Roland-Garros: the sensation Hugo Gaston, Caroline Garcia at the rendezvous

Finally smiles for French tennis!

Young Hugo Gaston and Caroline Garcia both qualified for the knockout stages at Roland Garros on Friday, a welcome breakthrough after a sad first week for the tricolor clan.

Rafael Nadal did not tremble and walked once again, just like Dominic Thiem.

But the sensation of the day is indeed called Hugo Gaston.

The young 20-year-old from Toulouse achieved a huge feat by eliminating Stan Wawrinka, winner in 2015 at Roland Garros, after a superb fight in five sets of more than 3 hours.

The Hugo Gaston tornado

Who would have predicted such a victory for Gaston, modest 239th in the world and who is participating for the first time in the Paris tournament?

On the clay court Suzanne-Lenglen, the young Habs displayed a level of play and a mind at times staggering, going so far as to disgust Stan Wawrinka.

Even the rain, which interrupted the game for 2:30 to 2-2 in the third set, did not distract Hugo Gaston.

When he returned from the locker room, it was he who took control of the match to lead two rounds to one, before being joined.

But the last set was a show of force, won 6-0 (yes yes!) By Gaston!

The young Frenchman will have to achieve an even greater feat in the next round against Dominic Thiem, finalist last year in Paris and recent winner of the US Open.

Garcia in second week, Nadal still walking

The other great French performance of the day is due to Caroline Garcia.

The Lyonnaise (45th in the world) eliminated the Belgian Elise Mertens (20th) in three sets (1-6, 6-4, 7-5), after having reversed a situation very badly started.

She qualifies for her first round of 16 in a Grand Slam since Roland Garros 2018, the year she reached the quarter-finals.

She will face the world n ° 5 Elina Svitolina in the next round.

As for the stars, Rafael Nadal had no problem leaving only five games to the Italian Stefano Travaglia (6-1, 6-4, 6-0).

Dominic Thiem also walked against the Norwegian Casper Ruud, in three sets (6-4, 6-3, 6-1).

The results of the 6th day of the Roland-Garros tournament played on Friday:

Men's

singles

Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) beats Taylor Fritz (USA / N.27) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 7-6 (19/17)

(FRA) beats Stan Wawrinka (SUI / N.16) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0

Dominic Thiem (AUT / N.3) beats Casper Ruud (NOR / N.28) 6-4, 6-3, 6-1

Jannik Sinner (ITA) beats Federico Coria (ARG) 6-3, 7-5, 7-5

Sebastian Korda (USA) beats Pedro Martínez (ESP) 6-4, 6-3, 6- 1

Rafael Nadal (ESP / N.2) beats Stefano Travaglia (ITA) 6-1, 6-4, 6-0

Women's

singles

Simona Halep (ROU / N.1) beats Amanda Anisimova (USA / N.25) 6-0, 6-1

Iga Swiatek (POL) beats Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) 6-3, 6- 2

Elina Svitolina (UKR / N.3) beats Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS / N.27) 6-4, 7-5

(FRA) beats Elise Mertens (BEL / N.16) 1-6, 6-4, 7-5

Nadia Podoroska (ARG) beats Anna Karolína Schmiedlová (SVK) 6-3, 6-2

Barbora Krejcíková (CZE) beats Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3