#RG17 day eight wrap: A tale of two draws

While the big names on the men’s side of the draw are poised to play a blockbuster second week, the WTA’s ‘star’ players faltered on what proved to be a dangerous second Sunday at Roland Garros.

Nadal, Djokovic on collision course

Defending champion Novak Djokovic survived a tight opening set to remain on course for a blockbuster semifinal against Rafael Nadal. The Serb came through relatively unscathed against a quality opponent in Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6(5) 6-1 6-3.

Djokovic, who later admitted “I didn’t start off the way I wanted”, eventually found his form to cruise into the quarterfinals.

“After that (first set) I started playing with fewer errors and that was good. That gave me a lot of confidence,” Djokovic later said.

Djokovic will face Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinal. The Austrian, who Djokovic handily dismissed in their previous meeting in Rome, was a comfortable 6-1 6-3 6-1 winner over Horacio Zeballos.

Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, continues to cruise. The nine-time champion needed just one hour 50 minutes to get the better of fellow-Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1 6-2 6-2. “I have the impression I’m doing things well. I’m on the right track,” Nadal opined after the scuffle.

Elsewhere, Richard Gasquet was forced to retire from his match against Gael Monfils; Kei Nishikori won en epic encounter with Hyeon Chung 7-5 6-4 6-7(4) 0-6 6-4; and Pablo Carreno Busta was equally epic during his four hour 17 minute win over Milos Raonic, coming through 4-6 7-6(2) 6-7(6) 6-4 8-6.

RELATED: #SmashTalk: Reflections on a brutal day eight at Roland Garros

The WTA’s big names crumble

When in France, playing against a French star, expect the crowd to be against you. That’s the generally accepted rule at the French Open, but one that Garbine Muguruza struggled to deal with. The Spaniard was left visibly frustrated by the Parisian crowd, wagging her finger at them when she exited the court and later bursting into tears following the 6-1 3-6 6-3 defeat to Kristina Mladenovic.

“I think the crowd today was a little bit obviously tough for me,” Muguruza lamented. “I understand. I just think that they were a little bit, sometimes should be a little bit more respectful.”

Muguruza was joined at the exit door by another former champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova. The Russian was overwhelmed by eleventh seed Caroline Wozniacki 6-1 4-6 6-2 in just over two hours.

But it was Venus Williams who took the title of the day’s most surprising loser. The American, who had been widely tipped as a potential winner of the title, was stunned by Timea Bacsinszky 5-7 6-2 6-1.

Elsewhere, Elina Svitolina has now gone further at this French Open than any previous Grand Slam that she has played, defeating Magda Linette 6-4 7-5 to reach the fourth round; Sam Stosur crashed out to Jelena Ostapenko, the Aussie beaten 2-6 6-4 6-4; and second seed Karolina Pliskova continued to move quietly through the draw, downing Carina Witthoeft 7-5 6-1.