Paris (AFP)
Benoît Paire carries in him the first hopes of seeing a Frenchman in the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros, which has not happened since 2016: he faces Sunday on the court Suzanne-Lenglen the Japanese Kei Nishikori, N.7 world, who had beaten him last year Porte d'Auteuil.
The Avignonnais, winner of two clay tournaments this season, has the opportunity to reach the Grand Slam quarter for the first time in his 30-year career. However, he will have to raise his level of play, he who for the moment has not faced a seed in the tournament.
Last year, in their second-round match, the Japanese turned the situation around after two sets to one. In all, Nishikori won six times in eight games against Paire.
Moreover, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who can not meet before the semifinals, will aim to continue their adventure at the expense of two Argentine players, respectively Juan Ignacio Londero (78th) and Leonardo Mayer (68th).
The program has two particularly interesting shocks: Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka (28th), for the first time in two years in the second week of the Grand Slam, will challenge the Greek promise Stefanos Tsitsipas (6th at 20), while at the end day on the Central, the finalist Sloane Stephens (7th) will have to get rid of a former winner, the Spanish Garbine Muguruza (19th).
Main matches on the program of the eighth day (start at 11:00):
. Central Court Philippe-Chatrier
Kaia Kanepi (EST) - Petra Martic (CRO / N.31)
Leonardo Mayer (ARG) - Roger Federer (SUI / N.3)
Juan Ignacio Londero (ARG) - Rafael Nadal (ESP / N.2)
Sloane Stephens (USA / N.7) - Garbine Muguruza (ESP / N.19)
. Court Suzanne-Lenglen
Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) - Anastasija Sevastova (LAT / N.12)
Donna Vekic (CRO / N.23) - Johanna Konta (GBR / N.26)
Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE / N.6) - Stan Wawrinka (SUI / N.24)
Kei Nishikori (JPN / N.7) - Benoît Paire (FRA)
? 2019 AFP