French Open 2015 Results: Tuesday Scores, Updated Roland Garros Draw Predictions
Favorites in the men's draw fell in each of Tuesday's two quarterfinals at the 2015 French Open, while the superior seeds reigned supreme on the women's side to set up a scintillating half of the semifinals.
It took a week and a half, but the first men's Big Four member was ousted Tuesday as second-seeded Roger Federer got bounced by Stan Wawrinka to end his quest for a second French Open title. No. 5 Kei Nishikori mounted much more of a fight against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga but not enough to deny Tsonga his second semifinal appearance at Roland Garros.
In a duo of women's quarterfinals, No. 7 Ana Ivanovic and No. 13 Lucie Safarova continued peaking as each logged straight-set victories to set up a semifinal clash between them.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Here's a look at everything that took place in Tuesday's quarterfinals, as well as a look forward to Wednesday.
2015 French Open Scores: Tuesday, June 2
| No. 8 Stan Wawrinka def. No. 2 Roger Federer | 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (4) |
| No. 14 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. No. 5 Kei Nishikori | 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 |
| No. 7 Ana Ivanovic def. No. 19 Elina Svitolina | 6-3, 6-2 |
| No. 13 Lucie Safarova def. No. 21 Garbine Muguruza | 7-6 (3), 6-3 |
No. 8 Stan Wawrinka def. No. 2 Roger Federer
The first giant finally fell in the men's draw, and it couldn't have come in a more gratifying way for Wawrinka. He overcame his longtime Swiss rival and Davis Cup teammate in an eye-popping display of dominance over an all-time great.
The big-hitting 30-year-old made it into the Roland Garros final four for the first time in 11 career ties but also did it against an opponent who has built a legacy on deep runs, as told by ESPN Stats & Info:
Wawrinka came into this one with little to no success in his career against Federer, going 2-16 versus him leading into Tuesday. He looked intent on changing that from the opening point as he easily defended his serve and broke Federer numerous times early to take a two-set lead.
Federer charged back in the way only he could script, looking to extend the match in the third set. But he proved unable to break Wawrinka's serve a single time in the whole match, and that led to Wawrinka reigning supreme in a third-set tiebreaker.
As told by Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times, Federer went more than a decade at Grand Slams without such a result:
Perhaps Federer wasn't at 100 percent after having to finish his fourth-round match with Gael Monfils Monday, but it's hard to take anything away from Wawrinka. He pummeled Federer with his powerful serve and proved too strong in rallies, constantly pushing Federer from side to side and logging 43 winners.
It's been an up-and-down career for Wawrinka, who has always shown potential but never really put it together until the 2014 Australian Open. Ever since that feat in Melbourne, he's been a different player as he told the New York Times' Christopher Clarey:
Federer was at a loss for words after the match, per RolandGarros.com:
"In tennis, always one guy has to win and one guy has to lose. One has got the press conference he dreads; the other one just wants to get through it and do something different. Now it's my turn to explain myself, and sometimes you don't know what to say.
"
One thing to say is that for all of Federer's strong play at Roland Garros in recent matches, his Grand Slam drought will continue distastefully. He hasn't won a major since the 2012 Wimbledon, and the loaded crop of Grand Slam contenders in today's sport leads one to wonder if he'll ever notch another.
As for Wawrinka, he'll have to overcome another big hitter in Tsonga in order to keep his hopes alive for a second Grand Slam.
No. 14 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. No. 5 Kei Nishikori
There's just something about Roland Garros and Tsonga. The Frenchman matched his best finish at the French Open Tuesday by resiliently answering a comeback from Nishikori, advancing him on to Thursday's semifinal and two wins away from giving France its first domestic title in more than 30 years.
Fresh off a convincing upset of fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych, Tsonga set his sights on another upset Tuesday and attacked. He dominated the opening part of the match, taking the first set in style before putting himself in position to win the second.
Then something strange happened that ended up turning the match. A panel fell off the stadium at the Philippe-Chatrier Court, putting fans in danger and suspending the match for more than 30 minutes. The Guardian shared a photo of the incident:
Tsonga wrapped up the second set just after the delay, but Nishikori emerged to get back in it. He broke Tsonga in each of the third and fourth sets, hitting 21 winners in that span to draw back level and halt Tsonga's momentum.
Visibly upset with his play, Tsonga channeled those emotions when it mattered most. He took care of his serve before breaking Nishikori's early, which set him up for a 6-3 final-set win.
It wasn't without a determinant fight from Nishikori, but Tsonga chose not to collapse like the panels of the stadium he played in. And as he enters the semifinal, the casual fan can't help but root for him to win on his home soil, per Tom Perrotta of Wall Street Journal:
There's no doubt that would be quite the scene. No French player has won the title at Roland Garros since Yannick Noah did so in 1983, but Tsonga is just six set wins away from ending that.
To say he has a tough road in front of him to get there would be an understatement. He'll have to face Wawrinka in the semifinal before likely clashing with one of the sport's greats in a potential final.
Wednesday Schedule and Predictions
| No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 6 Rafael Nadal | Philippe-Chatrier (2nd) | Djokovic |
| No. 3 Andy Murray vs. No. 7 David Ferrer | Suzanne-Lenglen (2nd) | Murray |
| No. 1 Serena Williams vs. No. 17 Sara Errani | Philippe-Chatrier (1st) | Williams |
| No. 23 Timea Bacsinszky vs. Alison Van Uytvanck | Suzanne-Lenglen (1st) | Bacsinszky |
No. 1 Novak Djokovic vs. No. 6 Rafael Nadal
Wednesday's quarterfinal between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal has more of a championship final feel to it, and that just might be what it turns into for whoever emerges from this legendary match.
Recent history would suggest exactly that. The two have met in Roland Garros in each of the last three years. Two of them directly decided the trophy, while the other was a semifinal that propelled Nadal to one of his nine French Open titles.
On one hand, there's the wily veteran Nadal who has lost one match on these clay courts in the last decade—yes, you read that right. On the other, there's Djokovic, who hasn't lost in 26 matches and is dead set on slaying the beast and completing his career Grand Slam.
As for who has had the edge in their first 43 matches, it depends on how you look at things, per tennis analyst Craig O'Shannessy:
When in doubt—which there is a lot of, when you put each player's accomplishments into focus—it's best to go with the hot hand. There's no question which of the two has it in 2015, and nothing over the first week of play at Roland Garros has changed it.
That, of course, is Djokovic. And even with the speed bump of playing Nadal earlier than usual, he's been ready for it for some time as he told Rothenberg:
"It does feel different, because it’s quarterfinals. I’m not used to playing him that early. But you know, that’s the reality, and that’s a challenge that both of us have to accept. It was always a possibility before the draw came out because he dropped in the rankings.
"
Nadal is still the master of clay, but Djokovic is playing at a level that no one in the world can match. The Spaniard will make it impossibly difficult for Djokovic, but he hasn't had the benefit of facing a top-notch opponent to truly refine his game while the Serbian has been playing at a level higher than the rest for months.
Nadal will be ready for the moment, but the stars are finally aligning for Djokovic to accomplish the feat he couldn't at the last three French Opens.
Prediction: Djokovic wins in five sets
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
