French Open suffers downpour
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The French Open suffered a lot for the downpour at Roland Garros on Thursday with more than 40 matches being cancelled and eight to be suspended for Friday.
About 20 minutes before the start of the first batch of matches scheduled at 11 a.m., heavy rain fell on the courts. After nearly five hours, the fifth day's competition finally got on the track.
China's top player Li Na dominated the match against Stephanie Cohen-Aloro, sweeping the French 6-2, 6-2 just within one hour. The 11th seed is going to meet her old rival Francesca Schiavone as the 17th-seeded Italian outplayed Australian Sophie Ferguson also in 6-2, 6-2.
"We know each other very well," Li talked about her third round opponent Schiavone. "We get along very well and often practice together during the tour. It's hard to predict who's the favorite. Let's see on court."
The 28-year-old Li should have played her second round match on Wednesday, but the match was among the nine cancelled matches as the whole competition was delayed three times in a day.
Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic from Serbia was ousted in 6-3, 6-0 by Russia's 28th seed Alisa Kleybanova.
"I don't think I played that bad, actually. For a while I think she didn't miss a ball at all. She made so many winners too," said Ivanovic.
Ivanovic's compatriot Jelena Jankovic needed to make sure her berth in the three round until the deciding set. The fourth seed took the opening set 6-2, but lost the following one 6-3 to Kaia Kanepi from Estonia.
The former world No.1 pocketed a crucial break to complete the third set 6-4.
Meanwhile, Russian veteran Elena Dementieva secured a straight sets win over Spanish Anabel Medina Garrigues in 6-2, 7-6(3).
In the men's singles, British fourth seed Andy Murray resumed his unfinished match against Argentinean Juan Ignacio Chela from 6- 2, 5-5, then lost the second set after tiebreak.
But the Australian runner-up pulled himself together to wrap up in 6-3, 6-2.
French 13th seed Gael Monfils failed to hold off the comeback of Fabio Fognini, losing to the Italian 2-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 9-7.
When the fifth competition day concluded due to darkness, four- time French Open champion Justine Henin from Belgium leads Klara Zakopalova of Czech Republic in 6-3, 3-2. Russia's 12th seed Maria Sharapova is ahead of Belgian Kirsten Flipkens in 6-3, 2-2.
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