The French Open is boiling up nicely in Paris where some stars find they have feet of clay and drop out, while the crowd warms to a rising star who plays with youthful abandon.
ADVERTISEMENTNovak Djokovic lives to fight another day at the French Open after a hard-fought third round match against Roberto Bautista Agut, in an occasionaly testy encounter during which the Serb shattered a raquet in anger after fluffing an easy winner. He needed four sets, and two tie breaks, to down the Spaniard.
France's Gilles Simon had the crowd behind him, but Kai Nishikori in front of him, all the way to an easy win for the Japanese number one.
But Roland Garros has found a new hearthrob in the figure of Alexander Zverev. the young rising German had a five-setter that swung wildly with Bosnia's Damir Dzumhur, and he needed to save a match point on the way to the win. The crowd loved it.
Clay court veteran Fernando Verdasco is also through to the fourth round, the 34-year-old beating the fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov in straight sets.