Roland Garros 2013: Breaking Down Biggest Stories from Day 5

One of the world's top players was upset on Day 5 of the 2013 French Open at Roland Garros.

The 2011 French Open champ, sixth-seeded Li Na, was stunned by Bethanie Mattek-Sands—the No. 67-ranked player in the world—in the second round, losing 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.

Conversely, top-seeded Novak Djokovic on the men's side and No. 3 seed Victoria Azarenka on the women's side coasted through their second-round matchups without hardly breaking a sweat.

Here's a closer look at the top stories from Day 5.

Li Na's Early Exit

Li Na		7	3	2
Mattek-Sands	X	5	6	6

Upsets like the one Mattek-Sands pulled off against Li happen every single year, but the element of surprise never wanes. Nobody expected Li to lose this match, though perhaps her early exit at the Madrid Open was a good indication it was possible. 

Since 2009, Li has progressed to the third round or better in all four of her appearances at Roland Garros—including her 2011 French Open title. Mattek-Sands, on the other hand, had only gotten past the second round once before in her six previous appearances.

Li won the first set, but it wasn't easy as Mattek-Sands won a couple of break points to win five games. Then, the American turned up her intensity a couple of notches and dominated the final two sets.

Afterwards, Li "looked a little shell-shocked" when speaking with the media, according to Live Tennis:

Li will now need to go back to the drawing board and see what she can do to fix her game after early exits in her last two tournaments.

Mattek-Sands will face Argentinian Paula Ormaechea in Round 3 after Ormaechea defeated Yaroslava Shvedova in the second round.

Novak Djokovic Puts Rafael Nadal On Notice With Dominant Win

Djokovic	X	6	6	6
Pella		2	0	2

Djokovic and Nadal are by all appearances headed toward an epic semifinal clash in the upper half of the men's draw. The two of them battled it out for the 2012 French Open title, which Nadal claimed, and over the course of their careers, Nadal has a 19-15 edge.

That said, Djokovic won the last time they hit the court, winning the men's final at Monte Carlo over Nadal 6-2, 7-6(1).

Nadal struggled in his first-round battle with Daniel Brands, losing the first set and nearly losing the second before he finally got into his groove.

Meanwhile, Djokovic was able to dispatch his first-round opponent in straight sets, battling not only an inspired Daniel Goffin but also an extended rain delay and cold conditions when the match finally got underway.

Then, on Thursday, Djokovic absolutely steamrolled his second-round opponent, Guido Pella, winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-0, 6-2. Right now, it's Djokovic—not Nadal—who looks like the favorite to come out of the top half of the men's draw. 

Victoria Azarenka Shows She's Up for Tough Schedule

Azarenka	X	6	6
Beck		4	3

Due to uncooperative weather, Azarenka has played two matches in the past two days. Her first-round match against Elena Vesnina was pushed back to Wednesday due to the rain on Tuesday, and she was at it again on Thursday against Annika Beck.

Beck is last year's Junior French Open champ, and she fought hard against Azarenka in the second round. But this year's Australian Open Azarenka was simply too good and easily won, despite the fact that she was working on short rest.

Azarenka—a two-time Australian Open champ—has never gotten out of the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. That said, she's clearly been improving on clay surfaces, having made it to the women's final in Rome.

Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times noted that while Beck put up a good fight, Azarenka's comfort level on the clay was notably improved of late:

Up next for Azarenka is France's Alize Cornet, who will have her home crowd behind her when they battle it out in Round 3. It seems at this point that Azarenka is destined to face Maria Sharapova in the semifinals, given the way both of them are playing as of late.

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