PARIS: World number one and former champion Ashleigh Barty limped out of Roland Garros on Thursday, throwing the battle for the women’s title wide open as Novak Djokovic eased into the third round for the 16th straight year.

Top seed Barty, already suffering from a left hip injury, retired injured midway through the second set of her second-round match against Poland’s 45th-ranked Magda Linette.

The Australian, who won the title on her last visit to Roland Garros in 2019, left the court for medical treatment after losing the first set 6-1.

She then called it quits at 2-2 in the second set on Court Philippe Chatrier.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Barty said. “It’s a miracle I got past the first round. We did absolutely everything we could to give myself a chance. It sucks.”

The 25-year-old’s withdrawal leaves the tournament already without the world’s top three-ranked women’s players.

World number two Naomi Osaka pulled out following a media boycott, saying she has suffered “bouts of depression” for three years.

Third-ranked Simona Halep, the 2018 French Open winner, withdrew before the event with injury.

That leaves world number four Aryna Sabalenka as the top remaining player in the draw.

Djokovic continued his bid for a 19th Grand Slam title with a straight-sets win over Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas.

The 34-year-old, who is looking to become the first man in more than 50 years to win all four Slams multiple times, won 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

“I stayed concentrated. I thought the third set was very difficult for me because he lifted the level of his game,” said the top seed after his 350th Grand Slam match in which he fired 31 winners.

Djokovic will face Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis for a place in the last 16.

Roger Federer held off a spirited challenge from Marin Cilic to claim a 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 victory. The 20-time Grand Slam winner will next face Germany’s Dominik Koepfer for a place in the last 16.

Frenchman Gael Monfils struggled for rhythm as he conceded 10 of the last 13 games in a 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat by Swedish youngster Mikael Ymer.

Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman, who reached the semi-finals last year, saw off Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

Former semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato overcame a mid-match blip to defeat Australia’s Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 and become the fifth Italian man to progress to the third round at Roland Garros this week.

He follows teenagers Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, ninth seed Matteo Berrettini and Fabio Fognini to make it a five in the last 32 for a second year in a row.

Elsewhere Thursday, women’s fourth seed Sofia Kenin, the 2020 runner-up, saw off American compatriot Hailey Baptiste 7-5, 6-3.

Three-time quarter-finalist and fifth seed Elina Svitolina was similarly untroubled against Ann Li of the United States, winning 6-0, 6-4.

However, ninth seed Karolina Pliskova exited at the hands of 2018 runner-up Sloane Stephens as the 59th-ranked American won 7-5, 6-1.

American teenager Coco Gauff progressed to the third round for the first time in her fledgling career, defeating China’s Wang Qiang 6-3, 7-6 (7-1).

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles

Second round: 8-Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Marin Cilic (Croatia) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2; 1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) bt Pablo Cuevas (Uruguay) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4; Ricardas Berankis (Lithuania) bt James Duckworth (Australia) 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0; Lorenzo Musetti (Italy) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (Japan) 7-5, 6-3, 6-2; 9-Matteo Berrettini (Italy) bt Federico Coria (Argentina) 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; Soonwoo Kwon (South Korea) bt Andreas Seppi (Italy) 6-4, 7-5, 7-5; Dominik Koepfer (Germany) bt 30-Taylor Fritz (US) 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4; Cameron Norrie (Great Britain) bt Lloyd Harris (South Africa) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; 18-Jannik Sinner (Italy) bt Gianluca Mager (Italy) 6-1, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3; Mikael Ymer (Sweden) bt 14-Gael Monfils (France) 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3; 10-Diego Schwartzman (Argentina) bt Aljaz Bedene (Slovenia) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4; Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) bt 24-Aslan Karatsev (Russia) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-1; Marco Cecchinato (Italy) bt 21-Alex de Minaur (Australia) 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1.

Women’s singles:

Second round: Magda Linette (Poland) bt 1-Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) 6-1, 2-2 — Barty retired; 25-Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) bt Astra Sharma (Australia) 6-2, 6-4; 24-Coco Gauff (US) bt Wang Qiang (China) 6-3, 7-6 (7-1); Sloane Stephens (US) bt 9-Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) 7-5, 6-1; 18-Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic) bt Varvara Lepchenko (US) 6-3, 6-4; Barbora Krejcikova (Czech Republic) bt 32-Ekaterina Alexandrova (Russia) 6-2, 6-3; 5-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) bt Ann Li (US) 6-0, 6-4; 4-Sofia Kenin (US) bt Hailey Baptiste (US) 7-5, 6-3; 28-Jessica Pegula (US) bt Tereza Martincova (Czech Republic) 6-3, 6-3; 17-Maria Sakkari (Greece) bt Jasmine Paolini (Italy) 6-2, 6-3; Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine) bt Zheng Saisai (China) 6-3, 6-4; Varvara Gracheva (Russia) bt Camila Giorgi (Italy) 7-5, 1-6, 6-2; 14-Elise Mertens (Belgium) bt Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4; 13-Jennifer Brady (US) bt Fiona Ferro (France) 6-4, 2-6, 7-5; Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine) bt Zheng Saisai (China) 6-3, 6-4; 30-Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) bt Kristina Mladenovic (France) 6-2, 6-0.

Wednesday’s remaining results:

Men’s singles:

Second round: Kei Nishikori (Japan) bt 23-Karen Khachanov (Russia) 4-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (Spain) bt Botic van de Zandschulp (Netherlands) 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 2-6, 6-4; 5-Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) bt Pedro Martnez (Spain) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3; Steve Johnson (US) bt Thiago Monteiro (Brazil) 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-3; 12-Pablo Carreo-Busta (Spain) bt Enzo Couacaud (France) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; Marcos Giron (US) bt Guido Pella (Argentina) 7-6 (7-2), 6-1, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4; 22-Christian Garn (Chile) bt Mackenzie McDonald (US) 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-3, 8-6; 32-Reilly Opelka (US) bt Jaume Munar (Spain) 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5; 2-Daniil Medvedev (Russia) bt Tommy Paul (US) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.

Women’s singles:

Second round: 7-Serena Williams (US) bt Mihaela Buzarnescu (Romania) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1; 21-Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan) bt Nao Hibino (Japan) 6-3, 6-1; 15-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) bt Clara Tauson (Denmark) 7-5, 6-4; 23-Madison Keys (US) bt Leylah Fernandez (Canada) 6-1, 7-5; 31-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) bt Ajla Tomljanovic (Australia) 6-2, 6-3; 3-Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) bt Aliaksandra Sasnovich (Belarus) 7-5, 6-3.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2021