And after all the damp and drizzle, we got sunshine but still no blue skies thinking on the night session.
Inequality session
Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune were the lads out late on Day 9. That it was an enthralling match is irrelevant. That made it nine out of nine night sessions featuring a tie from the men's draw.
Djokovic express
After playing from 10.30pm on Saturday night until l just after 3am on Sunday morning, top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic started his last-16 match against the 23rd seed Francisco Ceundolo at the godly hour of 4pm. And it made not a jot of difference. He was on court for four hours and 39 minutes in another five-setter. He battled with a gammy knee for a couple of hours during the encounter before the win – a record 370th at one of the four Grand Slam tournament events in Melbourne, Paris, London and New York. That demotes that Roger Federer to second place.
Planning
It all went to the form book in the last-16 in the bottom half of the women's singles. Second seed Aryna Sabalenka smashed up the 22nd seed Emma Navarro in straight sets. Fourth seed Elena Rybakin dispatched 15th seed Elina Svitolina also in straight sets and the 12th seed Jasmine Paolini got past the unseeded Russia Elina Avanesyan in three to reach the last eight at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time. "It feels so good," said the 28-year-old Italian. "And I'm really happy." After several years of first and second round exits at the Grand Slams, Paolini reached the fourth round at the Australian Open in Melbourne in January. "I played some big matches last year with a few of the top players and I think that's helped me to have more confidence in myself," she added. "Before it was: 'I cannot win these matches. I have to do a miracle.' But now I step on court, and I say: 'OK I can have my chances.'" Next up for Paolini? Ms Rybakina. Time to start praying for the miracle.
Adieu
The last home hope was ejected. Well, we say home because Varvara Gracheva was born in Moscow but has been playing under the French flag since June 2023. She lost to Mirra Andreeva from Russia in straight sets. The 17-year-old reached a quarter-final at a Grand Slam event for the first time with the straight sets victory on Court Suzanne Lenglen. "It was tense and nervous. Big court, big stage," said Andreeva who will take on the second seed Aryna Sabalenka for a place in the semi-final. "There was a big crowd, a lot of people so I'm just proud of the way I managed to stay calm and keep playing my game."
Fast track?
Mirra Andreeva's advance into the last eight made her the second-youngest woman in the 21st century to reach the quarter‑finals at the French Open. So congratulations to the 17-year-old. The youngest? A certain Sesil Karatantcheva from Bulgaria who was 15 when she surged to the quarters in 2005. Andreeva should be wary. Karatantcheva never again reached such lofty heights following a two-year ban for taking performance enhancing drugs. So much for emergence.
