On Suzanne Lenglen the world No 7 Keys is up 6-3, 1-3 against Hailey Baptiste in an all-American affair. Boisson is now the lowest ranked player to make the quarter-finals of a grand slam since Kaia Kanepi at the 2017 US Open and the first French wildcard to reach the Roland Garros quarter-final since Mary Pierce in 2002. Nerves of steel with six deuces in the penultimate game and four in the final one. Her next task will be the world No 7 Mirra Andreeva. “Loïs! Loïs! Loïs! Loïs!” chant the crowd as the player steps up for her French on-court interview. She is reminded that this is her first top 10 win and her first match on this iconic court. I am not quite sure what to say but thank you. Playing on this court with this atmosphere was amazing thank you. I wasn’t expecting [this kind of performance]. Not really. I knew there was a chance, so I gave my all and I won. I hope I am going to win it all! The crowd roar for that last statement. She was not able to take a wildcard spot last year here due to a knee operation after tearing her ACL and now she is here! Surely the upset of the tournament so far. Wow! The 22-year-old holds her nerve and does it! She wins 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 against a US Open finalist. She finishes it out in-style with a blistering forehand down the line. Boisson goes up 30-0 but her first double fault on the match makes it 30-30. Pegula then bites first but the wildcard saves break point with a beautifully executed dropshot. She is sheepish with a half apology, not really meaning the shot but scrambling as she tried anything to get the ball over the net. Another drop shot from the Frenchwoman, this one on purpose, sends us to a second deuce after Pegula loses advantage, and she gestures to the crowd to keep the cheers coming. Pegula gains the advantage again after a short rally ends with Boisson going long … but back to deuce with a cracker of a winner from Boisson. Boisson wins the game 5-4 and is about to serve for the match … Everyone on Philippe-Chatrier is on their feet and cheering for the final French singles player in the tournament. Throughout that game Boisson recognised that her opponent was uncomfortable and the depth of her returns and shot making, including a slice and a wicked forehand, were really poised in this game. We are at deuce number six in this game and a fourth break point for Boisson … Every time either player is on the cusp, they just make a slight mistake with Pegula netting just now. The world No 361 (!) is going toe-to-toe with the world No 3. Pegula’s forehand goes back to being shaky again. The American goes up 30-0 but then nets and her opponent holds with an ace and another amazing serve to hold. 4-4 in the third. The French crowd is quite loud now, much to the annoyance of Pegula and the umpire. In case you missed it Kasatkina earlier bowed out at with defeat to familiar foe Andreeva with the world No 6 easing to a 6-3, 7-5 win. Hello all. This match looked to be Pegula’s especially with how she won the first set but the French crowd has gotten behind the crowd and urged her on. Right now though the American leads 6-3, 4-6, 4-3 Boisson. Pegula’s forehand shot and one-down the line gives her the slim lead in the third. On Suzanne-Lenglen, Keys has opened with a service hold and leads Baptiste 1-0. Time to hand over to Yara El-Shaboury while I go and source a baguette. Pegula is using every inch of the court to keep her opponent guessing; a long range, cross-court slice catches Boisson out and helps the American to break point. It’s rescued with some ferocious hitting, but Boisson then misses an attempted winner and we’re back to deuce. The wild card stays sharp, putting away a forehand to hold. Keys and Baptiste are heading on court to begin their match. On Chatrier, Pegula has worked out that variety is key – a drop shot here, a spot of serve-and-volley there – and holds to edge 3-2 up in the decider. Pegula stops the rot with a comfortable service hold, and wins a net battle to move 0-30 up on Boisson’s serve. Nerves creep in for the underdog – a double fault sealed with perhaps the widest serve attempt I’ve ever seen – and Pegula breaks back with a winner into the corner. Errani and Paolini have won their doubles match on Simonne-Mathieu, beating Haddad Maia and Laura Siegemund 6-4, 6-3. The Italian duo are second seeds in the women’s doubles, and look like a formidable partnership. Pegula mixes things up, a spinning drop shot helping her to 0-30 – but Boisson is unfazed, rattling off four straight points to hold. Four straight games won now by the wild card, and the upset is very much on. Boisson is having a lot of joy targeting Pegula’s forehand – and it works again as she breaks to open the third set, the No 3 seed sending a down-the-line forehand long! Boisson levels at 1-1 against Pegula! Any nerves from the world No 361? Not in the slightest – two fizzing winners set up three set points, and she takes it as Pegula sends a lob wide. Keys v Baptiste won’t start for another 20 minutes – I think both players had only just arrived in the locker room when Zverev’s match ended early. So it’s all eyes on Lois Boisson as she looks to take it to a deciding set … Back on Chatrier, Boisson holds serve and takes Pegula to deuce in the next game. The American has lost her rhythm somewhat, some loose shots handing Boisson a break point. And she takes it with an absolute ripper of a winner! The underdog will serve to level up this match … Next on Suzanne-Lenglen, a little earlier than they expected, are Madison Keys and compatriot Hailey Baptiste. Keys is unbeaten in slams this year, having won the Australian Open title in January, and the 30-year-old is seeking a first quarter-final place at Roland-Garros since 2019. Baptiste is into the second week of a slam for the first time, having upset Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia in the first round. She’s good friends with Frances Tiafoe and Coco Gauff – who awaits the winner in the quarter-finals – but has taken the long route to her current career-high world ranking of No 70, winning titles on the ITF Challenger circuit. An epic game unfolding on Chatrier, with both players spurning game points at 3-3 on Pegula’s serve. Locked at deuce after eight minutes, Pegula digs out a drop shot and finds the baseline – and follows up with a cross-court winner. Boisson is making the No 3 seed raise her game, and so far she’s delivering, leading 6-3, 4-3. There’s nobody ready to interview Zverev on court, so he heads back to the locker room. It’s a shame Griekspoor couldn’t continue after a competitive first set, but it means Zverev has spent under an hour on court and is into the quarter-finals, where he’ll face Novak Djokovic or Cam Norrie. Zverev breaks for a second time in the second set, and Griekspoor calls for the trainer. After a very quick discussion, the Dutchman opts to withdraw from the match. Zverev is through to the quarter-finals, but looks a bit nonplussed by it all. Pegula has two break-back points, and while Boisson saves the first with a pinpoint lob, the American prevails in the next rally. We’re back on serve at 3-3. After that early break for Griekspoor, Zverev has taken charge – breaking his opponent in the first game of the second, and backing up with a hold to lead 6-4, 2-0. Boisson does earn a break point, and goes for it on second serve – only to send her return wide. She gets another chance as Pegula nets, and this time the shot down the line pays off! Boisson leads 3-2 in the second set and it’s game on. Zverev takes the first set 6-4, racing through the required service holds with minimal fuss. Boisson holds for 2-2 in the second set, but may need to start causing Pegula some problems on serve to turn this game around. Can Lois Boisson dig in at the start of this second set. A nervy double fault doesn’t help, but she follows it up with an ace and holds for 1-1 as Pegula nets a return. Meanwhile, Zverev has turned things around in the first set – Griekspoor misjudges a drop shot on break point, and the German leads 4-3 in the opening set. Cam Norrie is up next on Chatrier after this match; the good news for the British No 3 is that he’s back in love with the game. The bad news is he has to play Novak Djokovic today, which may test that enthusiasm. Fun fact: Korpanec Davies and Solar Donoso, both eliminated from the girls’ singles, are teaming up in the girls’ doubles later on. Also busy is Sara Errani – the Italian, a beaten finalist here in 2012, is playing women’s doubles with Jasmine Paolini, and then mixed doubles with Andrea Vavassori, against British duo Olivia Nicholls and Henry Patten. Zverev gets the first set back on serve, breaking to trail Griekspoor 3-2. Pegula, meanwhile, wraps up an accomplished first set 6-3 – she’s playing the right kind of game against a punchy but inexperienced opponent. Pegula gets another break on the board against Boisson, and this time she’s able to back it up with a hold. The American leads 5-3 in the first set; the winner of this one will face Mirra Andreeva next, which is no kind of reward. The French men’s No 3, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, went out in the second round this year – but his sister, 16-year-old Daphnée, is in action in the girls’ singles later today. Brit-watch: Out on court 11, 16-year-old Hannah Klugman has won her opening match in the girls’ singles, beating Spain’s Lorena Solar Donoso in three sets. On court four, Allegra Korpanec-Davies has lost 6-2, 7-5 to China’s Ruien Zhang. Meanwhile, in the men’s doubles on Court Simonne-Mathieu, British duo Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski have beaten Nuno Borges and Arthur Rinderknech in the third round. Boisson, who is in the draw as a wild card, digs in to hold serve and the Paris crowd, a little quiet in the opening stages, are starting to get behind her. On Lenglen, Griekspoor earns a break point and converts it, putting away a volley to go 2-0 up on Zverev early in the first set. Pegula’s best run here came in 2022, when she lost to Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals. She defeated Marketa Vondrousova, a former finalist here, in the last round. Anyway, back to today, and Pegula has deuce on Boisson’s serve at 2-2 … Zverev leads Griekspoor 7-2 in their head-to-head record, but the Dutchman pushed him all the way in the third round here last year, Zverev eventually winning a fifth-set tiebreak on his way to the final. This is also Griekspoor’s first trip to the last 16 at a grand slam – and he starts with a routine service hold. Zverev is about to get started on Lenglen, up against the world No 35, Tallon Griekspoor. Meanwhile on Chatrier, Boisson breaks straight back and is level at 1-1. A tough start for the outsider, as Pegula breaks in the first game. It’s been a remarkable run to the fourth round for Boisson; she missed the chance to make her French Open debut last year after tearing her ACL, and is currently ranked 361st in the world. She’s also the last French player standing in either singles draw. Boisson is serving first against Pegula – if the name seems familiar, she’s the player who received an unpleasant dig from Harriet Dart during a match in Rouen, and handled the fallout in style. And now here she is, in the French Open last 16. Next up for Andreeva, it’ll be either the No 3 seed, Jessica Pegula, or France’s home hopeful, Lois Boisson. They’re up next on Chatrier, while Alexander Zverev takes on Tallon Griekspoor on Suzanne-Lenglen. Andreeva chats to Mats Wilander: “I hate playing against herm we practice a lot and even that can be torture for me. I have to play people I don’t like,” she jokes. “Daria raised her level in the second set, but I thought I just have to keep going, keep believing in myself. I’m so happy to be in the quarter-finals.” It’s been a back-and-forth battle, but Andreeva has prevailed in the key moments – and she shows no sign of nerves in marching to 40-15 and two match points. The first is missed, but Kasatkina goes long on the second. Andreeva is into the quarter finals! Andreeva fends off a set point in a hard-fought hold, and then at 5-5, Kasatkina hits another rocky patch. The teenager has two break points, and converts with a looping, slightly mishit return that leaves Kasatkina flat-footed. 6-5, and Andreeva will serve for the match … Gauff is asked to say something in French, but says she hasn’t learned much – pointing the blame at her Parisian coach, Jean-Christophe Faurel, for not teaching her. Gauff: “Overall, I thought I played great – she stepped up her game in the second set, she was hitting some balls right on the line. I’m very comfortable on clay, I think my results show that! It’s the most physical surface, and I think that suits my game.” The No 2 seed gets the job done, serving out to book her quarter-final place. The first set was a cakewalk, the second a much tougher test – but Gauff was always in charge. She’ll face another American next – either Madison Keys or outsider Hailey Baptiste. That parity doesn’t last long, as Gauff moves up a gear to race to 40-0 up on Alexandrova’s serve, clinching the break as her opponent wafts a sliced shot wide. And on Lenglen, Kasatkina’s service game unravels, Andreeva delivering a ruthless cross-court winner to break straight back. Now she’ll serve to save the second set. Kasatkina breaks again, coming out on top in a bruising rally – and now she’s serving to level the match! On Chatrier, Alexandrova and Gauff are locked at 5-5 in the second set. Now or never for Alexandrova to take a break opportunity, at 40-15 up in the eighth game of the set – and this time she does get it done with a big cross-court forehand. And what’s this? Seconds later, Kasatkina plays a similar winner to break Andreeva and level up the second set at 3-3. Games on! Andreeva holds serve and is just three games from victory at 6-3, 3-1 ahead. Gauff pounces to set up three break points, but Alexandrova shows tremendous grit to prevail in two long rallies and get back to deuce. But it’s all for nothing as Gauff drills a backhand down the line, then seals the break via a helpful net-cord bounce. Alexandrova must wish she could have settled quicker; after burning the first set, she’s been much better in the second and is making each service game difficult for Gauff. The American digs her way to another hold, though, and it’s 3-3 in the second set. Andreeva’s best run at a slam to date came here last year, when she beat Aryna Sablenka on her way to the semis. She’ll be looking to go that far again at least this year and has Kasatkina on the rack here – although her opponent saves a third straight break by digging out a service hold. From absolutely dominating the first five games, Gauff has been drawn into a bit of a scrap – but her opponent simply can’t convert a break point. More chances go begging here as Gauff holds for 2-2; Alexandrova is now 0-7 on break points. Magical stuff from Andreeva here, somehow chasing down a Kasatkina drop shot and sending a perfect lob beyond her opponent. That’s earned her a break in the opening game of the second set, and she’s threatening to run away with this now. On Chatrier, Alexandrova is making a better go of things in the second set, getting on the board with her first service holds. She leads 2-1, still on serve. Andreeva breaks in the eighth game of the opening set, and is now trying to serve it out against Kasatkina. An angled forehand clips the line on set point, and she takes it 6-3. On Lenglen, Andreeva also sees off break points to lead Kastakina 4-3, the first set still on serve. An intriguing clash of styles in that match already. Broken again and 5-0 down, Alexandrova begins to get something together as Gauff serves for the set – but five break points come and go, and the American eventually seals the bagel despite some first-serve issues. Gauff has made an ominous start here, taking 16 of the first 20 points and breaking twice to open up a 4-0 lead. Andreeva and Kasatkina are on serve at 2-2 in the first set. It’s been a nervy start from Alexandrova, losing her serve cheaply in the opening game, and Gauff backs up the break to lead 2-0. On Suzanne-Lenglen, a potential corker between rising star Mirra Andreeva and Daria Kasatkina – born in Russia, now representing Australia – is getting under way. First up on Chatrier, it’s Coco Gauff against Ekaterina Alexandrova. The American has a 3-1 lead in their head-to-head record. Gauff reached the final in 2022, losing to Swiatek, who also eliminated her in the last two years. As for Alexandrova, she is yet to reach a slam quarter-final but is capable of causing an upset on her day. If you missed it yesterday, Iga Swiatek’s fourth-round win over Elena Rybakina was an all-timer. The defending champion lost eight of the first nine games and was on course for an embarrassing end to her long winning run here. But Swiatek dug in, levelled up and inched her way ahead in a marathon third set, winning it 7-5 in a match that would have been an excellent final. Or who knows, maybe even Sunday’s night match. Bienvenue. The fourth round continues today at Roland-Garros, and if Sunday’s action is any kind of guide, we could be in for a humdinger of a day. Here’s the order of play: Court Philippe-Chatrier (from 10am BST) (20) Ekaterina Alexandrova v Coco Gauff (2) Lois Boisson v Jessica Pegula (3) Cameron Norrie v Novak Djokovic (6) Night game: (1) Jannik Sinner v Andrey Rublev (17) Court Suzanne-Lenglen (from 10am BST) (6) Mirra Andreeva v Daria Kasatkina (17) (3) Alexander Zverev v Tallon Griekspoor (7) Madison Keys v Hailey Baptiste Alexander Bublik v Jack Draper (5)
Author: Niall McVeigh (earlier) and Yara El-Shaboury (now)