Five things we learned on day eight of Roland Garros 2016

Richard Gasquet returns the ball to Kei Nishikori during their third round match on Sunday. Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes

• Better late than never

And no we’re not talking about the rain delays causing matches to be played until the witching hour but the progress of Richard Gasquet. The boy wonder of French tennis will be 30 just after Roland Garros finishes and in this 13th appearance at his home tournament, he has reached the last eight in the singles for the first time.

• The Centre Court can help hometown heroes

Usually, the crowd’s uber expectancy renders might warriors wan and lacklustre. It wasn’t the case in the match of the ninth seeded Gasquet who took the game to his Japanese opponent Kei Nishikori. The fifth seed was a quiver of unforced errors and incompetence. He lost the first two sets but stole the third 6-4. It was a brief reprieve. The centre court would not be deined. They would have their prize. Gasquet surged into a 5-1 lead. Nishikori held serve to make it 5-2. But Gasquet wrapped up proceedings.

• It’s never obvious

Second seed Andy Murray had to come from two sets down to beat qualifier Radek Stepanek in the first round. The Briton admitted he lost his way during the second round five setter against the Frenchman Mathias Bourgue who was more than 160 places beneath him in the world rankings. Murray’s third round game was against the big serving 6ft 10in Croatian Ivo Karlovic. He was dismissed in straight sets and day eight’s fourth round opponent was the 6ft 10in American John Isner. Thunderbolt upon relentless thunderbolt was dispatched from the Isner’ racquet. The result? Another straight sets win. Any more big boys out there?

• Show me the money

It’s rare in this august column that we mention luchre. Thoughts of mammon have no place in our fine writing. But yes, the flesh is weak. What has caused this descent? A woman? Yes, a woman. And a man. Well, at least that’s politically correct. Step forward Shelby Rogers and Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Rogers, 23, had never been past the third round in her previous nine grand slam tournament appearances dating back to 2010. Indeed her prize money from tournaments before the 2016 French Open was logged as 799,773 US dollars. That’s since she turned professional in 2009. After beating the 25th seed Irina Camelia-Begu and advancing to the last eight, she will, if she loses to the fourth seed Garbine Muguruza be on her way from Paris with 294,000 euros. Ramos-Vinolas, has been on the professional tour since 2007. The 28-year-old Spaniard cannot be described as anything other than a journeyman. He’s amassed nearly 3 million dollars in prize money in that time. But he’s on a voyage of financial and sporting discovery. Following his straight sets demolition of the eighth seed Milos Raonic, Ramos-Vinolas is into a grand slam quarter-final for the first time in this his 19th appearance at a major. The review salutes their achievements. And wishes them both well. Muguruza is looking slick. And Ramos-Vinolas faces Stan Wawrinka, the defending champion.

• The weather forecast is not good for the rest of the week

That puts a new tint on raining down serves. So that’s the finals in the middle of next week then. That will be a first.

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