Two comebacks after midnight at Roland-Garros. Félix Auger-Aliassime (No 4) came back from 1-4 down in the third to beat Brandon Nakashima 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(4), 7-6(1) on Chatrier – the match briefly stopped when the crowd erupted at news of PSG’s Champions League final win. Frances Tiafoe (No 19) came back from two sets to love down for the second match running, beating Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-2 on Court 14 in four hours.
Félix Auger-Aliassime and Frances Tiafoe both came through difficult third-round matches in the night session on Saturday at Roland-Garros, both required comebacks, and both finished after midnight in a Paris that had gone to bed late on a different result.
Auger-Aliassime, the fourth seed, beat American 31st seed Brandon Nakashima 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(4), 7-6(1) on Court Philippe-Chatrier, recovering from 1-4 down in the third set. Tiafoe, the 19th seed, came back from two sets to love down to beat 22-year-old Portuguese Jaime Faria 4-6, 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-2 on Court 14 in four hours.
Auger-Aliassime’s match had its own Paris moment. Play was interrupted on Court Philippe-Chatrier at 1-0 in the first set when the crowd erupted at the news that Paris Saint-Germain had beaten Arsenal in the Champions League final in Budapest, retaining the trophy. The chair umpire paused play. The roar took a while to settle.
Auger-Aliassime, who had needed five sets to come through his opening-round match against Daniel Altmaier earlier in the week and four against Roman Andrés Burruchaga in the second round, opened the night by addressing the crowd directly in the on-court interview. “It’s been a good evening for me, and for the Parisian people,” he said. “Congratulations to (PSG coach) Luis Enrique.”
Auger-Aliassime is now the second-highest-ranked player still in the men’s draw after Alexander Zverev, in a quarter that has lost almost every leading name above and around him – Daniil Medvedev, Valentin Vacherot and Cameron Norrie all out in the opening week, with Tabilo, his round-of-16 opponent, the only seed left between him and a quarter-final.
Tiafoe’s contest on Court 14 was, by the time it finished, the same story told differently. The 28-year-old American – playing his second consecutive five-setter at Roland-Garros after a 4h 43min escape against Hubert Hurkacz in the second round – was two sets down to the World No. 115 in the world. Faria, who had already beaten Jan-Lennard Struff and Denis Shapovalov in the opening rounds, was playing his career best.
By the time both matches had ended, Paris was well past midnight, the PSG victory had emptied bars and filled the bridges, and the men’s bottom half of the draw had two more survivors – both into their second week, both with bodies that had given a great deal across the first.
JM.Cerundolo – M.Landaluce: 6-4, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (4), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (8)
M.Berrettini – F.Comesana: 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(13)
F.Tiafoe (19) – J.Faria (Q): 4-6, 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-2
M.Arnaldi – R.Collignon: 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6
F.Auger-Aliassime (4) vs B.Nakashima (31): 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(4), 7-6(1)
A.Tabilo – M.Kouame (W): 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(9)
F.Cobolli (10) – L.Tien (18): 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
Z.Svajda – F.Cerundolo (25): 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
J.Mensik (26) – A.De Minaur (8): 6-0, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
A.Rublev (11) – N.Borges: 7-5, 7⁷-6², 7⁷-6², 7⁷-6²
C.Ruud (15) – T.Paul (24): 4-6, 6⁴-7⁷, 6-4, 7-6⁴, 7-5
J.Fonseca (28) – N.Djokovic (3): 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5
R.Jodar (27) – A.Michelsen: 7⁷-6², 6⁵-7⁷, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
P.Carreno Busta – TA.Tirante: 7⁷-6⁰, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
J.De Jong (LL)- – K.Khachanov (13): 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6²-7⁷, 6-4
A.Zverev (2) – Q.Halys: 6-4, 6-3, 5-7², 6-2
Cerundolo – Berrettini
Tiafoe (19) – Arnaldi
Auger-Aliassime (4) – Tabilo
Cobolli (10) – Svajda
Mensik (26) – Rublev (11)
Ruud (15) – Fonseca (28)
Jodar (27) – Carreno Busta
Zverev (2) – De Jong (LL)
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