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Roland Garros 2015

Tsonga's out, Safarova's doing well and storm clouds stop play on day 13 of Roland Garros

French hopes for the final were deflated by Wawrinka's defeat of Tsonga, Safarova kept up a winning streak and storm clouds on the horizon meant a suspended Murray-Djokovic semi-final.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga Reuters/Vincent Kessler
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The wait goes on

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was trying to become the first Frenchman in the French Open final since Henri Leconte in 1988. It didn’t happen. The 30-year-old 14th seed lost in four sets to the Swiss eighth seed Stan Wawrinka. Yannick Noah was the last Frenchman to win the men’s title in 1983. 

Hello, hello, hello, no hola? 

With a Frenchman in the semi-final action, the review waited patiently for the Mexican Wave – known as the hola in France – during the match between the 14th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the Swiss eighth seed Stan Wawrinka. It didn’t appear for the first hour or so because Tsonga was behind. He lost the first set 3-6 and was down a break in the second but came back to 4-4. He won it in the tie break. Hola? No, nothing. Tsonga lost the third set so we didn’t expect one there. And he lost the fourth. 

Lucie Safarova is having a great tournament 

The Czech 13th seed advanced to her first grand slam final on Thursday after beating the 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic. Safarova has already seen off the defending champion Maria Sharapova on her way to the final. On day 13, the 28-year-old progressed to the final of the ladies doubles with her partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands. 

You’re supposed to stay quiet between the points 

Really? The umpire reminded the centre court crowd about this during the semi-final match between the French 14th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the Swiss eighth seed Stan Wawrinka. During many of the tense exchanges, members of the crowd gasped as they thought the ball was going out or into the net. The players were at the start of the tie beak to decide the third set and the noises had been putting the lads on court off their game. Bless the dears. 

Le public sauvé des eaux 

The review makes no apologies for its attempts to add a literary or cinematic touch to the proceedings emanating from the day at Roland Garros. And so we take the chance to throw in a clin d’oeil to the 1932 Jean Renoir movie. It was updated by Hollywood in the mid-1980s. But the revamped title Down and Out in Beverley Hills doesn’t really help us. The British third seed Andy Murray had just warded off a couple of break points in the fourth set to level at 3-3 in his semi-final against the top seed Novak Djokovic. The referee came on and chatted with Andy. He went over to Novak. He consulted the umpire. And that was it. Play suspended because a storm was on its way. The spectators – whistling their discontent – were urged to leave calmly. What this lot? Calmly? Because the rains were acoming. They all left for the shelters. And, once they were out, play was suspended for the night because it was around 2030 and darkness would soon be upon us. We, the paying benighted. The match will be resumed on day 14. Stan Wawrinka will have to wait a few more hours to know the identity of his opponent in the men’s showdown on Sunday afternoon – weather permitting, of course.

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