Sabalenka and Djokovic cruise into the thrid round, Roland Garros bans alcohol in stands

Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic advanced to the third round of the French Open on Thursday, as tournament organisers cracked down on unruly fans by imposing an alcohol ban in the stands and dealing with headaches caused by wet weather.

Second seed Sabalenka defeated Moyuka Uchijima 6-2 6-2 on Philippe Chatrier, even as Roland Garros officials pondered what to do with the rest of the schedule following a fifth consecutive rainy day.

"That's the little advantage we get as top players because we play in big stadiums with the roof," said Sabalenka, who is eyeing a second major title this year.

"So I knew that no matter what the weather is going to be, I'm going to play my match. That's really helpful."

Defending champion Djokovic then defeated Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4 6-1 6-2, while seeds Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Elena Rybakina, and Elina Svitolina all went through unaffected by conditions due to overhead cover.

The story was vastly different on the outer courts, where the day's action began late in the afternoon, with the backlog from Wednesday's washout compounding the problems for players and officials.

In one of those matches, Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova defeated American Katie Volynets 0-6 6-1 6-4, while 11th seed Danielle Collins was defeated by Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic 6-7(3) 7-5 6-4 despite a neck issue.

Jelena Ostapenko, the ninth seed and 2017 champion, was also eliminated early, losing 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3 to Dane Clara Tauson.

Play on the outer courts will begin early on Friday to relieve pressure on the packed schedule, with organisers hoping the rain holds off.

With spirits already dampened on a soggy morning, tournament director Amelie Mauresmo banned wine and beer consumption in the stands to keep spectators under control after Belgian David Goffin accused one fan of spitting gum at him two days ago.

Holder Iga Swiatek also urged fans not to scream during rallies, particularly in high-pressure matches, after the Polish world number one defeated Naomi Osaka on Wednesday.

"First of all, we're happy people are very enthusiastic about watching tennis and being part of the matches, showing feeling and emotions," said Mauresmo.

"But there are definitely steps which shouldn't go further. A few things have needed to be put in place. Alcohol was allowed up until now in the stands but that's over."

Security will be deployed to ensure fans follow the rules and respect the players, and umpires have been asked to be stricter, with additional measures likely if the situation does not improve.

But former world number two Paula Badosa, who has fallen down the rankings due to injury issues, said top players like Swiatek shouldn't complain too much.

"I played Court eight and nine and you can hear everything. I can hear Suzanne Lenglen, Philippe Chatrier, courts six, seven during points. She's lucky she can play all the time on Philippe Chatrier and she's okay with that," Badosa said.

"Honestly, I like when the fans cheer. I get pumped. Look, we had a very tough situation years ago when we were playing without fans with the COVID situation."

"I'm so happy they're back. I think they're very important for our sport."

Lorenzo Musetti did his part to silence local fans in the evening session, defeating French favourite Gael Monfils 7-5 6-1 6-4 to set up a match against Djokovic.

Dane Holger Rune, the 13th seed who led by two sets to love before being taken the distance by Italian Flavio Cobolli, rallied from 5-0 and 6-2 down in the tie break to win 6-4 6-3 3-6 3-6 7-6(10).

Casper Ruud of Norway was also pushed hard by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina before winning 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to aid his bid of getting to his third Roland Garros final.

SportsLigue