(June 6, 2021) Roger Federer and Serena Williams made exits in Paris on Sunday in different ways.
No. 8 seed Federer, withdrew from the tournament making a statement on social media:
Roger Federer is withdrawing from #RolandGarros https://t.co/aycHFi9bDw
— Tennis Panorama News (@TennisNewsTPN) June 6, 2021
“After discussions with my team, I’ve decided I will need to pull out of Roland Garros today.”
“After two knee surgeries and over a year of rehabilitation, it’s important that I listen to my body and make sure I don’t push myself too quickly on my road to recovery. I am thrilled to have gotten three matches under my belt. There is no greater feeling than being back on court.”
The 39-year-old was supposed to play against Matteo Berrettini in the fourth round on Monday. The Italian moves on to play the quarterfinals. Federer will be focusing on the grass court season in hopes of doing well at Wimbledon, which begins on June 28. He has won the tournament 8 times.
Serena Williams, also 39, in her first match up against 21-year-old Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, lost in straight sets 6-3, 7-5 in the fourth round, ending another attempt at claiming her 24th major title.
Q. Could it be your last match at Roland Garros? Are you not thinking about it anymore?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I’m definitely not thinking about it at all. I’m definitely thinking just about other things but not about that. 👍
— Luigi Gatto (@gigicat7_) June 6, 2021
“I got some good matches in here,” Williams said to media. “I did not have the best clay-court season. But it was good to finally get some wins on clay. I’m in a much better place than when I got here.”
Serena : “I’m excited to switch surfaces. But I don’t think I will play another warm-up tournament on grass (before Wimbledon). Possibly I’ll go home and then be back (in Europe). But not sure about the quarantine…”
— Tennis Majors (@Tennis_Majors) June 6, 2021
The 21-year-old 21st seed became the first Kazakh to defeat Williams. Rybakina now goes on to plays Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
The Russian last reached the elite 8 stage in Paris 10 years ago. She beat two-time major winner Victoria Azarenka 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.
Secure the W ✅#RolandGarros | @NastiaPav pic.twitter.com/sRgdh5qatx
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 6, 2021
In another fourth round match which was a battle between unseeded players, Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia beat Romanian Sorana Cirstea 7-6 (4), 6-1.
In men’s action, despite calling himself a “cow on ice” when it comes to playing on clay, No. 2 seed Daniil Medvedev continue to advance at Roland Garros. The Russian, who came into the tournament with an 0-4 career record at the French Open advanced to the final 8 with a win Cristian Garin 6-2, 6-1, 7-5.
“Me, Tsitsipas and Zverev are all happy not to be in the same half of the draw as Rafa and Novak (Djokovic),” Medvedev said to media.
Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Medvedev in the quarterfinals. The man from Greece stopped Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-2, 7-5.
On playing Medvedev with a 1-6 record against him: “I think every single match that I had against him was a learning experience. I had high expectations for him, and that’s a good thing, going into the match having high expectations [for] your opponent.”
More to follow….
