French Open 2016 Schedule: Replay TV Coverage, Livestream for Friday's Draw
As the opponents at the French Open get tougher, the top players continue to show why they are the best in the world.
Friday's matches represent the start of the third round at Roland Garros, which is the first time seeded players are able to face each other. Additionally, sleepers who are clearly better than their rankings can use this opportunity to truly break out on the big stage.
The tournament favorites better start buckling down before suffering a disappointing early exit.
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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 livestream of the event is available courtesy of Tennis Channel Everywhere.
Early Results from Day 6
Perhaps the most intriguing match of the day didn't feature two seeded opponents, but 18-year-old Japanese star Naomi Osaka trying to earn her biggest career win against No. 6 Simona Halep. She got to the third round at the Australian Open, and she was attempting to go even further on the clay court.
Through the first set, this upset seemed possible, with Osaka taking a 6-4 lead. However, Halep bounced back and won the next two sets, escaping what could have been a major moment in women's tennis.
Still, Christopher Clarey of the New York Times noted how this remained a big moment for the up-and-coming star:
There wasn't anywhere near as much drama with No. 4 seed Garbine Muguruza, who earned a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Yanina Wickmayer. After needing three sets to escape the first round, Muguruza has now won her last two matches while dropping just five combined games, including two bagels.
It wasn't a great day for every top seed in the women's bracket, as No. 10 Petra Kvitova lost in one of the stranger score lines you will see. American Shelby Rogers pulled off a 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-0 upset, baffling those who thought the favorite had recovered from an early stumble. Rogers clearly was the better player, however, and the upset leaves just six of the top 11 seeds remaining in the draw.
Andy Murray also had a lot of pressure on him after needing five sets in each of the first two rounds. It seemed like this would be another long match after falling behind in the third set. However, the No. 2 seed came through when needed and won the tiebreak to clinch the match.
As Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times noted, this was exactly what was needed for the British star:
Milos Raonic also earned a straight-sets victory over Andrej Martin, although he can thank his opponent's sloppy play for the easy finish. Martin had no aces and six double-faults to go with a total of 38 unforced errors in the three sets. Raonic played a strong match, but it will likely get a lot tougher as the tournament progresses.
With these players set to come back in the second week with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line, you can expect the drama to only grow in the coming days.
Notable Matches Still to Play
A couple of high-profile battles remain on the schedule in the men's draw, both with two seeded players facing each other, each with a chance to make a deep run in this tournament.
No. 3 Stan Wawrinka is the defending champion at Roland Garros and is a top contender to win again, but he could have a tough time with No. 30 Jeremy Chardy. The Swiss player discussed the challenges from his last match carrying over to the next one, per ATPWorldTour.com:
"[Taro Daniel] plays a different style, more from the baseline, a lot of long rallies, topspin, forehand. It was a good match. I’m happy to get through in three sets. Chardy is a dangerous player. He’s playing really fast and heavy, big serve and always trying to use his forehand. He loves to play here, so I will have to play better.
"
Even after a three-set win in Round 2, he's right about needing to play better in order to get past Chardy.
The other top battle scheduled for Philippe-Chatrier Court features No. 9 Richard Gasquet and No. 17 Nick Kyrgios. There is probably no doubt which player the fans will side with—Gasquet being a hometown favorite and Kyrgios hated by many tennis fans for his on-court antics—but the crowd won't necessarily decide the match.
Gasquet played well in his first two matches, but he will have to improve his return game if he wants to reach his first-ever quarterfinal at Roland Garros.
With Americans Sloane Stephens and John Isner also in action, there will be plenty to watch throughout Day 6 at the French Open.
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