Novak Djokovic breezes into third round as Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina also progress
The men’s World No. 1 cruised to a straight set win over Roberto Carballes Baena
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic soared into the third round of the French Open on Thursday as tournament organisers stepped up their fight against unruly fans by announcing an alcohol ban in the stands while also dealing with the wet-weather backlog.
Playing under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier even as Roland Garros officials were scratching their heads over what to do with the schedule after a fifth straight rain-hit day, second seed Sabalenka blew away qualifier Moyuka Uchijima 6-2 6-2.
“That’s the little advantage we get as top players because we play in big stadiums with the roof,” Sabalenka said, “So I knew that no matter what the weather is going to be, I’m going to play my match. That’s really helpful.”
Defending champion Djokovic then outclassed Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4 6-1 6-2, while seeds Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina all went through unaffected by conditions due to overhead cover.
The story was vastly different on the outer courts where the action got into full swing only late in the afternoon with the backlog from Wednesday’s washout adding to the woes of players and officials.
Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova overcame American Katie Volynets 0-6 6-1 6-4 in one of those matches while 11th seed Danielle Collins fell to Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic 6-7(3) 7-5 6-4 after dealing with a neck issue.
Play will begin early on Friday to ease pressure on the packed schedule.
With spirits already dampened on a soggy day, tournament director Amelie Mauresmo banned the consumption of wine and beer in the stands to control spectators after Belgian David Goffin had accused one fan of spitting gum at him two days ago.
Iga Swiatek had also urged supporters not to scream during rallies, especially in high-pressure contests, after the Pole beat Naomi Osaka on Wednesday.
“First of all, we’re happy people are very enthusiastic about watching tennis and being part of the matches, showing feeling and emotions,” said Mauresmo.
“But there are definitely steps which shouldn’t go further. A few things have needed to be put in place. Alcohol was allowed up until now in the stands but that’s over.”
Security will be deployed to ensure fans follow rules and respect players while umpires have been asked to be stricter, with more measures likely if the situation does not improve.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments