Rafael Nadal overtaken, Arthur Fils already eliminated, Coco Gauff scared herself… What to remember from Saturday

The first tickets for the round of 16 were issued in the women’s draw on Saturday, while the men finished the second round.

Not yet at the level. Opposed to the ninth world player Hubert Hurkacz, Rafael Nadal did not exist, Saturday May 11, on the central court of the Masters 1000 in Rome, taking only four games from the Pole. A defeat some two weeks before the start of Roland-Garros which questions the level, even the presence, of the Bull of Manacor in Paris. The only French on the courts today, Alexandre Müller and Arthur Fils were opposed in a duel which turned to the advantage of the player who came out of qualifying.

Nadal says goodbye to Foro Italico

Ten titles and then gone? After bidding farewell to the Masters 1000 in Madrid two weeks earlier, Rafael Nadal perhaps played his last match in Rome on Saturday, a tournament in which he is the record title holder. “I’m not 100% sure, it’s probably 98%”, he declared at a press conference. A 6-1, 6-3 defeat against Hubert Hurkacz, seeded number 7, in a one-sided encounter. After two very high intensity games played in 27 minutes, the Spaniard quickly broke down in the face of the big Pole’s thrusts, from whom he never managed to take the serve despite seven break points.

“If I have to tell you what I think at the moment, I think I will be at Roland Garros to give the best of myself”, reassured the Spaniard at a press conference about his participation in the Parisian Grand Slam, before going to greet the crowd one last time from a footbridge. Heading now for the Porte d’Auteuil for the Majorcan who has played eight matches on clay since his return for five victories and three losses. If he is not expected to be the favorite in Paris, he seems to have a longer-term objective: the Olympic Games, in singles and doubles.

First 3rd round in Masters 1000 for Müller, Son still beaten

The two French people qualified for the third round in Rome are outside the Top 100. After Térence Atmane (137th) on Friday, Alexandre Müller (109th) punched his ticket on Saturday against Arthur Fils, seeded number 31, who was making his debut competing in the Roman capital (7-5, 6-3). Coming out of qualifying, the native of Poissy (Yvelines) is on his fourth victory at the Foro Italico and is a few days away from being awarded the wild cards for Roland-Garros. He will face Andrey Rublev for what will be his first third round in a Masters 1000.

Opposite, Arthur Fils disappointed again on clay. Already eliminated as soon as he entered the fray in Madrid, the young Habs once again did not take advantage of his seeded status which allows him not to compete in the first round and to avoid one of the 32 seeds in the second round. Broken from his first throw-in during each of the two sets, he never seemed to be able to bring down his compatriot. Registered for the Bordeaux Challenger, which starts on May 14, he will have to regain confidence before Roland-Garros.

Osaka and Badosa come back strong

Unseeded after taking a break, Naomi Osaka and Paula Badosa advanced to the round of 16. For the first time since returning from pregnancy, the Japanese woman has had three competitive successes. Better still, the former world number 1 did not lose a single set and outclassed her opponents. The latest, Daria Kasatkina, although seeded number 10, only won six games against her on Saturday (6-3, 6-3 victory for Osaka). The four-time Grand Slam winner will face Qinwen Zheng (seeded number 7) who lost to Linda Noskova in three sets (3-6, 6-1, 6-2).

Paula Badosa also finds a smile again at Foro Italico. Quarter-finalist in 2023, the Spaniard had also not experienced three successes since her return from injury at the start of 2024. After Mirra Andreeva and Emma Navarro, she eliminated Daria Shnaider in three sets (5-7, 6 -4, 6-4) to open the way to the round of 16.

Swiatek assures, Gauff on alternating current

Already doubly titled in Rome and victorious in Madrid this year, Iga Swiatek upheld her rank on Saturday against Yulia Putintseva (6-3, 6-4). As when she entered the competition on Thursday, the Pole did not tremble to continue her path which takes her towards Angélique Kerber, semi-finalist of the tournament in 2012 against Maria Sharapova. The world number 1 won the two previous confrontations.

Swiatek’s main competitor in the upper half of the table, Coco Gauff had a mixed start to the evening. After flying through the first round against the lucky Romanian loser Jaqueline Cristian, the third player in the world conceded a set without scoring a game, nor obtaining the slightest break point. Better in the last round, the American came out in just over 2 hours (6-1, 0-6, 6-3). She will have to do better against Paulo Badosa, especially on his serve (15 double faults against Cristian).

100th Masters 1000 victory for Medvedev

He hates clay, except in Rome. Surprise winner of the 2023 edition of the Italian Masters 1000, before being eliminated in the first round of Roland-Garros, Daniil Medvedev was fondly remembered by the Roman public for his entry into contention against the Briton Jack Draper (7- 5, 6-4). A symbolic victory, his 100th in this tournament category. He will face young Serbian Hamad Medjedovic in the next round.

Winner of Monte-Carlo and outsider of the Roman tournament, Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Jan-Lennard Struff in a new marathon match between the two men (6-7[1], 6-4, 6-4), the fifth in a row decided in three sets. Beaten last year by the German in his crazy epic which took him to the final in Madrid, the Greek was able to take his revenge to advance in the tournament and challenge Cameron Norrie.

Among the other favorites, Holger Rune beat the local Luca Nardi to end the day on the central (6-4, 6-4), while Rublev, titled in Madrid, won after midnight against Marcos Giron after having dropped the first set (5-7, 6-4, 7-5). The American served for the match at 5-4, before losing the next three games and bowing out. The Russian now has seven consecutive victories.