Paris (AFP)

Serena Williams, still looking for a historic 24th Grand Slam coronation, joined the second week of Roland Garros on Friday for the first time since 2018. Daniil Medvedev invites him for the very first time.

In the evening, Stefanos Tsitsipas, world No. 5 and player with the most wins since the start of the season, tackles the formidable American server John Isner (34th).

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Serena doesn't stop

The inscription on his neon green sneakers affirms it: "I will never stop".

At Roland Garros, Serena Williams had in any case not been at such a party since the 2018 edition. The following year, she was ejected in the third round, last fall in the second.

So much so that the former world No. 1 today 8th, who will be 40 years old in September, can still believe in a 24th Grand Slam trophy that would allow him to equal the absolute record for major titles held by the Australian Margaret Court.

Even if the clay is the less favorable surface for it.

Friday, the younger of the Williams sisters came out of a potentially delicate 100% American duel against hitter Danielle Collins (50th), despite an imposing bandage on the right thigh.

Leading a set and a break (1-0), Serena could not prevent Collins to revive to lead 4-1.

But, with angry cries, she lined up five games to win 6-4, 6-4 in less than an hour and a half.

These games, "she did not give them to me, I had to earn them to regain control, which is very positive," said Serena.

Her next opponent will be Kazakhe Elena Rybakina (22nd).

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Sabalenka's turn

What if the circumstances were favorable to the American champion?

Aryna Sabalenka, world No. 4 and recent winner in Madrid, came on Friday to expand the list of the best players who died prematurely from the table.

There was first the withdrawal of Simona Halep (N.3) before the tournament, then that of Naomi Osaka (N.2) in the midst of a crisis around her non-participation in press conferences, finally the abandonment Ashleigh Barty (N.1) Thursday, injured in a hip.

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Sabalenka was muzzled 6-4, 2-6, 6-0 by Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (32nd).

Now stands in front of her another Belarusian, Victoria Azarenka (16th), 6-2, 6-2 scorer from Madison Keys (24th).

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Medvedev takes a liking to it

"This year, I feel really good here. I wanted to do something big, I'm getting there," smiles Daniil Medvedev, for the first time in the round of 16 on Parisian clay.

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In four previous participations at Roland Garros, the world No. 2 had not won a single match.

Here he is with three wins in a row and only one set lost in this 2021 edition, after his convincing 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory in the third round against the American giant Reilly Opelka (35th, 2.11 m).

"I hope not to stop there," warns the Russian, opposed to Chilean Cristian Garin (23rd) for a place in the quarters.

Earlier and sheltered from the rain under the roof of the Central court, Alexander Zverev (6th) assured the essential (6-2, 7-5, 6-2) against the Serbian Laslo Djere (55th), even if the German had to rule out three set points in the second set.

He will face the Japanese thirty-something Kei Nishikori, ex-world No. 4 today 49th.

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New heads

Future opponents in the round of 16, Argentinian Federico Delbonis (51st) and Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (46th) invite themselves for the first time in the second week at Roland Garros.

For Delbonis, clear winner 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 over Fabio Fognini (29th), it is even, at thirty, his very first round of 16 in a Grand Slam.

Davidovich, 22 on Saturday, won six games and fifteen points less than his rival of the day, the Norwegian Casper Ruud (16th).

But it was he who won, after the longest match of the tournament so far, more than four and a half hours (7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 7-6 (8 / 6), 0-6, 7-5), punctuated by twists and turns.

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We will retain in particular the match point discarded by a lob falling on the line by Ruud and the spoon service dared by the Spaniard to rule out a break point.

© 2021 AFP