Roland Garros Will Have a First-Time Women’s Major Champ As Muguruza, Williams, Kuznetsova and Stosur Lose
Caroline Wozniacki
(June 4, 2017) There will be a new major winner for the women at Roland Garros this year. Sunday saw the four remaining major title holders all lose – defending Roland Garros champion Garbine Muguruza, 7-time major winner Venus Williams, 2009 winner Svetlana Kuznetsova and 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur.
Fourth seed Muguruza not only had to battle French woman Kristina Mladenovic but the boisterous French crowd. Mladenovic beat the Spaniard 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.
“The crowd was really tough today,” Muguruza said in her news conference. Her news conference stopped when she had to leave the room and compose herself.
She said the fans should be more respectful.
“I don’t think that they crossed the line,” Mladenovic said after the match. “Honestly, no, I don’t think it was unsportsmanship or unfair or anything.”
“I’m playing at home,” said the French woman “Obviously they are excited. The atmosphere was just, yeah, amazing.”
Mladenovic will be facing Timea Bacsinszky, in the quarterfinals
Venus Williams, a 2002 Roland Garros finalist, lost to the Swiss Bacsinszky 5-7, 6-2, 6-1. Last year Williams also lost to the Swiss in the fourth round of Roland Garros.
“She had so many answers today,” said Williams.
“It was something really special,” Bacsinszky said. “All the time when I step on these courts here, there’s something special happening. I feel really privileged to be able to play on these courts.”
Kuznetsova, 2009 French Open winner, fell to former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. It’s the first time that the Dane has reached the quarterfinals since 2010.
Stosur lost to teenager Jelena Ostapenko 2-6, 6-2, 6-4. Ostenpenko will play Wozniacki next.
On the men’s side of the draw, nine-time champion Rafael Nadal and defending champion Novak Djokovic each had straight-set victories to reach the final 8 for the 11th straight time, equaling Roger Federer’s record in the Open Era. Nadal beat 17th seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 while No. 2 Djokovic stopped Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6 (5), 6-1, 6-3
Nadal will square off against. No. 20 Pablo Carreno Busta. Busta beat No. 5 seed Milos Raonic in five sets.
Djokovic will take on No. 6 Dominic Thiem. Thiem beat Horacio Zeballos 6-1, 6-3, 6-1.