Tsonga does when he steps out at his home Grand Slam. Yet despite the crowd willing him on, it was not enough to propel the Frenchman over the line as he went out in the first round to world No.91 Renzo Olivo.

With the match suspended overnight in Olivo’s favour, Tsonga stepped onto court serving to stay in it. Five minutes – and a raft of unforced errors – later, and the Frenchman was gone 7-5 6-4 6-7(6) 6-4.

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“My opponent was playing his first French Open. He was full of energy. He really wanted to do his best, and it showed,” Tsonga said after the match. “It’s true that I didn’t have the best feeling yesterday or even today. I never really found the right pace.”

From one crowd favourite to another, and there were no such problems for Rafael Nadal, who made short work of Dutchman Robin Haase. Nadal wrapped up a dominant 6-1 6-4 6-3 win in under two hours and in front of an adoring Philippe Chatrier.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic was nigh on identically clinical. Facing the mercurial Portuguese player Joao Sousa, it took Djokovic an extra 20 minutes to finish the match with same scoreline as Nadal: a 6-1 6-4 6-3 win.

Elsewhere, Dominic Thiem maintained his march through the draw, easing past Simone Bolelli 7-5 6-1 6-3; Milos Raonic dropped a set en route to a 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-4 win over Dutra Silva; and David Goffin came through a battle with Sergiy Stakhovsky, winning 6-2 6-4 3-6 6-3.

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Muguruza survives test

Defending champion Garbine Muguruza went into her second round clash with Anett Kontaveit looking to avenge her defeat a few weeks back in Stuttgart. However, for a while it looked like the Estonian would notch up a second successive win, as she romped away with the first set. Not to be deterred, the Spaniard fought back and eventually took the win 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2.

“She was just playing good, a lot of confidence,” Muguruza opined later. “I knew it was going to be a battle out there.”

Kristina Mladenovic appeared to put behind her any lingering aches and pains from her first round match, easing to a 6-2 6-3 win over Sara Errani. Mladenovic, who sustained a back injury prior to the tournament, romped to the victory in one hour 18 minutes.

Petra Kvitova’s dream return to the tennis came to a crashing conclusion against Bethanie Mattek-Sands. The Czech star, who returned to action after being injured during a knife attack in December, was beaten 7-5(5) 7-5(5) in just over two hours.

Elsewhere, Venus Williams continued her campaign for a first French title with a comfortable 6-3 6-1 win over Kurumi Nara; 2016 semifinalist Kiki Bertens crashed out in straight sets to Cece Bellis, losing 6-3 7-6(5); and Caroline Wozniacki achieved a rare clay court double bagel in her straight sets win over Francois Abanda.