#RG17 day seven wrap: Murray and Wawrinka take charge

Lead-in form is always a promising indicator, but Grand Slam experience can be equalling telling – and established major champions Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic underlined that advantage as they moved into the second week of Roland Garros, with convincing third-round victories.

Murray battles through

Few third round matches carried as much interest as the one between major champions Andy Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro – and if anything, it exceeded expectations as the world No.1 played his best clay court tennis of 2017 to advance 7-6(8) 7-5 6-0 in just under three hours.

The Scot could well look back on the first stage as a turning point, the four set points he saved in the 84-minute opener enabling him to gain a mental edge against the gallant Argentine, who was contesting his first French Open in five years after well-documented injury struggles.

Murray ultimately recorded 44 winners, converting six of 17 break point opportunities. “It was definitely [my best match] during the clay court season,” said Murray. “I played some good matches at the beginning of the year, but definitely in the clay-court season, the second and third sets were the best I have played.

“It was obviously an important win for me and a big match, because Juan, when he’s playing well, is one of the best players in the world. To be playing him this early on in a slam is not easy, but it can be a very positive thing. When you play someone that good, maybe you’re a little bit more switched on and your focus is maybe a little bit higher.”

RELATED: Murray masters del Potro 

There was a contrasting progression for No.3 seed Stan Wawrinka, a 7-6(2) 6-0 6-2 winner over Fabio Fognini.

While tipped as a danger match, the 2015 Roland Garros champion was troubled only briefly as Fognini twice broke serve in the 57-minute first set; Wawrinka recovered on each occasion as the Italian was increasingly hampered by a left knee injury.

Wawrinka, who is also the reigning US Open champion, is yet to drop a set at Roland Garros in 2017 and having earlier claimed the Geneva title, he’ll enter the fourth round on a seven-match winning streak.

“I’ve got great memories of Roland-Garros from my last few years and it’s always great to return,” said Wawrinka, who plays the winner of the all-French encounter between Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet. “With every round it gets tougher but I feel really good. I hope to carry on in the same vein.”

Kevin Anderson is also desperate to maintain momentum, after a 6-7(6) 7-6(4) 5-7 6-1 6-4 win over Kyle Edmund propelled him into the fourth round for the fourth time in his career. The South African faces Marin Cilic, who recorded his 100^th clay court victory with a 6-1 6-3 6-3 win over Feliciano Lopez.

Fernando Verdasco also advanced to the fourth round, with a 6-2 6-1 6-3 win setting up an encounter with Kei Nishikori or Hyeon Chung. After winning the first set, the eighth-seeded Japanese encountered a tough fight from 21-year-old Chung, who won the third set in a tiebreak and lead the fourth set 4-0 when rain suspended play.

The third round between Monfils and Gasquet was also suspended, Monfils leading 6-5 in the first set when rain intervened. In another interrupted third round, Karin Khachinov took the first set from John Isner in a tiebreak before play was stopped.

Simona emerges as favourite 

Simona Halep is yet to claim a Grand Slam title but the 2014 French Open finalist is fast emerging as a favourite after her third consecutive straight-sets victory against Daria Kastakina.

The No.3 seed took just 30 minutes to win the opening set against the overwhelmed Russian, winning nine of the first 10 games of the match.

While Kastakina staged a recovery of sorts – winning four consecutive games and even holding a set point in the second set – it was ultimately a convincing win for Halep, her 6-0 7-5 progression helped by her powerful hitting from the back of the court.

“I played really well at the beginning,” Halep said.  “She was coming back really strongly and I think my energy went a bit down… She’s a really tough opponent.”

Most pleasing was that there is little sign of the ankle injury that had earlier threatened Halep’s participation in the 2017 event. “I felt it a little bit at one backhand, because I turned too much,” she said. “But (it) doesn’t bother me much, so I’m not thinking about it. I can run, I can slide.”

Halep next faces Carla Suarez-Navarro, a 6-4 6-4 winner over the higher-ranked Elena Vesnina in her third straight-sets win of the event.

There will also be at least one Frenchwoman in the final eight in 2017, with 28th seed Caroline Garcia and Alize Corner preparing for their fourth round encounter.

Garcia survived an epic against  Su-Wei Hsieh, defeating Chinese Taipei’s top player 6-4 4-6 9-7. Cornet, on the other hand, was had all the momentum as she shocked Polish ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 6-1.

“I think the crowd is going to be excited,” Cornet said of the all-French encounter. “We will try to give them a good show, a good game. The crowd support is like a bonus, an extra energy.”

In the other half of the draw Caroline Wozniacki completed a 6-2 2-6 6-3  victory against American teen Catherine Bellis in their rain-delayed match, setting up a fourth round showdown with 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.

There were still four matches left to play in the women’s third round when rain intervened: Fifth seed Elina Svitolina meets  to Magda Linette, 17th seed Anastasija Sevastova takes on Petra Martic of Croatia, second seed Karolina Pliskova face Germany’s Carina Witthoeft and Veronica Cepede Royg and Mariana Duque-Marino were also yet to take the court.