French Open Day 13 recap: Wawrinka reaches final

Stan Wawrinka, shown at Indian Wells in March,
beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets in the French
Open semifinals. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Men's semifinals -- In a battle of 30-year-olds, eighth-seeded Stan Wawrinka reached his first French Open final with a 6-3, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory over No. 14 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
   Wawrinka, who ousted Swiss countryman Roger Federer in the quarterfinals, lost in the first round at Roland Garros last year. But that likely was because he hadn't recovered from the hoopla surrounding his first Grand Slam title in the 2014 Australian Open.
   Tsonga was trying to become the first Frenchman to win the singles title at Roland Garros since Yannick Noah in 1983.
   The other semifinal was suspended by rain with top-seeded Novak Djokovic leading No. 3 Andy Murray 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in a match featuring many breathtaking, grueling rallies.
   The showdown is scheduled to resume today at 4 a.m. PDT.
   Djokovic -- who turned 28 on May 22, one week after Murray did -- is trying to become the eighth man to achieve a career Grand Slam. He also hopes to continue his bid for a calendar-year Slam.  
   Stars and stripes -- Seventh-seeded Bethanie Mattek-Sands of Phoenix and Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic will play for their second consecutive major women's doubles title.
   The reigning Australian Open champions outlasted No. 9 seeds and 2011 French Open titlists Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
   Mattek-Sands and Safarova will face 12th-seeded Casey Dellacqua of Australia and Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan. They dismissed No. 2 seeds and 2011 French Open champs Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina of Russia 6-3, 6-2.
   For the first time in the 68-year history of the French Open junior boys event, two Americans will play in the singles final. Second-seeded Taylor Fritz dominated No. 4 Corentin Denolly of France 6-1, 6-2, and No. 13 Tommy Paul outclassed No. 6 Michael Mmoh of the United States 6-4, 6-3.
   Either Fritz or Paul will join John McEnroe (1977) and Bjorn Fratangelo (2011) as the only Americans to win the boys singles title at Roland Garros in the Open era, which began in 1968.
   In the junior girls semifinals, fourth-seeded CiCi Bellis of the United States lost to No. 16 Anna Kalinskaya of Russia 6-2, 6-1.
   The United States also has one team in both the boys and girls doubles finals. Fourth-seeded William Blumberg and Paul will meet unseeded Alvaro Lopez San Martin and Jaume Munar of Spain. Also, No. 6 Caroline Dolehide and Katerina Stewart will take on No. 1 Miriam Kolodziejova and Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic.
   Northern California connection -- Murray won the now-defunct SAP Open in San Jose in 2006 at 18 years old and repeated in 2007. He also won the Aptos Challenger in 2005.
   Bellis, 16, lives in Atherton in the San Francisco Bay Area.
   Fast facts -- Wawrinka saved 16 of 17 break points.
   Among Switzerland's Federer, Wawrinka and Timea Bacsinszky, the first to bow out of the French Open was Federer.
   Quote -- Tsonga, on the temperature topping 90 degrees (32 Celsius) at Court Philippe Chatrier: “Heat didn’t bother me. My opponent made my life difficult.”
   Today's women's final -- Serena Williams (1) vs. Safarova (13), 6 a.m. PDT, NBC. Williams leads the head-to-head series 8-0 but is battling the flu.

French Open Day 12: Serena, Safarova gain final

Serena Williams, practicing during the Bank of the
West Classic at Stanford last summer, overcame the
flu and a big deficit to reach the French Open final.
Photo by Paul Bauman

   Women's semifinals -- Battling the flu, top-seeded Serena Williams pulled off another comeback to defeat No. 23 Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 in the semifinals.
   Williams dropped the first set for the fourth time in her last five matches and trailed 3-2 in the second set on Bacsinszky's serve. Williams then reeled off the last 10 games, advancing to the final against 13th-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic (Saturday at 6 a.m. PDT on NBC).
   Safarova, 28, beat Serbia's Ana Ivanovic, the seventh seed and 2008 champion, 7-5, 7-5 to reach her first Grand Slam singles final. Safarova won her first major title in this year's Australian Open, teaming with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands in women's doubles. 
   Stars and stripes -- The 33-year-old Williams, who grew up in Compton in the Los Angeles area, is trying to join Margaret Court (24) and Steffi Graf (22) as the only players to win at least 20 Grand Slam singles titles.
   Southern California natives Bob and Mike Bryan, seeded first, dismissed Italians Simone Bolleli and Fabio Fognini, the sixth seeds and reigning Australian Open champions, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the final.
   The 37-year-old Bryan twins will play third-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia and Marcelo Melo of Brazil. They outclassed fifth-seeded Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands and Horia Tecau of Romania 6-3, 7-5.
   Mattek-Sands and Mike Bryan, seeded second in mixed doubles, captured the title with a 7-6 (3),  6-1 triumph over unseeded Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic and Marcin Matkowski of Poland.
   Three Americans and one Frenchman advanced to the semifinals in junior boys singles. Second-seeded Taylor Fritz will meet No. 4 Corentin Denolly of France, and No. 6 Michael Mmoh will face No. 13 Tommy Paul.
   In the junior girls quarterfinals, fourth-seeded CiCi Bellis of the United States routed unseeded Jill Teichmann of Switzerland 6-2, 6-1, but American Katerina Stewart, seeded third, lost to No. 12 Paula Badosa Gibert of Spain 6-2, 6-2.
   The United States has one team in both the boys and girls doubles semis: No. 4 William Blumberg and Paul, and No. 6 Caroline Dolehide and Stewart. 
   Northern California connection -- Williams won her third Bank of the West title at Stanford last year. The Bryans played at Stanford in 1997 and 1998, helping the Cardinal win the NCAA team title each year. Bellis, 16, lives in Atherton in the San Francisco Bay Area.
   Fast facts --Williams is 11-0 in three-set matches this year and 31-1 overall (not counting two walkover losses). The defeat came against Petra Kvitova in the Madrid semifinals on clay last month.
   Safarova has not lost a set in her six French Open matches, including a fourth-round victory over defending champion Maria Sharapova.
   Quote -- Williams: "I don't think I've ever been this sick. I didn't expect to win that. I really didn't. I can't believe I won."
   Friday's men's semifinals -- Stan Wawrinka (8) vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (14), 4 a.m. PDT, followed by Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Andy Murray (3), Tennis Channel (delayed on NBC, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.).
   Djokovic is 18-8 against Murray with a seven-match winning streak (all on hardcourts). Djokovic leads 2-0 on clay, winning 7-6 in the third set in the 2011 Italian Open semifinals in their last meeting on the surface.
  The Wawrinka-Tsonga series is tied 3-3. Wawrinka has won the last two matches, both on clay.

Zhao second, McDonald third in final college rankings

   Carol Zhao of Stanford finished second and Piedmont's Mackenzie McDonald of UCLA placed third in the season's final women's and men's collegiate singles rankings, respectively, released today.
   Zhao, a sophomore from Canada, was the runner-up to Jamie Loeb of North Carolina in last month's NCAA Individual Championships in Waco, Texas.
   McDonald, also a sophomore, was stunned in the first round in Waco after reaching the quarterfinals as a freshman.
   Cal's Maegan Manasse finished sixth among women. The sophomore from Redondo Beach in the Los Angeles area lost in the round of 16 in the NCAAs.
   The final doubles rankings also were announced today, and four of the top 10 women's teams were from Stanford or Cal.
   Zhao and sophomore Taylor Davidson placed second, and Cardinal teammates Caroline Doyle, a sophomore from San Francisco, and Ellen Tsay, a senior from Pleasanton, rose to eighth after reaching the NCAA semifinals.
   Cal's Klara Fabikova, a junior, and Zsofi Susanyi, a senior, jumped to seventh thanks to their appearance in the NCAA final, and Manasse and sophomore Denise Starr finished ninth.
   The season's final men's and women's team rankings were released last week.

   (Top 10 and Northern California only)

Women's singles

1. Robin Anderson, UCLA

2. Carol Zhao, Stanford 

3. Jamie Loeb, North Carolina

4. Brooke Austin, Florida

5. Julia Elbaba, Virginia
6. Maegan Manasse, Cal
7. Lauren Herring,Georgia

8. Josie Kuhlman, Florida
9. Stephanie Wagner, Miami
10. Sydney Campbell, Vanderbilt
15. Giuliana Olmos (Fremont resident), USC 

22. Taylor Davidson, Stanford

23. Klara Fabikova, Cal
27. Zsofi Susanyi, Cal

29. Caroline Doyle, Stanford
50. Denise Starr, Cal

58. Lynn Chi, Cal
75. Sophie Watts, Fresno State

85. Meredith Xepoleas (Sacramento native), USC
88. Karla Popovic, Cal

93. Krista Hardebeck, Stanford
117. Ellen Tsay, Stanford

Women's doubles

1. Maya Jansen and Erin Routliffe, Alabama
2. Taylor Davidson and Carol Zhao, Stanford

3. Brooke Austin and Kourtney Keegan, Florida
4. Beatrice Gumulya and Jessy Rompies, Clemson

5. Catherine Harrison and Kyle McPhillips, UCLA
6. Lauren Herring and Ellen Perez, Georgia

7. Klara Fabikova and Zsofi Susanyi, Cal

8. Caroline Doyle and Ellen Tsay, Stanford
9. Maegan Manasse and Denise Starr, Cal
10. Pleun Burgmans and Emily Flickinger, Auburn

20. Giuliana Olmos (Fremont resident) and Zoe Scandalis, USC

33. Hadley Berg (Greenbrae resident) and Caroline Dailey, South Carolina
51. Joanna Smith and Kassidy Jump (Granite Bay resident), Arizona State
57. Lynn Chi and Denise Starr, Cal
59. Parminder Kaur and Jana McCord, Saint Mary's
85. Maiar Sherif Ahmed and Rana Sherif Ahmed, Fresno State

Men's singles

1. Alex Alvarez Llamas, Oklahoma
2. Ryan Shane, Virginia
3. Mackenzie McDonald (Piedmont resident), UCLA
4. Julian Lenz, Baylor
5. Noah Rubin, Wake Forest
6. Soren Hess-Olesen, Texas
7. Quentin Monaghan, Notre Dame
8. Andrew Harris, Oklahoma
9. Sebastian Stiefelmeyer, Louisville
10. Gonzales Austin, Vanderbilt
35. Tom Fawcett, Stanford
41. Andre Goransson, Cal
50. Collin Altamirano (Sacramento resident), Virginia
70. John Morrissey, Stanford
105. Filip Bergevi, Cal
T122. Bernardo Saraiva, USF

Men's doubles

1. Diego Galeano and Julian Lenz, Baylor
2. Austin Smith and Ben Wagland, Georgia

3. Mikelis Libietis and Hunter Reese, Tennessee

4. Yannick Hanfmann and Roberto Quiroz, USC

5. Luca Corinteli and Ryan Shane, Virginia
6. Lloyd Glasspool and Soren Hess-Olesen, Texas
7. Kevin Metka and Ralf Steinback, Ohio State

8. Axel Alvarez Llamas and Dane Webb, Oklahoma
9. Gonzales Austin and Rhys Johnson, Vanderbilt
10. Harrison Adams and Shane Vinsant, Texas A&M
13. John Morrissey and Robert Stineman, Stanford
19. Mackenzie McDonald (Piedmont resident) and Martin Redlicki, UCLA
50. Gregory Bayane and Chase Melton, Cal
72. Tom Fawcett and Maciek Romanowicz, Stanford
82. Bernardo Saraiva and Nils Skajaa, USF
83. Andre Goransson and Oskar Wikberg, Cal

French Open Day 11 recap: Djoker dominates Nadal

Novak Djokovic, shown at Indian Wells in March, beat Rafael Nadal
7-5, 6-3, 6-1 in the French Open quarterfinals. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Men's quarterfinals -- Top-seeded Novak Djokovic handed nine-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal only his second loss in the tournament, winning by the surprisingly one-sided score of 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the semifinals.
   Djokovic extended his overall winning streak to 27 matches, ended Nadal's string of consecutive wins at Roland Garros at 39 and beat Nadal in the French Open for the first time in seven encounters.
   Djokovic had lost to Nadal at Roland Garros for the past three years, falling in the 2012 and 2014 finals and the 2013 semifinals.
   Nadal, who turned 29 today, fell to 70-2 in the French Open. His only other loss came against Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009.
   Nadal will drop to at least No. 10 in the world rankings on Monday, his lowest position since April 2005. He will fall to No. 11 if Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beats Stan Wawrinka in Friday's semifinals.
   Djokovic, bidding to become the eighth man to complete a career Grand Slam, will meet third-seeded Andy Murray in a rematch of this year's Australian Open final won by the Serb. Murray defeated seventh-seeded David Ferrer, the 2013 runner-up to Nadal, 7-6 (4), 6-2, 5-7, 6-1. 
   Women's quarterfinals -- Top-seeded Serena Williams routed No. 17 Sara Errani, the 2012 runner-up to Maria Sharapova, 6-1, 6-3. Also, No. 23 Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland downed unseeded Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium 6-4, 7-5. 
   Men's semifinal matchups -- Djokovic (1) vs. Murray (3). Djokovic leads the series 18-8 with a seven-match winning streak (all on hardcourts). Djokovic is ahead 2-0 on clay, winning 7-6 in the third set in the 2011 Italian Open semifinals in their last meeting on the surface.
   Wawrinka (8) vs. Tsonga (14). The series is tied 3-3, but Wawrinka has won the last two matches, both on clay.
   Women's semifinal matchups -- Ana Ivanovic (7) vs. Lucie Safarova (13). Safarova leads the series 5-3, including a 6-3, 6-3 victory in the third round of last year's French Open.
   Williams (1) vs. Bacsinszky (23). Williams leads the series 2-0, most recently winning 7-5, 6-3 in the quarterfinals at Indian Wells in March.
   Stars and stripes -- Williams, 33, seeks her third French Open title after winning in 2002 and 2013.
   Bethanie Mattek-Sands, a 30-year-old Phoenix resident, had a big day.
   The seventh-seeded team of Mattek-Sands and Safarova, the reigning Australian Open champions, ousted top-seeded Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza 7-5, 6-2 in the women's doubles quarterfinals.
   Also, the second-seeded pair of Mattek-Sands and Mike Bryan reached the mixed doubles final with a 4-6, 6-3 [10-8] victory over unseeded Katarina Srebotnik and Horia Tecau. Mattek-Sands and Bryan will face unseeded Lucie Hradecka and Marcin Matkowski.
   Half of the junior boys singles quarterfinalists are American. Six-foot-10 (2.08-meter) Reilly Opelka of Palm Coast, Fla., led the march, knocking off top-seeded Orlando Luz of Brazil 7-5, 4-6, 7-5. Also advancing were No. 2 Taylor Fritz, No. 6 Michael Mmoh and No. 13 Tommy Paul.
   Americans Katerina Stewart, seeded third, and CiCi Bellis, seeded fourth, moved into the quarters in junior girls singles.
   Northern California connection -- Bryan played at Stanford in 1997 and 1998, helping the Cardinal win the NCAA title both years. He and twin brother Bob are scheduled to play three matches for the Sacramento-based California Dream in World TeamTennis this summer.
   Bellis, 16, lives in Atherton in the San Francisco Bay Area.
   Fast fact -- Djokovic trimmed Nadal's lead in their head-to-head series to 23-21.
   Quote -- Nadal: "I lost in 2009, and (it) was not the end. I lost in 2015, and (it) is not the end."
   Thursday's top matches (starting at 6 a.m. PDT) -- Ivanovic (7) vs. Safarova (13), ESPN2, followed by Williams (1) vs. Bacsinszky (23), NBC.

French Open Day 10 recap: Wawrinka ousts Federer

Swiss stars Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka played doubles
together at Indian Wells last year. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Upset of the day -- Eighth-seeded Stan Wawrinka reached the French Open semifinals for the first time, knocking off Swiss countryman Roger Federer, seeded second, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the wind.
   Wawrinka, the 2014 Australian Open champion, defeated Federer, who won the French Open in 2009, for only the third time in their 19 meetings and the first in their five Grand Slam encounters. 
   Match of the day -- Fourteenth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France advanced to the semifinals for the second time in three years with a 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3 victory over No. 5 Kei Nishikori of Japan. 
   Women's quarterfinals -- No. 7 seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia dismissed No. 19 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-3, 6-2 in 75 minutes to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time since winning the 2008 French Open for her only major title.
   No. 13 seed Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic backed up her victory over defending champion Maria Sharapova with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 win over No. 21 Garbine Muguruza of Spain to reach her second Grand Slam semifinal. The 28-year-old Safarova, a Wimbledon semifinalist last year, will crack the top 10 for the first time on Monday. 
   Stars and stripes -- Top-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan, Southern California natives seeking their third French Open title, moved into the semifinals with a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 victory over seventh-seeded Marcin Matkowski of Poland and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia.
   However, No. 2 seeds and reigning Wimbledon champions Vasek Pospisil of Canada and Jack Sock of Tampa, Fla., lost to fifth-seeded Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands and Horia Tecau of Romania 6-3, 6-3.
   In the mixed doubles quarterfinals, second-seeded Mike Bryan and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, a Phoenix resident, beat Anastasia Rodionova of Australia and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan 6-0, 7-6 (3). 
   The United States has four boys -- No. 2 Taylor Fritz, No. 6 Michael Mmoh, No. 13 Tommy Paul and 6-foot-10 (2.08-meter) Reilly Opelka -- and three girls -- No. 3 Katerina Stewart, No. 4 CiCi Bellis and Caroline Dolehide -- in the junior round of 16.
   Fourth-seeded Michaela Gordon of the United States and Charlotte Robillard-Millette of Canada fell to Jill Teichmann of Switzerland and Shilin Xu of China 6-1, 2-6 [10-8] in the second round.
   Northern California connection -- The 37-year-old Bryan twins led Stanford to NCAA team titles in their two years on the Farm (1997 and 1998). Qureshi is scheduled to play for the Sacramento-based California Dream in World TeamTennis this summer. Bellis, 16, and Gordon, 15, live in the San Francisco Bay Area.    
   Fast facts -- Federer reached the French Open final for four straight years from 2006 through 2009. Now he's on a less impressive streak: He has lost in the quarterfinals or earlier for the past three years.
   Quotes -- Wawrinka: ''I played my best match in a Grand Slam tournament and my best match on clay.''
   Federer: ''I tried many things. Obviously I was not going to leave the French Open without having tried everything out there.''
   Tsonga: "You're going to be praised when you reach semis at Roland Garros, as if you had already won the tournament. Whereas, in fact, well, to me it's not over yet.''
   Wednesday's quarterfinals on Court Philippe Chatrier (starting at 5 a.m. PDT, ESPN2) -- Serena Williams (1) vs. Sara Errani (17), Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Rafael Nadal (6). 
   Wednesday's quarterfinals on Court Suzanne Lenglen (starting at 5 a.m. PDT, ESPN2) -- Timea Bacsinszky (23) vs. Alison Van Uytvanck, Andy Murray (3) vs. David Ferrer (7).

French Open Day 9: Defending champ Sharapova out

No. 2 seed and defending champion Maria Sharapova,
suffering from a cold, lost to No. 13 Lucie Safarova
in the fourth round. 2014 photo by Paul Bauman 

   Upset of the day -- Maria Sharapova's streak of three French Open finals ended as the No. 2 seed and defending champion fell to No. 13 Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the fourth round.
   Sharapova, who also won the title in 2012, coughed because of a cold throughout the tournament. Safarova, a 28-year-old left-hander, reached the Wimbledon semifinals last year. 
   Match of the day -- For the third match in a row, top-seeded Serena Williams won after dropping the first set. The 33-year-old star came within one game of losing in her 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over fellow American Sloane Stephens. After trailing 6-1, 5-4, Williams won nine of the last 12 games.
   Notable -- No. 23 seed Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland ousted No. 4 Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion from the Czech Republic, 2-6, 6-0, 6-3.
   Besides two-time French Open champ Williams, the only top-10 seed left in the women's draw is No. 7 Ana Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open winner and a former world No. 1. Williams and Ivanovic could meet in the final.
   No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic will face No. 6 Rafael Nadal on Wednesday in the quarterfinals. It will be a rematch of last year's final, won by Nadal in four sets. 
    Fourth-round men's results -- Djokovic def. No. 20 Richard Gasquet 6-1, 6-2, 6-3; No. 2 Roger Federer def. No. 13 Gael Monfils 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; No. 3 Andy Murray def. Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Nadal def. Jack Sock 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2; No. 7 David Ferrer def. No. 9 Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.
   Other fourth-round women's results -- No. 17 Sara Errani def. Julia Goerges 6-2, 6-2; No. 21 Garbine Muguruza def. No. 28 Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 6-4; Alison Van Uytvanck def. Andreea Mitu 6-1, 6-3.   
   Men's quarterfinal matchups -- No. 1 Djokovic vs. No. 6 Nadal, No. 3 Murray vs. No. 7 Ferrer, No. 5 Kei Nishikori vs. No. 14 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, No. 2 Federer vs. No. 8 Stan Wawrinka.
   Women's quarterfinal matchups -- No. 1 Williams vs. No. 17 Errani, No. 23 Bacsinszky vs. Van Uytvanck, No. 7 Ivanovic vs. No. 19 Elina Svitolina, No. 13 Safarova vs. No. 21 Muguruza.
   Stars and stripes -- Williams is the only American left in singles, men's or women's.
   In the first round of junior girls singles, No. 4 CiCi Bellis triumphed, but No. 11 Sofia Kenin lost. On the boys side, No. 6 Michael Mmoh and No. 13 Tommy Paul advanced, but No. 9 William Blumberg fell.
   Northern California connection -- Bellis, 16, lives in Atherton.
   The fourth-seeded team of Michaela Gordon, 15, of Saratoga and Charlotte Robillard-Millette of Canada won in the opening round of junior girls doubles.
   Fast fact -- Williams is 10-0 in three-set matches this year.
   Quote -- Sharapova on her illness: "I don't like to talk about it, and I don't think it really makes a difference."
   Today on Court Philippe Chatrier (starting at 5 a.m. PDT, Tennis Channel 5-10 a.m., ESPN2 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) -- No. 7 Ivanovic vs. No. 19 Svitolina, No. 5 Nishikori vs. No. 14 Tsonga.
   Today on Court Suzanne Lenglen (starting at 5 a.m. PDT, Tennis Channel 5-10 a.m., ESPN2 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) -- No. 13 Safarova vs. No. 21 Muguruza, No. 2 Federer vs. No. 8 Wawrinka.

French Open Day 8 recap: Tsonga beats Berdych

No. 14 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, practicing at Indian Wells last year,
beat No. 4 Tomas Berdych in the French Open. Photo by Paul Bauman

   Upset of the day -- In a matchup of past Roland Garros semifinalists, 14th-seeded Jo-Wilfried "Catchy" Tsonga of France eliminated No. 4 Tomas "Larry" Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3 in the fourth round on a rainy day.
   Tsonga served for the match at 5-4 in the third set. The 30-year-old has reached one Grand Slam final, falling to Novak "It's No" Djokovic in the 2008 Australian Open. It was the first of Djokovic's eight major singles titles.
   Match of the day -- In a clash between former French Open junior champions, 19th-seeded Elina Svitolina, 20, of Ukraine held off No. 29 Alize Cornet of France 6-2, 7-6 (9) to reach her first major quarterfinal.
   Cornet, playing in the fourth round at Roland Garros for the first time, saved five match points before she sent a backhand long.
   Notable -- Second-seeded Roger Federer "Express," the 2009 champion, and No. 13 Gael Monfils, a 2008 semifinalist, were tied at one set apiece when darkness suspended the match. 
   Fifth-seeded "Special" Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese man in 82 years to reach the French Open quarterfinals, beating Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
   Eighth-seeded Stan "The Man" Wawrinka of Switzerland advanced to the quarters at Roland Garros for the second time, dismissing No. 12 Gilles Simon of France 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.
   Seventh-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia returned to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros for the first time since winning the 2008 title, topping No. 9 Ekaterina "Do The" Makarova of Russia 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.
   Stars and stripes -- Top-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan moved into the men's doubles quarterfinals, as did second-seeded Vasek "Anything Is" Pospisil of Canada and Jack "Lost A" Sock.
   Winning in the first round of junior singles were second-seeded Taylor "On The" Fritz on the boys side, and No. 3 Katerina "Martha" Stewart and No. 7 Usue Maitane Arconada on the girls side.  
   Northern California connection -- The 37-year-old Bryan twins led Stanford to NCAA titles in their two years there (1997-98) and are scheduled to play three matches this summer for the Sacramento-based California Dream of World TeamTennis.
   Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues, a full-time member of the Dream, and Taiwan's Hao-Ching Chan lost to ninth-seeded Andrea Hlavackova and "I Love" Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 7-6 (5), 6-2 in the third round of women's doubles. Garrigues won the title in 2008 and 2009 with since-retired countrywoman Virginia Ruano Pascual, and Hlavackova and Hradecka took the 2011 crown.
   Another full-time Dream player, Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan, and Anastasia Rodionova of Australia surprised sixth-seeded Kristina Mladenovic of France and Daniel Nestor, 42, of Canada 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of mixed doubles.
   Scott "Don't Give Me Any" Lipsky, who helped Stanford win its last NCAA men's team crown (2000), and Abigail Spears fell to seventh-seeded Timea Babos of Hungary and Alexander "The Great" Peya of Austria 7-6 (5), 6-3.     
   Fast fact -- Owners of a combined 49 Grand Slam singles titles are scheduled to play today in the fourth round, the Associated Press reported. Dry weather is forecast.
   Quote -- Cornet to the chair umpire after one of her shots late in the match was called out: "You look in my eyes, and you know it (was in)."
   Today on Court Philippe Chatrier (starting at 2 a.m. PDT, ESPN2) -- Defending champion Maria Sharapova (2) vs. "I Love" Lucie Safarova (13), completion of Federer (2) vs. Monfils (13), Serena Williams (1) vs. Sloane "Ranger" Stephens, Djokovic (1) vs. Richard "Blow A" Gasquet (20).
   Today on Court Suzanne Lenglen (starting at 2 a.m. PDT, ESPN2) -- Garbine Muguruza (21) vs. Flavia Pennetta (28), Andy "Bill" Murray (3) vs. Jeremy "Don't Be" Chardy, defending champion "San" Rafael Nadal (6) vs. Sock, Petra Kvitova (4) vs. Timea Bacsinszky (23).