French Open Results 2013: Day 6 Scores, Highlights and Recap

The sixth day of French Open action featured matches from both the second and third rounds, as weather delays throughout the year's second Grand Slam tournament have thrown off the schedule at Roland Garros.

While it's an undoubtedly frustrating development for event organizers and competitors alike, the silver lining in Paris is that more star power took the court on Friday due to Mother Nature's wrath.

Longtime rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal headlined the men's side, while the top two women's seeds in Serena Williams and defending champion Maria Sharapova also took to the clay. All four superstars advanced to the next stage, though the King of Clay again encountered mild but unexpected difficulties.

Sharapova improved to 13-1 on clay this season and dropped just six games in the match despite being held up by a rain delay.

ESPN analyst and International Tennis Hall of Famer Pam Shriver articulated her gratefulness for the opportunity the inclement weather presented, noting the prolific accomplishments of some of the aforementioned greats:

Sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga remains France's best hope for a native champion on the men's side, thanks to his 6-1, 6-2, 7-5 triumph over compatriot Jeremy Chardy. He feels he can still play better, though, per Roland Garros' official Twitter page:

Let's take a look at some of the most significant highlights and matches from a day where play was postponed again for precipitation, including those who generated the biggest headlines.

Note: All statistics and information, unless otherwise indicated, are courtesy of RolandGarros.com.

Notable Day 6 Results

Match	Score
Men's Draw
Roger Federer (2) defeats Julien Benneteau	6-3, 6-4, 7-5
Rafael Nadal (3) defeats Martin Klizan	4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
David Ferrer (4) defeats Feliciano Lopez	6-1, 7-5, 6-4
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (6) defeats Jeremy Chardy (25)	6-1, 6-2, 7-5
Richard Gasquet (7) defeats Michal Przysiezny	6-3, 6-3, 6-0
Janko Tipsarevic (8) defeats Fernando Verdasco	7-6 (3), 6-1, 3-6, 5-7, 8-6
Stanislas Wawrinka (9) defeats Horacio Zeballos	6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-4
Viktor Troicki defeats Marin Cillic (10)	7-6 (12), 6-4, 7-5
Nicolas Almagro (11) defeats Andreas Seppi (20)	7-6 (1), 6-0, 6-4
Tommy Haas (12) defeats Jack Sock	7-6 (3), 6-2, 7-5
Kevin Anderson (23) defeats Milos Raonic (14)	7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-3
Gilles Simon (15) defeats Sam Querrey (18)	2-6, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2
John Isner (19) defeats Ryan Harrison	5-7, 6-7 (7), 6-3, 6-1, 8-6
Tommy Robredo (32) defeats Gael Monfils	2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (3), 6-2
Women's Draw
Serena Williams (1) defeats Sorana Cirstea (26)	6-0, 6-2
Maria Sharapova (2) defeats Eugenie Bouchard	6-2, 6-4
Agnieszka Radwanska (4) defeats Dinah Pfizenmaier	6-3, 6-4
Sara Errani (5) defeats Sabine Lisicki (32)	6-0, 6-4
Angelique Kerber (8) defeats Varvara Lepchenko (29)	6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-4
Maria Kirilenko (12) defeats Ashleigh Barty	6-3, 6-1
Ana Ivanovic (14) defeats Virginie Razzano	6-3, 6-2

Note: To view the complete results from Day 6, visit RolandGarros.com.

Rafa Drops Another Opening Set, Cruises to Victory

For the second time in as many matches, the seven-time French Open champion lost his opening set by a score of 6-4.

However, there are few players as resilient as Nadal in the game's history, and he overcame the early setback to win the following three sets 6-3 over unseeded Martin Klizan. ESPN reports that Nadal was unhappy with the timing of his match, knowing that rain would be an impediment.

Neither the rain nor the opponent would thwart Nadal from advancing, though.

Much like Tsonga's sentiments in his press conference, Nadal felt he could have fared far better even after rising to the occasion and getting back on track in the second set (h/t Roland Garros):

It's scary to think what Nadal will be capable of when he puts it all together and plays his best tennis throughout a single match. The quality of his opponents will only elevate from here, but he's through to Round 3 to face Fabio Fognini.

John Isner Mounts Landmark Comeback, Headlines Five-Set Matches

There were five clashes on the men's side that went the distance. France's unseeded upstart Gael Monfils was hobbled late and fell victim to a furious charge to victory by Spaniard Tommy Robredo.

However, the battle between promising Americans John Isner and Ryan Harrison was the most notable in light of Isner's history.

The powerful-serving, towering Isner had lost five consecutive five-setters, and he dropped the first two sets against Harrison. However, he dug deep and charged to an epic comeback, highlighted by an 8-6, 71-minute fifth set that gave him the victory.

Isner is known for stretching matches at Grand Slam events, though this one wasn't nearly as long as his clash with Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010.

According to Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times, Isner was bounced from all four Grand Slam events in 2012 in five-set matches. This was the first time he had rebounded from two sets down to win in his entire career, and Rothenberg highlighted what ultimately wore Harrison down:

It will be difficult to muster strength for the next match after that bold effort. Isner now has the opportunity to advance further than he ever has in Paris, but No. 12-seeded veteran Tommy Haas will be a difficult hurdle to clear in the next round.

Serena's Round 3 Serenity

It was business as usual for the top women's player in the world en route to the round of 16. Williams effortlessly breezed through her match and looks poised to capture her first French Open since 2002.

Of the 15 Grand Slam singles titles Williams has won in her illustrious career, the trophy at Roland Garros is by far the most elusive. Now, at age 31 and with an endless amount of experience at her disposal, she is on top of her game.

Renowned tennis analyst, coach and author Brad Gilbert sarcastically alluded to the difficulty of Williams' matchup with the overmatched Sorana Cirstea:

Williams was completely composed throughout, and the WTA's official Twitter page noted the stunning current winning streak she is on:

Maria Sharapova would present a formidable challenge if the two meet in the final, but otherwise, it looks as though Williams will roll to that stage.

The Fed Takes Another Win to the Bank

Julien Benneteau—coming off two lengthy matches—could never gain any traction against King Roger. The 17-time Grand Slam winner advanced to the fourth round with a combination of proficiency and a wonderfully precise forehand.

At match's end, Federer had hit 38 winners. The No. 2 seed smashed 18 of those winners with his forehand, which was three more than the total of 15 winners Benneteau managed to notch.

The always gracious and classy Federer empathized with his counterpart, because he sensed that Benneteau wasn't at optimal health and couldn't quite give Federer his best shot:

It would be ideal if Federer could keep up this momentum and snap his 2013 singles title drought by coming out on top at tournament's end and furthering his mountainous legacy. There's still plenty of work to do, but so far, so good.

No. 15 seed Gilles Simon awaits in Round 4. Federer recently beat Simon 6-1, 6-2 on clay in Rome this season in their only showdown on the surface.