French Open 2016 Schedule: Replay TV Coverage, Live Stream for Wednesday's Draw
After some big upsets in both draws in Round 1, it's clear we can't overlook any matchups at the French Open.
Angelique Kerber and Victoria Azarenka were the big losers on Day 3, but there were plenty of more vulnerable stars on Day 4 with nine of the top 10 seeds in action between the men's and women's draws. Although some top players cruised to victory, others received quite a challenge.
You can view the live action on Tennis Channel from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET and then a replay from 3 p.m. to 5 a.m. ET. A live stream of the event is available courtesy of Tennis Channel Everywhere.
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Early Results from Day 4
Simona Halep had only reached the third round once in her career at Roland Garros, but that was in 2014 when she went all the way to the finals. The No. 6 seed will now try to replicate her success after a 7-6(5), 6-2 win over Zarina Diyas.
Halep was a bit sloppy early on and had 22 unforced errors to just 21 winners, though it was enough to get by in straight sets.
The next round is where it gets interesting, however, with Naomi Osaka looming after an upset win over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. The 18-year-old is currently just No. 101 in the rankings, but she is certainly dangerous after reaching the third round of the Australian Open as well.
Despite the hype surrounding her success, Osaka isn't getting ahead of herself:
It will take a strong performance to knock off Halep, but it could be one of the better third-round matches in the draw.
No. 4 seed Garbine Muguruza had little trouble in her second-round matchup against Myrtille Georges. After needing three sets to escape Round 1, Muguruza lost just two games in a straight-set victory that took only 53 minutes.
There was similar success from the top seeds in the men's draw, as Kei Nishikori went 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in a straight-set victory. He won six of eight break points to truly take advantage and was never in any real trouble. The No. 5 seed will now take on Fernando Verdasco in the third round.
Defending champion Stan Wawrinka had a little bit more trouble in his Round 2 battle against Taro Daniel of Japan, per ESPN Tennis:
"Stan Wawrinka fends off two set points to claim the opener 9-7 in a tie-break against Taro Daniel. #RG16
— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) May 25, 2016"
Fortunately for the Swiss star, he was able to recover and win in straight sets. Wawrinka finished the day with 12 aces and 62 winners, an impressive feat in what ended up being a relatively short match.
He will face his first seeded competition of the tournament next round in No. 30 Jeremy Chardy, who also had a three-set victory on Wednesday.
Notable Matches Still to Play
As of this writing, a number of quality players were still either competing or waiting to step on the court for their second-round matches.
No. 2 Andy Murray is one of the favorites at this event but wasn't having an easy time against hometown hero Mathias Bourgue. Dawn Rhodes of the Chicago Tribune provided a look at what was happening in the second set:
"Andy Murray has forgotten how to tennis. Up a break in the second, he loses 5 straight games. So there's that.
— Dawn Rhodes (@rhodes_dawn) May 25, 2016"
The French star with an even better chance to make a run, Richard Gasquet, is also in action Wednesday against Bjorn Fratangelo. Meanwhile, Canadian Milos Raonic can build off an impressive first-round victory with a matchup against Adrian Mannarino.
In the women's draw, watch out for No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska as she takes on Caroline Garcia. The Polish star has never gotten past the quarterfinals at the French Open but has the skill to go deep in this tournament if she plays to her ability.
Whether these top players advance or not, it is certain to keep things interesting at Roland Garros.
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