French Open day four highlights

Highlights of the fourth day at the French Open on Wednesday (times GMT):

1651 ALCARAZ SURVIVES DANIEL SCARE

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz overcame a second-set wobble to beat Japan’s Taro Daniel 6-1 3-6 6-1 6-2 in a windy second-round clash.

“He’s a really tough player, this year he’s had some great matches against top players,” Alcaraz said. “I was really focused in every shot and I was happy to keep up my level in the wind.”

1603 KOKKINAKIS BEATS WAWRINKA

Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis needed four hours 38 minutes to beat Swiss Stan Wawrinka 3-6 7-5 6-3 6-7(4) 6-3 and reach the third round.

1519 SABALENKA OVERCOMES SHYMANOVICH

Second-seeded Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka recovered from a shaky start to claim victory over compatriot Iryna Shymanovich, beating the qualifier 7-5 6-2 in one hour and 27 minutes to book a spot in the third round of the French Open.

“It was a tough match, I’m happy that I was able to fight for every point,” Sabalenka said. “I’m not happy with my game today. I’m going to work on short balls and approach shots, and make sure I’m ready in my next match.”

1402 BLINKOVA DOWNS GARCIA

Fifth seed Caroline Garcia saved eight match points but fell to a 4-6 6-3 7-5 defeat by Russian Anna Blinkova, who also defeated the Frenchwoman at the same stage in the 2019 edition of the French Open.

1330 KASATKINA WINS IN STYLE

Daria Kasatkina, a semi-finalist at last year’s French Open, moved into the third round with a 6-3 6-4 win against Czech Marketa Vondrousova, which included a spectacular tweener that will likely go down as one of the shots of the tournament.

“It’s fun to watch, but to play against Marketa is very tough,” Kasatkina said. “Physically it was a big battle, the second set was so tough.”

1128 TSITSIPAS DISPATCHES CARBALLES BAENA IN STRAIGHT SETS

Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas moved into the third round of the French Open for the fifth straight time with a clinical 6-3 7-6(4) 6-2 win over Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena in two hours and 16 minutes.

1056 SVITOLINA ADVANCES AFTER COMEBACK WIN, OSTAPENKO OUT

Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, a three-time French Open quarter-finalist, advanced to the third round after recovering from a set down to clinch a 2-6 6-3 6-1 victory over Storm Hunter.

Elsewhere, 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko crashed out following a 6-3 1-6 6-2 defeat by American Peyton Stearns.

1038 PEGULA THROUGH, GIORGI RETIRES HURT

Third seed Jessica Pegula went through to the third round after her opponent Camila Giorgi was forced to withdraw due to injury after dropping the first set 6-2.

0910 PLAY UNDER WAY

Play began under sunny skies at Roland Garros, with the temperature hovering around 20 degrees Celsius.

Novak Djokovic will play his second-round match later today. The Serbian has found himself at the centre of a political storm after he wrote on a camera lens that Kosovo was “the heart of Serbia”.