So thanks for your company – we’ll see you tomorrow. Play starts at 10am BST, but until then, peace out.

That, then, is us for the day. To recap, there were convincing wins for Paolini, Zheng, Musetti and Alcaraz; Borges beat an injured Ruud; Swiatek clattered Raducanu; Gigante binned Tsitsipas; and Ostapenko has just disposed of Dolehide.

Sabalenka says Teichmann is a tricky opponent with a lot of variety so she just stepped in looking for the return. She’s happy she held her serve at 3-1, felt more energy, and the score doesn’t matter, she was made to fight for every point.

She’s been working a lot on variety in her game, looking to come in and play touch-shots; she’s glad it’s working in matches.

Otherwise, she congratulates Teichmann’s supporters, who were “annoying”, then eulogises Paris and its restaurants. She loves the passion for sport and loves everything about the city; we’ll see her again on Friday.

Up 0-30, Sabalenka is handed another juicy second serve, but this time she overhits the backhand, then sends a forehand wide. No matter: a backhand Teichmann thinks is going long clips the line and dies, so at 6-3 5-1 30-40, the world no 1 has match point…

Tell you what, Sabalenka looks really chill on the clay now, her absurd power now backed up with deft touches; she’ll take some beating over the next six weeks. Anyroad up, she leads 5-1 in the third and Teichman will now serve to stick in the match.

Teichmann secures a hold, her first game in nine, and salutes the crowd in self-mockery; she’s on the board in set two but at 3-6 1-4, she’s work to do.

A comfy hold for Sabalenka, who now leads 6-3 4-0. It won’t feel like it at the moment, but Teichmann can see the first set as a step forward and something to build on; for now, she’s getting outclassed.

Dolehide has broken Ostapenko back and leads 2-1 in the third, while Korda leads Brooksby 6-1.

Teichmann is done and she knows it. Sabalenka is devastating her second serves, breaking again to lead 6-3 3-0, the challenge of the first set forcing her to groove. If she keeps focused, she’ll be back in the locker room within 15 minutes.

Another match over: Danilovic has beaten Collins6-4 3-6 6-4. Her “reward” is a third-round tussle with Teichmann or Sabalenka.

Back with Ostapenkz, she levelled her match with Dolehide at a set apiece, then broke immediately for 1-0 in the third; and on 14, Paul has three mtch points…

Yup, Sabalenka makes 30-40 then clambers into a second serve and that’s an immediate break. I fear this may soon be over.

The best compliment I can pay Teichmann is that she’s forced Sabalenka to play some of her best stuff – and even now, makes her go through deuce as she serves for the set. And when the world no 1 botches her third set point with a double, a backhand error – unforced, but Teichmann stuck in the rally – she’s suddenly advantage down. From there, though, Sabalenka gets her head on, clinching a 6-3 set with a cunning drop, and I’d not be surprised if things get easier from here.

Back on 14, Paul has had the trainer out but seems OK now; he and Fucsovics are 3-3 in the fifth.

Gigante is very happy – he can’t get the smile off his coupon. He says he’s been working hard and thanks his team; that’s about it.

On Lenglen, Sabalenka has broken Teichmann back to lead 5-3 and this is a really entertaining contest, the world no 1 forced to find a level.

These last two games have been epics and Gaigante again finds himself down advantage, but his aggression and precision are again on point, a service winner bailing him out. Then a backhand to the corner forces the error and here comes a second match point…

Oh I say! Gigante saves the first, then sends Tistsipas chasing out wide … before painting the most delicate of drops whence he came and this time, when it tickles the tape, it drops on the right side! Amazing shot in the circumstances and we’re at deuce.

Ach, Gigante sends a backhand into the tape, the ball drops on his side, and he’s down 0-30. However he then finds a big first serve and the return falls long, plays another terrific point … in which Tsitsipas sticks, and a backhand into the net hands him two break-back points!

Oh my days, a(nother) murderous forehand down, hit flat just over the tape, and Gigante has match point at 5-3 30-40; Tsitsipas saves it with a brave volley and from there, secures his hold. Can the young Italian hold it down to serve it out?

Out on Court 7, Dolehide has taken the first set off Ostapenko 7-5 and it’s 1-1 in the second. Trouble for 2017 champ.

While all that was going on, Paul broke and was broken back then, down 0-30, Sabalenka roars back to hold for 2-3. Teichmann, though, is playing as well as I’ve seen her.

Gigante’s aggression under pressure has been first class. After saving two more break points, playing the longest rally of the match, he again finds the drop that he needs, only this time it makes advantage, from there he closes out, and at 6-4 5-7 6-3 5-3, he’s a game away. His speed around the court is terrific, so too his ability to play touch-shots fro all areas.

Yes indeed, Teichmann is in the match. She holds easily then earns break point … seized back by Sabalenka with a colossal backhand winner down the line. No matter, Teichmann arranges another … and this time, the world no 1 goes long! Teichmann leads 2-1!

Meanwhile, Gigante dumps into the net to hand Tsitsipas advantage … then restores deuce with a carefree drop … then does it again! This is the match, right here…

Goodness me, Gigante got game! Sent out to the forehand side, he again nails a luscious lefty pass down the line for 15-all, then Tsitsipas, running in to retrieve a pretty poor drop, can only flap cross-court and wide. From there, though, he closes out through deuce, and trailing 1-2 3-4, he’s still just about in the match.

Sabalenka holds to love and she’s under way. Can Teichmann get herself into the match?

A love hold and Paul secures set four! Fucsovics must be feeling peaky in the extreme, but he’ll need to get himself going because, after two hours and 41 minutes, he has to play a fifth.

And now Paul breaks for 6-5! He’ll shortly serve for a decider, the crowd chanting his name, and the way this is going, you back him.

Elsewhere, Oor Ostapenkz leads Dolehide 5-4 on serve, and Gigante leads Tsitsipas 21 3-2 with a break,

Tommy Paul is solid. He breaks Fucsovics back, holds himself, and we’re now locked at 5-5 i set four. On Lenglen, meantime, Sabalenka and Teichmann are out and almost ready to go, while Tauson has beaten Rus 6 and 5 so meets Anisimova next.

Oh man! Gigante sprints in for a drop that only just clears the net and somehow he not only gets it back, but plays a good enough shot to force Tsitsipas to go long! Two break points to the Italian and though one is saved, a buggy-whip forehand hits the net, so Gigante now leads 2-1 2-1, with a break! And hasn’t he earned it!

Fucsovics has his serious face on. He’s broken Paul and is now serving for the match at 6-4 6-2 3-6 5-3.

Swiatek v Raducanu match report

While Dzumhur was finishing Mpetshi Perricard, Gigante served out to lead Tsitsipas 6-4 5-7 6-2. He looks to be enjoying himself.

Next on Lenglen: Aryna Sabalenka (1) v Jil Teichmann.

Dzumhur felt stressed in the third set and admits that he didn’t know he was serving for the match when he was, which might’ve been to his advantage.

When he hurt his knee he asked the physio if there was anything wrong, but it was just a bang – internally, it was all good – so he was able to continue.

Asked how he dealt with his opponent’s serve, he said it’s tough as Mpetshi Perricard is good at disguising where he’s going. So initially he tried just to get it back into court but then, as he got a read he looked to be ore aggressive and returned well today.

Dzumhur begins with a double, but a drop-lob combo restores parity at 15-all, then another drop takes him two points away. He’s been really impressive today, and when Mpetshi Perricard backs into the backhand corner to send a diagonal forehand just wide, he has two match points…

Also preparing to serve out is Gigante, up 5-2 in the third on Tsitsipas. He looks pretty calm, I must say.

This’ll be a good learning experience for Mpetshi Perricard, who’s only 21 and getting a bit of a lesson in what it takes to compete at this level. He does, though, hold for 4-5 after Dzumhur consolidates, meaning the Bosnian must now serve out the match.

In the time it took me to type that, while focusing on Tsitsipas-Gigante, Dzumhur broke Mpetshi Perricard and at 2-1 4-3, he’s two games away from a round three meeting with Carlos Alcaraz.

So far, Dumzhur looks to have recovered well, but I also wonder whether Mpetshi Perricard has the hands and clay-court smarts to keep him moving; it’s 3-3 in the fourth. Meantime, a gorgeous backhand down the line gives Gigante three break points and Tsitsipas saves two, the second with a tremendous forehand inside-out into the corner … only to then send down a double! The Italian leads 4-1 in the third and it’ll take something significant to prevent him from taking a 2-1 lead.

Next on Court 7 it’s our friend Ostapenkz; she’ll play Dolehide. But, much as I want to wade right into that, I guess, with the no 12 seed trailing 2-1, we need to cherck out Fucsovics v Paul, so I’ll trun that one on now.

Dzumhur is back playing and he’s still scurrying, but it was a nasty fall and Mpteshi Perricard will surely try to keep him on the bike – and his movement has been one of the keys to his game today. Between points, he looks hurt, but during them he seems fine – I guess we’ll see as the match develops – but for now, he holds for 2-1 1-1.

Back on Lenglen – Chatrier is over for the day sesh – Dzumhur, up 2-1 but down 0-1, is serving at deuce when he’s sent to the corner then, when he returns to the middle he slips ands looks in serious knee-pain. He’s absolutely devastated – he’s put so much into this match – and calls the trainer.

Ach, a leaping backhand from Gigante falls just out and at 6-5 30-40, Tsitsipas has set point. And, well, oh dear: left more than half the court, the young Italian swipes again, this time landing well wide, and we’re level at a set apiece.

I’ve now got Tsitsipas beneath Mpetshi Perricard on my main screen; on my third, I’m going to go with Khachanov, who leads Ofner 3-2 in the fifth, on serve.

Swiatek is now 23 matches undefeated in Paris, and she hit it so hard today, without piling up unforced errors. If the draw goes as it should, she’ll have to play Rybakina, Paolini, Sabalenka and Gauff, so it won’t be easy for her to win a fourth consecutive title, but it also won’t be easy for any of them to beat her.

Swiatek says she felt good so could do whatever she planned to, though she had to adjust to the wind. She’s off tomorrow so will practise early then relax, reading a book and not watching too much telly as it gives her weird dreams. Being in Paris, all you need to do is go outside and it’s great.

She reckons the time off she had before the tournament served her well and she sounds dangerously focused – though we can’t be certain of where she’s at until she meets her first serious challenge.

Back on Chatrier, Swiatek is serving for the match at 6-1 5-2; I’m afraid she’s far too good for Raducanu, though they’ve won an equal quantity of US Opens.

While mine eyes are elsewhere, Gigante breals Tsitsipas back to lead 6-4 4-4, then a guided missile gives Mpetshi Perricard set point at 5-4 in the third. He runs around a forehand, unleashes, and it’s good enough! Just 15 minutes ago the match looked over, but the crowd are into it now and for the first time, Dzumhur looks vulnerable.

Oh, and one more: Tauson leads Rus 7-6 5-5.

Hold tight Giovani Mpetshi Perricard! He breaks back, seals a hold by painting a lush drop that’s far too good, and now leads in set three, 5-4.

Elsewhere, Danilovic leads Collins, the Aussie Open heel, 5-3 in the first; Fucsovics leads Paul 6-4 6-2 0-1; and Khachnov will soon begin a deciding set with Offnerr.

On Mathieu, Tsitsipas has got himself going; he leads Gigante 4-2 in the second having lost the first, but the match is on my phone so it’s hard to see the detail of what’s going on. Once Swiatek has finished with Raducanu, I’ll put it on my main screen and we’ll get a proper sense of things.

Dzumhur is playing really well today and he breaks Mpetshi Perricard for a 7-6 6-3 4-2 lead. I didn’t think this is how the match would go, I must say.

Raducanu earns break-back point; Swiatek confiscates it with a forehand winner down the line, then extinguishes another opportunity on advantage. But the champ has cooled a little, netting a backhand … only to buggy-whip a forehand winner that makes it look like she was only teasing. Shonuff she eventually endorses the break and leads 6-1 3-1. On the plus side, Raducanu already has more games than she won when the pair met in Mlebourne.

I’m intrigued to see how Popyrin goes here because he’s on quite a surge. There’s no reason to think he can’t win his section – he meets Borges next and has the game to beat whichever of Khachanov, Ofner, Fucsovics and Paul come next. After that, it’d probably be Alcaraz, but I’m not just talking about this competitoon – his improvement looks sustainable.

Swiatek is all over Raducanu, breaking her to love for 6-1 2-1 and she’s playing beautifully now. She must wish she could roll up this court and take it with her everywhere she goes.

Dzumhur serves out for a 6-3 set and, so far, he knows too much for Mpetshi Perricard, who needs three on the spin to progress. There’s no evidence he’s got that in him today.

Once upon a time, the discussion around Stefanos Tsitsipas was about whether he’d ever win a slam; I’m afraid we probably know the answer now, and the biggest tell is we’re no longer asking the question. He’s made the final of this tournament and also in Melbourne, but that seems a long time ago now, and he’s a set down to Matteo Gigante, a 23-year-old Italian who until this week had never made the second round of a major.

Thanks Katy and hi again; let’s get straight into it, as Dzumhur, up a set, has three break points at 4-3 in the second … and he only needs one. Mpetshi Perricard, in fairness no clay-court specialist, is struggling.

The first set is slipping away from Raducanu when, at break point down, she scrambles back to a smash in vain. It’s 5-1 Swiatek, who’ll now serve for the first set. So much for the defending champion being in crisis.

Tommy Paul, the American 12th seed who’s playing in Paris after having his truck repossessed despite having career earnings of $10.8m, is not having it his way against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, who’s taken the first set 6-4. Karen Khachanov is two sets to one up against Sebastian Ofner, while Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, the young Frenchman with the big name and even bigger serve, trails Damir Dzumhur 7-6.

Credit to Raducanu as she gets herself from 15-40 to deuce on Swiatek’s serve. They’re both having to hit so many backhands here; neither wants to hit to their opponent’s forehand. But Swiatek, at her advantage, does serve to Raducanu’s forehand, which flops into the net. Swiatek backs up the break for 4-1.

Raducanu, serving at 30-all, frames a forehand into the stands and here’s Swiatek’s first chance to break at 30-40. Swiatek peppers Raducanu’s backhand, and eventually it breaks down, when her shot clips the net and agonisingly falls back on to her side of the court. It’s first strike to Swiatek, who leads 3-1.

Swiatek is such a formidable frontrunner, so that was an important hold for Raducanu, who doesn’t look at all intimidated by the opponent or occasion. Some big hitting from both players – Raducanu is giving back as good as she gets – and Swiatek has game point at 40-30. But Raducanu pushes a little too hard and overcooks her forehand as Swiatek holds for 2-1, just as Pera takes out Vekic, the 18th seed and Olympic silver medallist, in a deciding set tie-break by 10 points to 3 for a 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 win. The American’s reward is a third-round meeting with Svitolina.

But it’s a fine line between aggression and going for too much, as another Raducanu effort whistles long on the opening point of her first service game. 0-15. Then 15-all. With the roof open and the wind swirling, Swiatek mis-times her shot and nets. 30-15 turns into 40-15 and 40-30. And Raducanu gets her side of the scoreboard moving when Swiatek hoiks long. It’s 1-1.

A promising start from Raducanu, who takes Swiatek to deuce on the Pole’s serve. Swiatek holds from her second advantage, when Raducanu’s forehand flies just long. But signs there that Raducanu is willing to take it to Swiatek, which she’s going to have to do; she’ll have no chance against the defending champion if she’s too passive.

France’s Quentin Halys has come from a set down to defeat Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in four, while Stefanos Tsitsipas and Tommy Paul are just getting going in their respective matches. Tsitsipas came within a set of winning this event in 2021, but he’s no longer the force he was then, even though he does still have that beautiful backhand.

Despite losing that aura of invincibility, Swiatek is still the strong favourite. Raducanu is very much finding her feet on clay, playing at Roland Garros for only the second time in her career, and – as is par for the course with Raducanu – struggled with injury in the build-up to the tournament and illness in her three-set, first-round win. Raducanu hasn’t beaten Swiatek in their four previous meetings, let alone won a set.

A huge smile from Raducanu as she walks on to Chatrier, as the roof opens. The British No 2 is relaxed enough to share a joke with one of the ball kids. And then comes Swiatek, who looks much more serious; she’s got her game face on. Or maybe she’s feeling nervous given her form. The defending champion hasn’t won a title, or reached a final, since the 2024 French Open. In truth she hasn’t really recovered from that one-month doping ban last year.

While we wait for Raducanu and Swiatek to step on to Chatrier, Raducanu’s current coach, Mark Petchey, is talking to TNT Sports. “We’ve worked on her serve, changed her strings, and she has a lot of work to do to be the best player she can be.” Asked about the match-up with the four-times champion, Petchey says: “I like the challenge for her. In the last few weeks she’s played some really good players. It’ll give her a sense of what she needs to do to develop and beat these players. She’s got to believe. Everyone’s talking about Iga being in indifferent form, but we’re talking about form that was up here,” he says, raising his hand to the sky.

Meanwhile hands have been shaken on Simonne Mathieu and Svitolina is beaming, because she’s completed a hard-earned 7-6, 7-5 win over Bondar. Up next for the Ukrainian: either Vekic or Pera, who are locked at 3-3 in the final set.

Merci Daniel. Mats Wilander is on court to ask Alcaraz for his post-match verdict. “I started pretty well, in the first set I had really high confidence, in the second set it was more difficult to deal with his game,” he says. “In the last two sets I started to play better and better.” Wilander then asks if Alcaraz has fun on court. “Most of the time,” Alcaraz says, smiling. “Sometimes I suffer. But it’s a beautiful court, I have to enjoy. I love playing here at Roland Garros.” He then does a little chant, before heading into the locker room.

Righto, Maroz-San and Daniel-San are both off; Katy’s back for the next hour, with Raducanu v Swiatek imminent on Chatrier.

It’s taken her a while, but Svitolina now looks to have Bondar’s measure, punishing her with groundstrokes to make 0-40. And she only needs one of her three break points, Bondar swatting long, and at 7-6 6-5, the no 14 seed will shortly serve for the match. Talking of which, Alcaraz has two points to move on…

While I was at that roundup, Alcaraz broke Maroz-San again and will shortly serve for the match at 5-2 in the fourth.

Going around the courts, Ofner has levelled at a set apiece against Khachanov; Halys leads Kecmanovic 2-1 6-5 on serve; Vekic has levelled against Pera and they’re 1-1 in the decider; and Tauson leads Rus 2-0.

Alcaraz is at the do what you want stage. He breaks Maroz-San again for 3-2 and this time, consolidates to love, the way his final serve is dumped into the net suggesting an opponent who knows the jig is bust.

Ahahaha, Mpetshi Perricard beings with a love game containing three aces. Meantime, back on Mathieu, Bondar is still playing well; Svitolina leads 7-6 4-4.

Mpetshi Perricard and Dzumhur are ready to go and I’m looking forward to this one. The young Frenchman is a very serious talent – as Tumaini explains.

Oooh, Marozsan isn’t going away, earning break-back point on advantage, and when Alcaraz again chases down a drop to respond with a lob, this tmie it’s despatched via slam-dunk and at 2-2 we’re back level in the fourth.

Marozsan isn’t long for this match. Alcaraz has just broken him for 2-1 2-1, and is very much enjoying showing his ludicrous creativity to the crowd.

Musetti must fancy himself to do well here. He’s playing well, the highest seed in his quarter, Fritz, has gone, and though he might have to play Rune in round four, his last-eight opponent can only be one of Medjedovic, Altmaier, Tiafoe, Carreno Busta, Brooksby and Korda. You’d take that.

Mariano Navone has beaten Reilly Opelka 6-1 7-6(1) 6-3; next for him, Lorenzo Musetti.

Oh, and Daniel Altmaier hasn’t wasted his win over Taylor Fritz. He sounded confident and focused after that one and now with the number four seed’s path through the draw, he’s done for Vit Kopriva in four. Next up: the dangerous Hamad Medjedovic.

Alcaraz swiftly serves out. He leads Marozsan 6-1 4-6 6-1 and looks to be rolling.

Next on Lenglen: Giovani Mpetshi Perricard (31) v Damir Dzumhur.

Back to Borges, he kept on trying and noticed Ruud slowing down, unfit. But he’s proud of how he battled, saying today he got lucky. He knew his opponent was struggling to move laterally, though he was OK retrieving drop shots, so he kept him moving and it’s a big deal for him to make the third round of Roland Garros for the first time. Well done him.

Borges said he was “completely drilled” in the first set, praising Ruud’s intensity and admitting he couldn’t handle it. I’m sure he won’t mind us interrupting him to advise that Alcaraz has broken Maroz-San again and at 5-1 is now serving for a 2-1 lead.

Back on Lenglen, Borges has match point at 5-0 in the fourth…

Talking of steps, that, and other 90s innovations, are interrogated here, in the Roger Federer section of Joy of Six: ponytails.

Maroz San might be regretting his effrontery in taking a set of Alcaraz, who dashes to the net and flips a beauteous backhand down the line and by the side of the net-post, delicate as you like. The footwork! The hands! He strikes a pose, standing dead skill, then laughs at his own audacity, his opponent equal parts amused and bemused.

Alcaraz, by the way, has spent his day off getting a skin-fade of extreme severity, the kind of thing you come back with the first time your parents let you go to the barber on your bill. Personally, I prefer my grade one step.

Marozsan, though, comes back from 0-30 to hold and he’s on the board at 1-3 in set three.

Borges now leads 4-0 in the fourth; Ruud is struggling to get after anything wide of him on the forehand side. I’m sure he’d have turned it in were this not a major, but he’ll know as well as we know: the match is effectively over.

Marozsan makes Alcaraz fight for his hold at the start of set three, but he gets there then races to 0-40. Marozsan, though, saves two break points and is dominating the next rally … then, after a huge forehand allows the drop, Alcaraz hares after it, skids into a lob … and it’s a winner! That is ridiculous behaviour but with him, we’re sensitised to it. It was enough to get there, never mind dig out so perfect a riposte. Alcaraz leads 6-1 4-6 2-0.

On Mathieu, Svitolina has set points in her breaker against Bondar, and a drop secures a 7-6(4) first set.

Elsewhere, Halys has just gone 2-1 up against Kecmanovic; Khachanov has just taken the first set off Ofner; and Pera leads Vekic 6-2 2-1.

Ruud has, I’m afraid, gone. Borges is thwacking with abandon now and at 30-40, a big forehand to the corner seals a break for 2-1 2-0. It’d now be a shock if he lost.

Alcaraz makes 0-15 but Marozsan quickly takes the next three points … then backs up a monstrous T-serve with a forehand that, though it picks out the corner in which Alcaraz waits, is too hot to get back. We’re level at a set apiece and it’s a funny thing: Carlitos hasn’t been great lately but his tennis in the first was up there with the best I’ve seen him play in recent months. And now look!

Ruud looks extremely unhappy as he returns to court and Borges – who we said would give him grief on Monday – holds to love in game one of set four to lead 2-1 1-0. I’m not sure he’s going to see this one out.

Thanks Katy and greetings everyone. I’m watching Marozsan v Alcaraz, Bondar v Svitolina and Ruud v Borges; Marozsan – or Maroz San as I hope his Karate Kid-loving mates call him – will shortly serve for a set apiece.

With Svitolina holding for 6-5, and Marozsan holding for 5-3, I’ll hand you over to Daniel to take you through the next hour …

I’m not sure if there’s something bothering Ruud physically, I’ve not been watching many of the points, but he’s totally outplayed as Borges gets himself two set points at 15-40 on Ruud’s serve. Ruud gifts the third set to him with an error. And here comes the trainer. Borges leads 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 – and is a set away from one of the shocks of the tournament so far. Ruud is receiving treatment to his left leg.

Svitolina has a set point on Bondar’s serve at 5-4 but can’t take it. Reilly Opelka is now two sets down, 6-1, 7-6, against Mariano Navone. And Ruud is in a rut against Borges, trailing 5-1 in the third set with the pair level at one set all.

Alcaraz is again applying the pressure on Marozsan’s serve, with two break points at 15-40. He hasn’t taken any of his chances in the second set and he doesn’t here either. Having seen the ball like a football in the first set, he’s struggling for focus. That’s one area he still needs to work on. He gets a third break point at his advantage, but Marozsan catches Alcaraz by surprise with a drop shot – even though the Hungarian’s already hit what feels like 673 of those today. After a few more deuces Marozsan holds for 4-2 – after Alcaraz won the first set 6-1.

As one Hungarian rises, so does another, as Bondar, 3-0 down at the rain break, holds to love to get herself level with Svitolina at 4-4.

But back to Chatrier, where Marozsan is managing to hold on to that break in the second set against Alcaraz, leading 2-1, 30-0. But a weak drop shot slumps into the net and it’s 30-all. And soon 30-40. A break-back point for the defending champion. Alcaraz hoiks a forehand long and it’s deuce. Marozsan holds from there for 3-1, with some fine volleying. That was Edberg-like.

Meanwhile on Suzanne Lenglen, Ruud has been pegged back by Borges, conceding the second set 6-4, having won the first 6-2.

The covers have been peeled off on the outside courts and Svitolina is back under way, with that 3-0 first-set advantage over Bondar. Elsewhere the huge-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov leads 3-2 with the break in the first set against Austria’s Sebastian Ofner, Donna Vekic, last year’s Olympic silver medallist and Wimbledon semi-finalist, has won the opening game on serve against the American Bernarda Pera, while Taylor Fritz’s conqueror Daniel Altmaier leads two sets to one against Vit Kopriva.

It’s interesting how Alcaraz has admitted that during Jannik Sinner’s ban the pressure for him to win every tournament “killed” him, because he’s still managed to compile a 16-1 record on clay this season, including the Monte Carlo Masters title, the Barcelona Open final and the Italian Open title – where he beat the returning Sinner in the final. He’s brought that form to Roland Garros, and looked as good as he ever has in the opening set, but then, as he can be prone to do, he takes his eye off and is broken at the start of the second. It’s Alcaraz 6-1, 0-1 Marozsan.

Alcaraz backs up the double break for 4-0, while Ruud has wrapped up the first set 6-2 against Borges. Play has been suspended, though, on Simonne Mathieu, where the perennially popular Elina Svitolina – especially so in France, given she’s married to Gael Monfils – leads Hungary’s Anna Bondar 3-0. Given Svitolina’s quick start perhaps she didn’t stay up to watch Monfils’s five-set comeback last night.

Alcaraz has taken his rugby top off now, and once again is wearing his white-and-black striped shirt with strips of blue – a horizontal version of Newcastle’s home shirt for next season, you could say. But I digress. What’s more of note is that Alcaraz breaks an error-strewn Marozsan to 15 in the opening game, before holding and then breaking the Hungarian again with a near-perfect point in which he plays with the lines before coming forward to settle matters at the net. Alcaraz leads 3-0 and they’ve only been going 10 minutes.

Tomorrow’s order of play is out – and it’s another men’s night match, as Jack Draper takes on Gael Monfils. It makes sense in many ways – Monfils is the home favourite, Draper is right in form, it could be one of the matches of the day – but it does mean a fifth straight day without a women’s match headlining.

I missed this earlier. Proof that Musetti is a fine man as well as a fine player:

Paolini’s win means that the defending champ Carlos Alcaraz, sporting his Nike-issued rugby shirt and a mid-tournament footballer’s fade haircut, is stepping on to Chatrier, along with Fabian Marozsan. The Hungarian has actually beaten Alcaraz before, but that was at the Italian Open in 2023. Alcaraz has won four slams since. Expect something of a drop-shot-off; for both players it’s one of their favourite shots.

Ruud has a 5-2 lead in the opening set of that match, as the 7th seed seeks to go one better than in 2022 and 2023, when he lost in the final. The Norwegian spoke to our tennis correspondent, Tumaini Carayol, last week about how he sought help from a psychologist last month after feeling mentally burnt out – “I felt a bit like I was running in a hamster wheel that never got anywhere,” he said – you can read the rest here.

Alexei Popyrin is through with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo. Next up for the Australian is the winner of Casper Ruud v Nuno Borges.

Paolini – with a smile nearly as wide as the court, as always – talks about how she feels at home playing on Chatrier now after her run to the final last year and the Olympics. She says she was happy to avoid the showers and play under the roof. “I’m ready,” she declares when asked about the next round, where she’ll have a very winnable match against the lucky loser Yuliia Starodubtseva or Anastasia Potapova.

Looking at his draw, next it’ll be either Reilly Opelka or Mariano Navone, followed by most likely Holger Rune in the fourth round. Musetti was seeded to meet Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals, but Fritz’s first-round exit means the Italian is the player to beat in this quarter and he could well go all the way to a semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz.

“It’s been a tremendous clay season so far but the ambition is higher,” Musetti says when asked on court about reaching a career-high of No 7 in the world rankings. “Here I’ve never reached more than the fourth round, hopefully this will be the year.” About 1,000 fans then descend on him for an autograph as he walks off court. He’s so popular here – and everywhere else too.

An inopportune intervention from above, as rain stops play with Musetti one game from the win against Galan, but they’re still going on Philippe Chatrier, under the roof, where Paolini is moving closer to victory, leading Tomljanovic 6-3, 3-1.

Alexei Popyrin looks bound for the third round too: the Australian leads Alejandro Tabilo 7-5, 6-3, 3-2. Daniel Altmaier has been pulled back to one set all against Vit Kopriva, while Reilly Opelka, the tallest man in tennis at 6ft11in, isn’t standing so stall right now, as the American’s conceded the first set 6-1 against Argentina’s Mariano Navone.

After Paolini’s and Musetti’s breakout seasons last year – Paolini’s at the age of 28, Musetti’s at the more conventional age of 22 – both Italians are expected to deliver now, and today they’re doing so with relative ease. Paolini has a 6-3, 2-0 grip on her match with Tomljanovic, while Musetti is serving at 6-4, 6-0, 4-3, with the break.

Zheng is serving for the match at 6-2, 5-3. Paolini is about to serve for the first set at 5-3. Zheng looks like she’s going to get the job done first, putting away the volley when under pressure at 15-30, before an unreturned serve makes it match point. Zheng’s backhand lands just out – but from deuce another winning volley secures a second match point. Which she also fails to take – just as Paolini pings a backhand winner for a 6-3 lead against Tomljanovic.

Zheng is closing in on victory, leading Arango 6-2, 5-2. But the Olympic champion should be warned: Victoria Mboko is waiting in round three. On her grand slam debut, Mboko has beaten Germany’s Eva Lys 6-4, 6-4, for her 39th win this season. What a breakthrough year this is turning out to be for the 18-year-old qualifier from Canada.

Musetti’s purple patch continues. He leads 6-4, 6-0. And then somehow produces a ridiculous passing winner off a smash! He had no right to win that point. It gives him two break points in the first game of the third set. He tries to repeat the trick on the next point but nets. And Galan gets to deuce. After another couple of deuces the Colombian stops the rot with a hold.

Tomljanovic said before this match that she’d need to play the same way as she did in her all-Australian tussle with Maya Joint in the first round, attacking on the front foot, because she sees a lot of similarities between Joint and Paolini. But Paolini’s court coverage and guile gives the Italian an early break, as she comes to the net to bring up 30-40 and then hits into the open court to take the game after a well-constructed point. Paolini breaks for 2-1.

Musetti has put the afterburners on in the second set against Galan, leading 6-4, 5-0 and just about to serve for the set. Meanwhile on Philippe Chatrier, another fine Italian is under way, with Jasmine Paolini, last year’s runner-up to Iga Swiatek, level at one game all against Ajla Tomljanovic, the 32-year-old Australian.

After Sonay Kartal’s victory yesterday – along with wins for Jack Draper and Cameron Norrie – helped ensure that Britain had six first-round winners at Roland Garros for the first time since 1973, Kartal is in doubles action right now – having had to delay a tattoo appointment until later today in order to play. I’m sure the advice is to wait a few days before exercising after getting a tattoo, but she does already have 13 of them, so maybe I should pipe down. Kartal and Jodie Burrage are in a first-set tie-break against Japan’s Ena Shibahara and China’s Guo Hanyu.

Anisimova has punched her ticket into round three, with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Golubic; the American simply had too much power for the neutralised Swiss.

Il pleut. Play is continuing on some courts; on others the players are waiting. There are a few other matches to mention: Daniel Altmaier, the Roland Garros giantkiller after his victory over Taylor Fritz on Monday and Jannik Sinner in 2023, has taken the first set 6-2 against the Czech Republic’s Vit Kopriva, the Australian 25th seed Alexei Popyrin leads Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo 7-5 and Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic is 6-3, 2-1 up on Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

Cheers on Simonne Mathieu, where Musetti has a set point after 25-shot rally. The Italian is serving at his advantage. He jumps into a forehand, flicks a beautiful one-handed backhand (there aren’t too many 23-year-olds with one of those these days) … but then he nets. And curses. Deuce. Musetti goes back behind Galan to bring up another set point. And this time he emphatically puts away the smash to secure the opener 6-4.

Mboko will likely face Zheng in the third round if she advances. Zheng has the first set in the bag, 6-2, against Arango.

Mboko nervelessly moves to 15-0, 30-0. But Lys then has the teenager scampering left and right and left and right and Mboko hits wide. Mboko is slumped over when she batters a backhand into the net. 30-all. But she regroups to bring up set point, and a netted return means she takes the opener 6-4!

Well worth a mention is the 18-year-old Victoria Mboko, whom the WTA website describes as the “teenager who won’t stop winning”. The Canadian, whose parents emigrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo before she was born, started the year ranked No 333, but after racking up a record of 38 wins and only five losses in 2025, she’s up to 120 in the world and came through qualifying in Paris. And here she is, serving for the first set at 5-4 against Germany’s Eva Lys.

Jasmine Paolini, who opens the day’s schedule on Chatrier in about half an hour’s time, has been practising on the court – and seeking some inspiration from Rafa.

Anisimova has a set point, leading 5-0 and 30-40 on Golubic’s serve. And an errant forehand from Golubic concedes the set. Victoria Azarenka served up an early double bagel yesterday; we could have another this morning.

As for Zheng Qinwen, the last woman to win at Roland Garros, having claimed the Olympic singles title last summer, she’s 2-1 up on serve against Emiliana Arango, the 24-year-old Colombian. And Lorenzo Musetti, the Italian 8th seed who’s in fine form on the clay, he’s got himself an early break and leads another Colombian, the lucky loser Daniel Elahi Galan, 3-2.

Amanda Anisimova isn’t messing around, leading Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic 4-0. The American 16th seed came within a few games of reaching the French Open final as a 17-year-old in 2019. She’s not been that deep in a grand slam since – and is wildly inconsistent – but on her day is capable of pulling off some results; her victories over Andreeva, Navarro, Ostapenko and Badosa this year are evidence of that.

Ons Jabeur, who lost in the first round yesterday, has called out organisers for not scheduling women’s matches in the night slot, saying: “I don’t think they have daughters.” Last year all 11 prime-time matches featured men, and that’s been the case too for the first four days of this year’s tournament – tonight 12th seed Holger Rune will face the American world No 137 Emilio Nava – so it’s hardly the contest of the day. Why couldn’t, say, Swiatek and Raducanu have played their match this evening? What’s more baffling about the French Open’s stance is that Amelie Mauresmo – who does have a daughter – is the tournament director. You’d think she’d be more keen to promote the women’s game.

The players are out on another overcast day in Paris, so expect heavy conditions again. Among the early starters: the Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, the red-hot Italian Lorenzo Musetti, the Canadian teenage winning machine Victoria Mboko, the French Open giantkiller Daniel Altmaier, the American former semi-finalist Amanda Anisimova, the Australian 25th seed Alexei Popyrin and Argentina’s clay-court slugger Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

Meanwhile on TNT Sports, Chrissie Evert, Tim Henman, Laura Robson and Anne Keothavong have some important business to discuss: Nike’s 2025 French Open rugby vibe vs Adidas’s neon highlighter tops. Doesn’t sound as if they’re massively impressed with either tbh.

Play didn’t finish until past midnight as Gael Monfils treated his home crowd to a comeback from two sets to love down, with the 38-year-old eventually seeing off Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-1 – despite crashing into the advertising boards during the first set and needing a medical timeout for treatment to his hand, knee and back. The 2008 semi-finalist will face Jack Draper next. Ever the showman, there were so many highlights last night, but here’s one of them:

Before we get going, here’s what happened yesterday: