Next on Chatrier: Elena Rybakina (12) v Iga Swiatek (5). A terrific win for the double grand-slam champs, garnished with some minor dancing from Heliovaara after match point was secured. Next for them: Harrison & King, the number nine seeds. What an enjoyable match that was. I love both of those players – how could anyone not? – and Svitolina is one of those I regularly write off, along with John Higgins, Raymond van Barneveld and Chris Woakes, who regularly makes me look silly. I must say, I didn’t expect Paolini to drop as she did, but because she plays such a big game, if her confidence saps, the margins are small enough to go against her. Svitolina can’t believe she won and her head “is still in the match in a big bottle”. Paolini was playing well but she stayed composed and “here I am in the next round.” She had to be aggressive, stick to the plan and take the small opportunities to take a second set decided by one or two points, then played really well in the third. Asked about her husband, she says the try and draw inspiration from each other and the way they fight on court. When it’s not your day, you have to fight for the small opportunities, especially ina grand slam when everyone’s playing well. Finally, she says she’ll let her coach watch Swiatek v Rybakina as she relaxes, speaking to her daughter and getting some love from Gael, then tomorrow she’ll practise and work on her tactics for the next match. Elina Svitolina personifies heart. She hung in there when Paolini looked irresistible, then grew as her opponent shrunk. Next for her: Swiatek or Rybakina; next for Paolini: pain, hurt, regret. Paolini goes long, and Svitolina has match point! Who predicted this half an hour ago? A forehand down the line, swiped wide, takes us to 30-all, then Svitolina, a little too eager, slaps a forehand long; Paolini, though, can’t capitalise, netting for deuce. Down 0-15, Svitolina plunges an ace down the T then, as Paolini plays too safe with an approach, finds the pass for 30-15. She’s two points away… A loose Paolini forehand gives Svitolina 15-30, then one that drops just wide hands over two points for 5-1. Two forehand errors, though, take us to deuce, and this is getting tense now. But Svitolina, then lands a forehand on to the chalk, Paolini can’t respond, and a forehand larruped wide with a hint of desperation, means Svito will now serve for the match at 5-1 in the third. Not so fast! Paolini makes 30-40, Svitolina nets a forehand, and that’s one break back at 1-4 in the third. Paolini looks a little down on herself – understandably, but Svitolina’s refusal so to do is a major reason we are where we are. Still, at 30-all, an unforced error from the Ukrainian hands over game point – that was a bad mistake to make given the circumstances – and we wind up at deuce. Paolini, who’s been chuntering to herself, then overhits a forehand, and up advantage, Svitolina again opens shoulders to punish an inside-out forehand winner, at 4-0 in the third, this match is surely finished as a contest. If so, Paolini will feel ill for a long time. Paolini makes 30-40 but doesn’t move her feet before returning and the break-back chance evaporates, then a booming body-serve means she faces advantage. And from there, Svitolina, on something of a roll, closes out for 3-0 in the third; this match is a fantastic advert for the importance of mental strength but also for the fickle nature of this thing of ours, the scoring system allowing things to change with little to no warning. Email! “Svitolina is an example of how sport would be if it was played ‘on paper’,” says Shreyas Eswaran. “Reached the quarters 9 times in GS but never reached the final. Never seems to be able to outgun the big stars but never loses to the relative ‘riff-raff’ of Grand Slams. Just consistently top 10-ish level year after year. Remarkable in some regards, but also kind of tragic.” And yet players nowhere near as good as her have won slams in recent years. If she does win one, and I imagine we’d all love to see it, I doubt it’s in Paris, but you never know. Next on Lenglen: Liudmila Samsonova (19) v Qinwen Zheng (8). In the doubles, Heliovaara and Patten won the first set playing beautifully; they now lead Bopanna and Pavlasek 6-2 2-3. Svitolina, man. She makes 15-40 and though Paolini finds an ace, an inside-out forehand muscles on to the sideline, and she leads 2-0 in the third! She should’ve lost 10 minutes ago! Paul, through to his first Roland Garros quarter, is a happy man. He’s been playing long matches, so to get through in straights “felt really good”. His team have been doing a great job getting him ready to play, he adds, then thinks he’s free to go only to learn that there’s another question coming. But he’ll not be doing much celebrating tonight as he’s got to recover., though he does like the restaurants. Finally, he congratulates the crowd on Paris’ Champions League win and off her goes, delighted to be staying another couple of days. Paolini might be relieved she’s not serving first in set three as the disappointment of losing two could easily be distracting; she should be celebrating in the locker room by now and she knows it. However, she remains the better player with the bigger weapons, so should still win … but as I type, Svito holds for 1-0 in the third, and she’ll feel she’s got the more solid mental game. Expect her to attack when Paolini serves in a second. A sonning-off if ever I’ve seen one. Popyrin couldn’t hit enough forehands to make this close because Paul was far too canny not to ruin his backhand. Next for him: a bloody rest. And next after that: Alcaraz or Shelton. A serve down the T, a big forehand, and, somehow, Svitolina has pilfered breaker and set to deliver us our decider! She is such a competitor, and I can’t wait to enjoy what happens next! Oooh, Paolini drops long on the forehand and now it’s Svitolina with set point, on serve at 6-5… Svitolina has so much about her, a big forehand allowing her in to despatch a volley, and we’re at 6-6, match point saved! A dreaded “rally ball” from Paolini offers Svito an opportunity, but she nets for 5-5 and is now an error away from facing match point. And there it is, a netted backhand, that means Paolini, who’s won five of six points from 1-4 down, now has a match point on serve; on Lenglen, Paul will also serve for the match at 6-3 6-3 5-3. Brilliant from Svitolina, upping the pace on the forehand to switch momentum in a rally, and when she finishes it with another, at 5-4 the set is on her racket. Who, apart from Paolini, doesn’t want to enjoy another set of this? Svitolina makes 4-1 but then can’t control a backhand, and at 4-2 she tamely nets; I fear those errors will be costly. Immediate mini-break for Svitolina when Paolini frames a forehand, but then assuming the Italian will move out of the corner with the court open, she looks for the vacated space only to find it still occupied. 1-1 it is, then Paolini surprisingly nets a forehand, handing Svitolina the advantage once more at 1-3. Serving to stay in the match, Svitolina opens with a double, but Paolini then strays long for 15-all and wrong-footing forehand winner takes her to within two points of a breaker. It seems almost banal to say so, but she looks a better player when she’s aggressive, hitting more winners, problem being she also makes more errors so hands over more free points. Or, put another way, in order to win she has to play Paolini’s game, but doesn’t play it as well as Paolini does. Anyroad up, she does superbly to monster forehands that seal the hold, and here come the tiebreak… Paolini holds to 15 in short order and again, even if she loses this set on a breaker, you’d still back her to find a way to win. Svitolina is such a competitor, and up advantage, she swats a terrific backhand cross-court for a winner that levels us up again in set two at 5-5. Paolini’s commitment to attack is, for want of a a better description – is there a better description? – cool as. Svito tries matching her but she’s not as natural and when she strays long, at 15-30, she faces two match points. Dare she maintain the aggression? Absolutely. She saves the first when Paolini nets, the second when she swipes wide, and that’s deuce; on Lenglen, Paul breaks, consolidates, and at 2-0 3-0, he’s won five games on the spin. Excellent from Svitolina, her forehand making 0-15, then at 15-all Paolini nets. She takes her time before serving, collecting herself then alternating shots to opposite corners only to net a forehand for 15-40. And when she can’t put away an overhead, facilitating another forehand winner shortly afterwards, we’re back on serve at 5-4 in set two. On Court 14, Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara, Wimbledon and Aussie Open champs in the men’s doubles, have just started against Rohan Bopanna and Adam Pavlasek; on Lenglen, Paul has two set points at 6-3 5-3 15-40. Popyrin saves the first with a brutal forehand winner, but then Paul nails a forehand on to the sideline for a 2-0 lead; and while that’s going on, Paolini breaks Svitolina to love and at 6-4 5-3 will now serve for the match… Paolini goes long with a forehand, just, then at 15-all, Svitolina opens her shoulders to paste an inside-out forehand into the corner. And, though she doesn’t do enough when offered a second serve, a long rally ends when Paolini nets; two break-back points. A monstrous forehand followed by a swing-volley saves the first, but the next one is long and we’re back on serve in set two at 6-4 4-3 Paolini. Better from Svito, who holds to 15 and, knowing she’s running out of time, will surely attack Paolini’s serve now. Can she stand further into court, to take the ball earlier, on the rise? Yup, Paolini holds easily for 6-4 4-1 and there’s a strong sense of over about this one now. Back on Lenglen, Paul saves another break point, and at 6-3 4-2 his superiority is pronounced. Trouble for Svitolina. At 30-all, a short ball invites the backhand pass down the line, duly delivered, then a weak second serve invites Paolini into the point, she swipes a forehand long, and trails 4-6 1-3. She did break twice in the first set and the Italian’s serve is probably the weakest aspect of her game, but everything else is so good and functioning so well that its hard to see a way she doesn’t take this. Paolini is relentless in her commitment to attack, heavy forehands punctuated with well-disguised drops. Svitolina can win this, but she won’t create as many opportunities because she doesn’t have the same variety and creativity. The Italian leads 6-4 2-1. On Chatrier, we’re on serve at 1-1 in set two, Paolini having taken the first; on Lenglen, a double from Paul means he now faces two break points. So he attacks the backhand, again, makes deuce, and from there, serves it out. Popyrin just can’t hide his major weakness well enough for long enough. Paul leads 6-3 3-1. Paul might need a quick match here and he’s doing all he can to bring it about, breaking Popyrin then racing through a consolidation, sealed with a nails forehand down the line. He’s relentlessly attacking the backhand and so far, the Australian has no reply. Svitolina saves it but then tamely nets; this time, Paolini thwacks her return long. But two booming forehands, taken on the rise, makes a further advantage, and the sense remains that it’s the Italian with the heavier artillery and more bristling creativity. And shonuff, this time when she attacks, as she always does, an inside-out forehand into the corner is enough to seal a 6-4 set. Svitolina is playing well and trying everything, but she’s not quite as good. Well, Paul raises set point with an excellent backhand down the line but then comes in to greet a soaring forehand, decides it’s going long … and it dips in. What an oversight that is! No matter. From there, he serves out for a 6-3 set and that’s a fair reflection of the play we’ve seen so far: Paul is handling the big points better while, on Chatrier, Paolini has a set-point of her own on the Svitolina serve… Popyrin makes 0-40 but unforced errors burn all three break-back opportunities; will he get another? Meantime, Paul – showing no signs of fatigue, what a ludicrous athlete he is – breaks Popyrin and at 5-3 will now serve for the set. Paul saves two break points and leads 4-3 in the first; Svitolina, down 4-3, offers the first double of the match and with it yet another break point, but opens a lane for a pass then drives right through it. To deuce we go… Svitolina must surely now know that her best route to victory is to push Paolini back, and upping the gas earns her break point, but an error returns it. A booming forehand then allows the Italian to come in, whereupon she conjures a lush half-volley off her tootsies, Federer-style, flicking her wrist while hopping. She can’t, though, convert, and when Svitolina is given a second serve to climb into, she doesn’t hold back; advantage her and another chance to seize back the break. This time, she does the necessary, and this is a really fun contest, the standard proper. Ach, Paolini breaks again – that’s loose from Svitolina, and she’ll be raging at her behaviour. At 4-2, it’ll take some work to get back into the set and, as I type, another gorgeous drop underlines the point. Paolini has the greater variety of shots, but Svitolina is canny, meeting aggression with aggression. We’re now at 30-all while, in the other match, it’s 2-2 and already a slog. Lovely stuff! Yes she can! She’s worked her way into this match, stepping into court and looking to attack, no “rally balls”, to borrow Chrissie’s expression. A fantastic return, inside-out on the forehand, makes 15-40, and a long forehand means we’re back on serve at 3-2 Paolini. Paul forces to Popyrin to deuce and after a bit of back and forth zooms into the net to retrieve a drop, the winner he creates earning break-back point. Popyrin then nets a backhand and at 1-1 we’re back on serve in the first, er … exactly as I predicted. On Chatrier, Svito is on the board at 1-3, but can she make an impression on Paolini’s serve? Paolini is on absolute flames here, standing as far in as she can, running around the backhand whenever possible, and clouting the granny out of her fore. I’d love to know why it took her so long to find this version of herself, but in the meantime she’s almost toying with Svitolina, holding easily for 3-0. I absolutely love her creativity on court – and you can see from her interviews that it’s an expression of who she is off it. In a way, she reminds me of Carlos Alcaraz. Svitolina makes 30-0 but Paolini wins a terrific point at the net out-thinking as much as out-hitting her opponent, and at 30-40, a fine disguised drop-shot secures the break and a 2-0 lead. On Lenglen, Paul – looking to shake yesterday’s marathon against Khachanov out of his legs – opts to serve, and even at this early stage, when Popyrin breaks him, the first set looks a reach. Paolini holds comfortably for 1-0. She’s such a great addition to the top of the game – I wondered if her sudden improvement, pretty unusual really, might’ve been a streak, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. She’s now a fixture and a serious threat on any surface. And off we go… Out come our players – on both courts. I fancy Popyrin to upset Paul, who’s put a lot into his legs these last few days and isn’t a natural clay-courter. “They’re both lovely human beings,” says Chrissie Evert, a lovely human being, of Paolini and Svitolina. Imagine being spoken of like that by someone like that. They are both of course, also fantastic tennisers, and their match should be seriously intense. Paolini’s extra pop and speed makes her favourite, but Svitolina is a very live dog. Salut et bienvenue à Ronald-Garros 2025 – huitième jour! In the early rounds of slams, the joy is in the sheer multitude, great matches and surprise bangers all over the shot – the only shame is we’re not gifted extra sets of eyes to keep up with it all. But today, mes amis, is the day it all changes: round four, two courts, chauette alors. We begin with Alexei Popyrin, on a surge, against Tommy Paul, winner of two five-setters in the last four days then, an hour into that, Jasmine Paolni bounces on to court to face Elina Svitolina, in a most-likeable derby that screams joy. Following them, we’ve Elena Rybakina taking on three-time defending champ, Iga Swiatek – I know! – and Liudmila Samsonova against spin-queen and Olympic champion, Qinwen Zheng, before we round off our day with Aryna Sabalenka, who meets the improving Amanda Anisimova, and an elite-level charisma-off between Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz. On y va! Play: 11am local, 10am BST.
Author: Daniel Harris