Andy Murray set for French Open quarter-final against Kei Nishikori

Andy Murray will look to make amends for last year’s US Open defeat when he takes on Kei Nishikori in the French Open quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Murray and Nishikori will meet on Court Philippe Chatrier at around 15:00 BST.

The Briton, 30, lost a dramatic five-set contest when they met at the same stage in New York last September.

Surprisingly, the Japanese player struggled to even recall the match when asked on Monday: “I don’t even know if I won or lost. I won?”

• Nadal and Djokovic matches postponed
• Ostapenko shocks Wozniacki in last eight

It was only his second win over Murray, who has since taken his tally to eight victories having beaten Nishikori in the Davis Cup, Olympics and ATP Finals in 2016.

After a slow start to 2017 as he struggled with injuries and illness, the world number one has found his form at Roland Garros.

Impressive wins over Juan Martin del Potro and Karen Khachanov in the last two rounds have suggested Murray is capable of matching last year’s run to the final.

“I’m happy with where my game’s at,” the Scot said after his fourth-round win.

“Everything is going pretty well just now. I’m feeling good going into the middle part of the second week.”

And the Wimbledon champion does at least remember his New York defeat last year, which came three weeks after he won Olympic gold in Rio.

“I obviously lost against him at the US Open,” Murray said. “He plays well on the clay, obviously, and is very solid off both wings.”

If Murray has had his health issues in 2017, Nishikori has struggled with injuries throughout his career, a right wrist hampering him this season after hip and rib problems in 2016.

The 27-year-old Japanese player has already played one five-set match in Paris and twice lost sets 6-0.

However, he has only spent 20 minutes more on court than Murray, at 11 hours and 24 minutes, and says he will be ready after a day off.

“I think physically, I’m OK,” Nishikori said.

“It’s not easy. Long matches. I’m a little bit sore, but I’m sure it’s going to be okay. I have one day rest [on Tuesday].

“I’ll try to be physically ready for a long, tough match.”

Analysis

BBC Sport tennis correspondent Russell Fuller at Roland Garros

Murray has an excellent record against Nishikori, but will still have vivid memories of the defeat he suffered at last year’s US Open.

The Japanese won the deciding set of their quarter-final 7-5: Murray had led by two sets to one but became distracted by a malfunctioning sound system and a yellow butterfly.

Nishikori has had a more gruelling passage to the last eight: he has twice lost a set 6-0, appears hindered by back trouble and will need to play as he did in New York to topple the rapidly improving world number one.

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French Open 2017: Jelena Ostapenko shocks Caroline Wozniacki

Unseeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko became the first teenager to reach the French Open women’s semi-finals since 2007 with a shock win against former world number one Caroline Wozniacki.

The 19-year-old lost the first five games of her first major quarter-final before winning 4-6 6-2 6-2.

She will play Swiss 30th seed Timea Bacsinszky, who beat France’s Kristina Mladenovic 6-4 6-4.

“I’m really happy, I can’t believe it,” world number 47 Ostapenko said.

• Wide-open women’s draw is ‘land of opportunity’ – Davenport
• Live scores and schedule

Ostapenko will meet 27-year-old Bacsinszky in their semi-final on Thursday – when both players celebrate their birthdays.

The pair eventually won their quarter-final matches after torrential rain disrupted the first two women’s last-eight ties in Paris.

Two rain delays – totalling almost four hours – meant Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic’s French Open quarter-finals were postponed until Wednesday.

Ostapenko is the first teenager to reach the Roland Garros semi-finals since Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic and the first to book a place in a Grand Slam semi-final since American Madison Keys at the 2015 US Open.

“It was tough because we had to go away two times from the court,” Ostapenko said.

“Caroline is a tough opponent, I knew I had to stay aggressive, I lost it sometimes but I found my game.”

Wozniacki’s wait goes on in wide-open draw

With pregnant Serena Williams missing and a number of notable early exits, a first-time Grand Slam women’s singles champion will be crowned in Paris.

Wozniacki, 26, boasted the best pedigree of the eight players left in the draw, and was tipped by some observers to win her first major title.

The Dane ended the year as world number one in 2010 and 2011 and has reached two US Open finals without success.

The gulf in experience between Wozniacki, who was competing in her eighth Grand Slam quarter-final, and Ostapenko was huge.

The Latvian looked a little nervous as Wozniacki eased into a 5-0 lead in the first set, but pegged her back to 5-4 before Wozniacki broke her serve for a third time to clinch the opener.

Ostapenko took only two of 11 break points in the first set, but was more clinical when the chances continued to come in the second set.

Both players again struggled to hold their serve, exchanging breaks before Ostapenko rattled off three games in a row to lead 5-2.

Ostapenko served out for the set after the first three-hour rain delay, and then grew in confidence in the decider as Wozniacki wobbled.

Ostapenko broke her serve in the fifth game, going on to win the final five games to become the first Latvian women to reach a Grand Slam semi-final in the Open Era.

Bacsinszky ends French dream

After beating defending champion Garbine Muguruza in the previous round, the home fans had hoped Mladenovic could end France’s 17-year wait for a home winner at Roland Garros.

Both players struggled in the blustery conditions in the first part of the match but the French 24-year-old in particular lacked the intensity and power of her Muguruza win.

Mladenovic fought off a break point immediately after the first rain delay at the start of the second set, and broke serve in the following game, but Bacsinszky came back to win in one hour 49 minutes on court.

The win puts the 27-year-old Swiss into the French Open semi-finals for the second time, having been beaten in the last four by Serena Williams in 2015.

Bacsinszky almost quit tennis under the pressure of what she called a “control freak” father in 2013 but is now a win away from her first Grand Slam final.

Analysis

Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent at Roland Garros:

“The rain delays – one of which lasted over three hours – did Mladenovic no favours. She loves to work the crowd and after a sequence of emotional and narrow victories in earlier rounds, it all fell a bit flat on the Philippe Chatrier Court.

“Much of that was down to Bacsinszky, who was the superior player, and now a semi-finalist for the second time in three years.

“Ostapenko was magnificent in the other completed quarter-final. She makes a lot of unforced errors, but hit 38 winners to Wozniacki’s six as she coped so well with her first taste of a Grand Slam quarter-final.”

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Nadal & Djokovic matches moved to Wednesday

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic’s French Open quarter-finals were postponed until Wednesday following torrential rain in Paris.

The women’s quarter-finals were interrupted twice before Latvian Jelena Ostapenko and Swiss Timea Bacsinszky booked their semi-final places.

As a result of Tuesday’s downpours, officials decided to reschedule the first two men’s quarter-finals.

That means all four men’s last-eight matches will be played on Wednesday.

Fourth seed Nadal meets fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta as he aims to move a step closer to a record 10th title at Roland Garros.

Twelve-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic, who is seeded second, plays Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem.

World number one Andy Murray faces Japan’s eighth seed Kei Nishikori, while Swiss third seed Stan Wawrinka – the 2015 champion – takes on Croatian seventh seed Marin Cilic.

The remaining women’s quarter-finals are also scheduled for Wednesday.

Czech second seed Karolina Pliskova plays France’s Caroline Garcia, while 2014 finalist Simona Halep – the Romanian third seed – faces Ukraine’s fifth seed Elina Svitolina.

• Wide-open women’s draw is ‘land of opportunity’ – Davenport

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Emirates ATP Rankings Update 5 June 2017

Emirates ATP Rankings Update 5 June 2017

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Davis Cup singles to be reduced to three sets

Davis Cup singles matches will be reduced to three sets among a series reforms approved by the International Tennis Federation Board of Directors.

Davis Cup will retain its three-day format, with doubles matches on the Saturday still the best-of-five sets, and the dead rubber policy will also be amended.

Both Davis Cup and Fed Cup finalists will have the choice of hosting their first-round tie the following year.

The changes still require AGM approval.

The ITF will be asked to approve these changes at its meeting in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in August and president David Haggerty is confident they will be passed.

“Davis Cup and Fed Cup are two of the most iconic team competitions in sport, but there is no doubt change is needed to ensure that we maximise their full potential,” he said.

“While still needing AGM approval, we are confident that our National Associations will see that to vote for these reforms is to vote for the long-term future of our competitions and our sport.”

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Behind The Scenes At Roland Garros 2017

Behind The Scenes At Roland Garros 2017

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French Open: Andy Murray ready for Kei Nishikori quarter-final

Kheredine Idessane reports from the French Open where Andy Murray is putting in some practise ahead of his last-eight tie against Japan’s Kei Nishikori.

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Preview Djokovic v Thiem In Roland Garros 2017 QF

Preview Djokovic v Thiem In Roland Garros 2017 QF

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Wawrinka Discusses Roland Garros QF Against Cilic

Wawrinka Discusses Roland Garros QF Against Cilic

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This Top 10 Duo Makes Return Numbers Add Up

This Top 10 Duo Makes Return Numbers Add Up

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