- US Open champion beats the in-form Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-3, 6-1
- Wawrinka loses 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 to world No 239
If life wasn’t meant to be easy, it surely has done Dominic Thiem few favours in the first week of the 2020 French Open, as he has elbowed his way past two belligerent opponents, knowing he has still probably got to beat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to win the title. On Friday, however, Thiem finally got a break.
As Parisians braced themselves for the threatened closure of their bars and restaurants to guard against another surge of coronavirus, it was a good day to be indoors at Roland Garros, where the determined Austrian secured a third solid win to reach the first weekend. Robbed of time to luxuriate in his US Open triumph of a few weeks ago because of the rearranged calendar, the third seed beat the in-form Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 under the roof of Court Philippe Chatrier.
