Murray, Djokovic, Tsonga defy rain, Serena gets a shock, Thiem to face Nadal

On day four of Roland Garros we learned that rain can’t stop Djokovic and Tsonga, Muguruza can stop Williams and young blood is rising.

Serena Williams expresses a certain frustration during her match against Garbine Muguruza Reuters/Jean-Paul Pelissier

• The weather is taking its toll. On day three the British seventh seed Andy Murray spoke about playing in tricky conditions during his second round match and on day
  

• four the inclement conditions had second seed Novak Djokovic and the French 13th seed Jo Wilifried Tsonga also lamenting the heavy, damp courts. But at least they’re both into the third round.

• Shocking, positively shocking. Yes, OK it’s a Sean Connery line from the opening scenes to Goldfinger but it can just as easily apply to the first few days at the French Open. The men’s third seed Stan Wawrinka lost in his first round match on day two then the women’s second seed Li Na was dispatched on day three and on day four the women’s top seed Serena Williams was carved up in straight sets. Williams had been looking for her 18th grand slam title but Garbine Muguruza had other ideas.
• The way to progress is to learn. We’re not yet going to come over all moralistic quite yet in the five things round up but the lesson was proffered by Garbine Muguruza. She said she was so nervous at facing Serena Williams at the Australian Open a few years back, that she lost the plot and was thrashed. The Venezuelan decided she wouldn’t be gripped by trepidation in the second round encounter on day four. Lo and behold, she kept her calm and played a blinder. She’s into round three and La Williams is reacquainting herself with the practice courts.
• Never lose your self-esteem. Clearly the five things round-up has come over all moralistic. But it’s a zeitgeist thang. Serena’s defeat in the second round means that this is the first time she’s failed to make it into the second week at a grand slam when she’s been the top seed. Like the second seed, Li Na, on day three, Serena was up front. She offered no excuses and said it was a bad day at the office. Congratulating Muguruza at the end of the match, she told the 20-year-old that if she continued to play in such a manner that she’d win the tournament. In her press conference after her defeat Serena added, “She plays really well – obviously – and I’ve never seen her play like this.”
• We’ve been handed a new narrative. And grizzled campaigners are salivating at the prospect. Yes, that’s quite a gruesome image but it just highlights how rare a new narrative is. Muguruza is just out of her teens. Can she do something significant at the tournament or will she wilt under the spotlight. Is youthful vim and vigour about to reshape the tennis firmament? Dominic Thiem is Austrian, 20-years-old and on day five will take on the world number one Rafael Nadal. Can he win? Are the youngsters finally pushing through? Why haven’t they done so already? Questions, questions. Answers in the fullness of time.