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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Katy Murrells

French Open quarter-finals: Nadal comeback against Schwartzman halted by rain – as it happened

Rafa Nadal heads off court as rain interrupts his quarter-final against Diego Schwartzman.
Rafa Nadal heads off court as rain interrupts his quarter-final against Diego Schwartzman. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Note: those are Paris times.

I’m going to take my leave for today, but see you tomorrow for Jour Trois of the French Open men’s quarter-finals, along with the women’s semi-finals. I’ll leave you with Kevin Mitchell’s round-up of today’s action on the women’s side:

Thanks for reading/tweeting/emailing etc. À demain!

Updated

So Nadal will resume tomorrow trailing Schwartzman by a set but serving for the second at 5-3, 30-15, while Cilic and Del Potro will return at a clutch moment, tied at 5-5 in the first-set tie-break. Normally a match that goes into a second day would be scheduled second on the same court but, given the winners will have to play again on Friday, organisers may opt to put the men on before the women’s semi-finals. No sign of the order of play yet.

That’s your lot for the day, folks. Play has been cancelled until tomorrow.

Updated

The Roland Garros Twitter feed now says no play before 7.30pm. Which, given it’s nearly 7.30pm in Paris, isn’t particularly helpful.

Updated

I wish I had some good news to bring you but I don’t. The covers are still on.

Want to watch some match highlights from Halep v Kerber while we wait for a weather update?

The only definite at the moment is that there’ll be no play before 7.15pm local time.

It’s coming up to 7pm in Paris, so you’d think they’d need to get back on court within the next hour or so, otherwise the organisers may call it off for the day. If the players do return this evening, they could perhaps play until 9.30pm, but that’s only if the light is good, which seems unlikely given the grey skies.

Updated

First set tie-break: Cilic 5-5 Del Potro*

They’ve also been hauled off on Lenglen, with Cilic and Del Potro locked at 5-5 in the tie-break.

Second set: *Nadal 4-6, 5-3 Schwartzman

... as Nadal breaks Schwartzman quicker than you can say: “Nadal breaks Schwartzman”. What a transformation from Nadal since the break, who’s more aggressive on his groundstrokes and serve. So Nadal is serving to level the match at one set all, while Cilic and Del Potro are entering the business end of the breaker. If only I had four eyes, 16 fingers and four thumbs. And with Nadal leading 30-15, play has been suspended! Il pleut.

Updated

First set: Cilic 6-6 Del Potro

Cilic and Del Potro, meanwhile, are into a first-set tie-break. Cilic is a man with serving tics too, with his bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce, bouncing of the ball. It doesn’t get him anywhere at 2-2; Del Potro grabs the mini-break before surrendering it immediately. 3-3 at the changeover ...

Second set: Nadal 4-6, 4-3 Schwartzman*

“Does Rafa still do his routine clothes, ear and face checking before receiving each point?” asks Andrew Benton. “I saw him in Beijing last year, his routine involved right to left touching the ears and his t-shirt shoulders as well as a mini-hoick up of the trousers. He won then, so it must work.” Of course. And don’t forget asking for the towel between every point too. And when he’s serving he sweeps the baseline with his shoe. It seems to be doing the trick. He holds comfortably.

Updated

Second set: *Nadal 4-6, 3-3 Schwartzman

Mesdames et messieurs, we’re back under way. Nadal, remember, was broken just before the break, so it’s Schwartzman serving at 3-2. Nadal looks like he’s learned a lesson or two in the locker room as he charges to 0-30. But the pre-rain delay Schwartzman then stands up. He bludgeons a backhand winner down the line. 30-all. Nadal gets a break point at 30-40. Nadal has Schwartzman scampering around but out of nowhere the Argentinian hits a forehand winner on the run. Deuce. Schwartzman throws in a drop-shot, Nadal is wise to it but his slice clips the tape and drops wide. Advantage Schwartzman. Deuce. Advantage Nadal. Schwartzman hits just long and Rafa roars. He’s broken back. Can he kick on from here?

Updated

The word is that Nadal’s decision to have his wrists taped between the first and second sets was not because of any injury, but instead to stop his sweat dripping on to the handle of his racket.

Tik! Tok! Tikity! Tok! The players are warming up. It’s hard to see how the break could have benefitted Schwartzman in any way; he didn’t need to change anything, he was playing so well. Nadal, however, will have had plenty to discuss with his team in the locker room and we could see a change in tactics.

The good news: after a much shorter break than expected, the players are back out, both on Chatrier and Lenglen.

The bad news: the weather forecast for the rest of the day is not that great, so there’s a chance they may not finish today.

Updated

More from today’s winners on the women’s side.

Halep on coming from a set down to beat Kerber:

It’s always a tough match when I play against her. After the first set I just stayed strong and didn’t give up. I missed a lot in the beginning. I tried to do too much. I changed the tactics a bit and it worked.

Muguruza on thrashing Sharapova:

I was up against a great player so I had make sure I brought my best tennis. I wasn’t thinking so much about the result but I just was thinking about not dropping my level, not giving her a single point, and I guess that helped my performance.

She [Halep] is the best player so I’m excited to play a good semi-final and it is good to play again tomorrow. I go out there and I love playing tennis and love playing on Chatrier, the big stage.

Updated

An announcement that there’ll be no play for at least the next 20 minutes.

Ho hum. There’s not much to see here.

Why is Nadal so off? He won’t be enjoying the heavy conditions, his topspin doesn’t kick up with the same venom. And Schwartzman seems to have got into his head; Nadal hates being dictated to, he’s used to drawing his opponent around on a piece of string on clay. But the rain delay may well help Nadal to regroup. And they could be off court for some time because the covers are now on.

Nadal, not finding it easy today against Schwartzman.
Nadal, not finding it easy today against Schwartzman. Photograph: Guillaume Horcajuelo/EPA

Updated

During the rain break, some tea-time stats for you to digest:

First set: *Cilic 5-5 Del Potro

Play’s also been suspended on Lenglen, where there’s still nothing to pick between Cilic and Del Potro. Cilic saved three break points in the ninth game.

Second set: Nadal 4-6, 2-3 Schwartzman*

No, because Nadal instantly slips 0-40 down. He grimaces at his box, now minus Uncle Toni, who stepped down from his duties at the end of last year. He saves the first but is unable to continue the rescue act on the second. Schwartzman is ahead once more! And just to add to the drama, the players are forced off court by the rain.

Second set: *Nadal 4-6, 2-2 Schwartzman

The rain is getting stronger. Perhaps Schwartzman is distracted because he falls break point down having been 40-0 up. A looping Nadal forehand is there to be hit, Schwartzman swats it cross-court, and Nadal can’t get that back into court. Deuce. Nadal is having to work so hard to finish Schwartzman off in these rallies, eventually the Spaniard settles matters at the net. Nadal’s advantage. A wild and wayward backhand from Schwartzman and Nadal breaks back. Could this be the turning point?

Updated

Second set: Nadal 4-6, 1-2 Schwartzman*

Sacré bleu! It’s just got even more interesting on Chatrier, because Nadal blazes into the tramlines to go break point down. Again, Nadal hits wide. Schwartzman leads Nadal, 83-2 at the French Open, by a set and a break, I repeat Schwartzman leads Nadal by a set and a break.

More on the women’s quarter-finals:

Updated

First set: *Cilic 4-4 Del Potro

It’s hard to take your eyes off this, but what of Cilic v Del Potro? Eight games on the board and 37 minutes in, there hasn’t been a break of serve.

Cilic serves.
Cilic serves. Photograph: Pascal Rossignol/Reuters

Updated

Second set: *Nadal 4-6, 1-1 Schwartzman

It’s raining. But not pouring. So they’re carrying on. Nadal is grimacing at deuce. A 14th forehand winner from Schwartzman and it’s his advantage. Make that Jeu Schwartzman.

Second set: Nadal 4-6, 1-0 Schwartzman*

Schwartzman has been superb so far but can he sustain this over a best-of-five set match? And remember, only two players have ever beaten Nadal here: Robin Soderling in 2009 and Novak Djokovic in 2015. Winning a set against Nadal at Roland Garros is one thing; defeating Nadal is quite another. Nadal holds at the start of the second set, the only blot on his service game is a double fault.

Updated

Nadal’s left wrist is being taped by the trainer. Make that the right too. Given they both are, that suggests there isn’t an injury. But there’s no doubt he’s hurting right now.

Schwartzman wins the first set 6-4!

The spectator is helped out of the stadium and they’re back under way. The pair trade cross-court blows before Schwartzman changes tack with a thunderbolt down the line! Did it go in? Yes! Nadal’s run of 37 consecutive sets at Roland Garros is over! It’s the first set he’s lost here since 2015.

Schwartzman wins the first set 6-4.
Schwartzman wins the first set 6-4. Photograph: Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

... not that they’ve played it yet, because the tournament doctor is helping someone in the crowd. Nadal remains on court, while Schwartzman has gone back to his chair.

So Diego, this is your moment. 15-0. A deft volley from Schwartzman and it’s 30-0. Schwartzman steps in with the court at his mercy – and he batters the net! 30-15. He makes no mistakes with the short ball this time, 40-15. Two set points for the Argentinian. I didn’t think I’d be writing that this afternoon. Schwartzman goes for broke on the forehand and it whistles long. 40-30. Nadal grazes the baseline with his backhand before throwing in a drop-shot. Nerveless. Schwartzman again puts a little too much on his forehand. Break point Nadal. But a Nadal error followed by a Schwartzman smash and here’s a third set point ...

First set: Nadal 4-5 Schwartzman*

And would you believe it, Schwartzman leads 30-40 on the Nadal serve, with the chance to break Nadal for the third time. Nadal sweeps the clay off the baseline with his foot, wipes his face before sending his first serve into the net. He lands his second but his second shot of the point is too short – and Schwartzman strikes with another winner! He’ll serve for the first set! Nadal has requested the trainer but he won’t be receiving any medical attention straight away, Schwartzman will serve for a set to love lead first.

Marin Cilic and Juan Martin del Potro are just getting under way on Lenglen, and it’s a big match in many ways: both players stand at 6ft 6in, both are big hitters and both are in the form of their life on clay. They haven’t met on the surface since the 2012 French Open. Del Potro dominated that match, as he has in all three of their clay-court encounters.

Juan Martin del Potro
Juan Martin del Potro. Photograph: Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

First set: *Nadal 4-4 Schwartzman

Nadal has won 37 consecutive sets at Roland Garros. Could the record be under threat? How dare we doubt him, because he’s got two break-back points on Schwartzman’s serve and he isn’t in the mood to let them go. He breaks back immediately to restore parity.

Nadal plays a forehand to break serve.
Nadal plays a forehand to break serve. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Updated

First set: Nadal 3-4 Schwartzman*

Here’s a helpful Greg Phillips. “I have always wondered about ‘quarante a’ too but never bothered to look it up until now. Unfortunately the French rules listed on the International Tennis Federation just describe the rule (That the score should never be announced as quarante-a after the first time that score is reached) without explaining it. That said, since egalite means equally, I suppose it’s just a way of saying that after one player had an advantage, they are back on level terms in the game. Doesn’t explain the disparity between languages though, since I’ve never heard an English-speaking umpire say ‘forty all’.”

Meanwhile plenty of ooohs and aaaahs on Chatrier where Schwartzman, up 15-40 on Nadal’s serve, is pushing and pushing ... a probing forehand ... Nadal just about gets it back ... Schwartzman comes to the net ... and there’s the break!

Updated

First set: *Nadal 3-3 Schwartzman

There’s no time to rest my aching fingers though, because it’s time to talk about Rafa. Natural order has been restored, with Nadal breaking back before holding for 3-2. It’s not often you’d see him changing his shirt five games into a match but this has been a right old tussle; they’ve been going for nearly 40 minutes already in the bright sunshine. Schwartzman isn’t holding back, he’s up to 11 winners compared to Nadal’s two – most of those have been won not through sheer power but craft. Make that 13 winners, as Schwartzman holds to love.

So it’ll be Halep v Muguruza tomorrow. Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys meet in the other semi-final, in a repeat of last year’s US Open final. Only Muguruza has won the French Open title before.

Updated

Halep defeats Kerber 6-7, 6-3, 6-2!

Nadal will have to wait though, because Halep looks to be putting the finishing touches on a three-set win over Kerber. The world No 1 leads 5-2, with Kerber saving to stay in the match. Kerber wins the first point, and puts away a wonderful forehand on the second. 30-0. Why wasn’t she hitting so aggressively earlier in this set? The more cautious Kerber makes a reappearance and it’s 30-all. Will it be match point or game point? Match point, after Kerber dumps into the net. Kerber overcooks a forehand and it’s game, set, match Halep! She’ll be extremely relieved to get through the decider so easily after their tussle in Melbourne earlier this year.

Halep defeats Kerber 6-7, 6-3, 6-2.
Halep defeats Kerber 6-7, 6-3, 6-2. Photograph: Yoan Valat/EPA

Updated

First set: Nadal 1-2 Schwartzman*

Mon dieu! Schwartzman has broken Nadal’s serve on Chatrier.

Third set: *Halep 6-7, 6-3, 4-2 Kerber

Another break for Halep. At 4-1, she’s potentially two games away from her third French Open semi-final. But she doesn’t like doing it the easy way. She’s broken to 15.

First set: *Nadal 1-1 Schwartzman

Nadal, having been inconvenienced on his own serve, is inconveniencing Schwartzman on his. It’s the latter who eventually holds. They’ve been playing 18 minutes and it’s only 1-1.

Nadal returns.
Nadal returns. Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

Updated

Third set: *Halep 6-7, 6-3, 3-1 Kerber

Meanwhile on Lenglen, Halep, having led 2-0 in the decider, has been broken and is serving at 2-1. There’s something about Halep and three-set matches, the masochist. She just can’t resist putting herself through them. She’s such a wonderful player who has often blinked in the biggest moments in the past, and she’d be a popular champion here after going so close in 2014 and 2017. Halep has break point at 30-40 – but her forehand flies beyond the baseline. Egalite . Sorry quarante a, as we’ve now established. Two points later and there’s the 11th break of the match! Halep is in the ascendancy in this third set.

Updated

Nadal check list. The jumping up and down at the net during the coin toss? Check. The bull-like charge to the baseline as if to say: “I’m ready. And I’m going to grind you into the dirt”? Check. The lining up of his bottles? Check. So let’s play. Nadal is serving first ... but Schwartzman clearly hasn’t read the script. The Argentinian has not one, not two, not three but four opportunities to break – before Nadal eventually holds after a 10-minute struggle. He allows himself a little fist pump, as well he might after that early battle.

Updated

Nadal has won all his five of his previous meetings with Schwartzman. Ever the gentleman, he said of his opponent: “It’s always good to see him in the quarter-final because he’s a good friend, a good person. He’s a worker, and I’m happy to see him having all this success.” Ever the competitor, he then qualified that with: “Hopefully not too much.”

And here is Rafa. On paper this could be more one-sided than the first semi-final on Chatrier – it’s the 10-times champion and world No 1 against the diminutive Argentinian Diego Schwartzman, who is playing his first quarter-final at Roland Garros. But the 5ft 7in Schwartzman is a hard worker – as proven but he fact he’s climbed to No 12 in the world in a game populated by players nearly a foot taller. And he’s not afraid to run. And run. And run.

Halep wins the second set 6-3!

The world No 1 is flying. 0-15. 0-30. 0-40. Three set points. The first goes begging, as does the second, after two unforced errors. The pair engage in a lengthy rally on the third, and Halep goes long! From three set points to deuce. But Halep gets a chance to make amends at her advantage. Kerber misses her first serve ... and meekly nets her second! They’re going to a decider. This could be like that crazy Australian Open contest all over again.

Halep wins the second set 6-3.
Halep wins the second set 6-3. Photograph: Yoan Valat/EPA

Updated

Second set: Halep 6-7, 5-3 Kerber*

After a quick mid-game comfort break from your game-by-gamer (the perils of attempting to cover two matches simultaneously), Halep is in a spot of bother, break point down. 30-40. But Kerber is slamming her racket into the red dirt when Halep hustles her way to advantage. Halep doesn’t take that one but no bother, here’s another game point. Halep displays tremendous athleticism to sprint to a drop-shot, before dinking the ball over for the winner. Wow. Halep holds and Kerber must serve to stay in the second set.

Second set: *Halep 6-7, 4-3 Kerber

Halep holds. Keber holds. But a more pressing issue. “Hi Katy,” emails James Taylor. “Thanks for the live reports. Something has been bugging me that I’m hoping you or one of your readers can clear up- why do the umpires say ‘Quarante a’ when a game first goes to deuce but ‘Egalite’ thereafter? Is it just the French being awkward or is there a more concrete reason behind it?” Hmmm. Je ne sais pas. Anyone?

Second set: *Halep 6-7, 3-2 Kerber

Terrific from Muguruza but terrifically disappointing from Sharapova. That had been billed as the potential blockbuster of the day. Let’s see what Rafa can do next on Chatrier. Meanwhile, it’s “game on” over on Lenglen, where Halep leads by a break in the second set, 3-2, having surrendered the first on a tie-break.

Updated

A penny for Serena Williams’s thoughts right now. She was, of course, due to play Sharapova in the previous round but had to withdraw through injury.

Muguruza beats Sharapova 6-2, 6-1!

Muguruza holds to 15 so, only 67 minutes after play started, Sharapova is serving to stay in the contest. Even the Gods are against the Russian, and she loses out on a net cord. 0-15. Which all too quickly turns into 0-30. Sharapova, starkly aware of the hole she’s in, takes a little longer on her already very long serving routine. It works. 15-30. But it’s a brief reprieve. 15-40, two match points. The first comes and goes. Cue a customary steely Sharapova glare. Sharapova lands her second serve but it’s gobbled up by Muguruza, and Sharapova isn’t getting that back into play! Muguruza, the 2016 champion, has overwhelmed the 2012 and 2014 winner to reach the semi-finals! After a nervy start from the Spaniard, that was virtually flawless tennis.

Muguruza beats Sharapova 6-2, 6-1.
Muguruza beats Sharapova 6-2, 6-1. Photograph: Eric Feferberg/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

Second set: Sharapova 2-6, 1-4 Muguruza*

The biggest difference in this match has been the serve. Muguruza has been serving so smoothly; Sharapova’s has never really got going. She’s clobbered five double faults and has won only five points on her second serve – 22% – in the entire match. Another double takes Sharapova’s tally up to six – the Russian then nets and there’s another break. That may be the point of no return for Sharapova.

Second set: *Sharapova 2-6, 1-3 Muguruza

Back to Chatrier, where the early stages of the second set have had their drama. Muguruza breaks. Sharapova breaks back. Muguruza breaks. Then holds for 3-1. A huge game coming up for Sharapova, surely she can’t afford to lose it if she’s to have any chance of coming back against the 2016 champion ...

Kerber wins the first set 7-6!

... and Kerber is ahead once more at 3-2, then 4-2. Halep prods long after her string breaks and it’s 5-2. Not a great time to have to play with a new racket. And Halep drives into the net. 6-2, four set points ... and Halep is netbashing once again. A disappointing let-down from Halep in the tie-break and Kerber has the first set after a exactly one hour of see-sawing tennis!

Kerber wins the first set 7-6.
Kerber wins the first set 7-6. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters

Updated

Kerber lands the first two blows in the breaker, moving to 2-0. The umpire is out of his chair on the next point, checking a disputed line call. He’s pointing at one mark; Kerber – who thinks Halep’s effort was out – is pointing at another. The umpire, of course, wins. 2-1, make that 2-2 ...

First set: Halep 6-6 Kerber

Halep, having worked so hard to recover from 4-0 down and then to break Kerber when the German was serving for the set, has been broken. Kerber, having worked so hard to break for 6-5, has been broken. Gah! They’re into a tie-break ...

Muguruza wins the first set 6-2!

No such problems for Muguruza. As the Spaniard gets ready to serve at 30-15, Sharapova forcefully whacks the clay from her shoes with her racket, as if to say: “I mean business”. But there’s Muguruza’s go-to shot, the two-handed backhand down the line. 40-15, two set points. A strong first serve, but Sharapova returns it with interest! 40-30. Muguruza hits deep ... and Sharapova slaps into the net!

Muguruza wins the first set 6-2.
Muguruza wins the first set 6-2. Photograph: Charles Platiau/Reuters

Updated

First set: *Halep 5-5 Kerber

So Kerber is serving for the first set ... From 30-all, it’s break point. Kerber casually clunks wide and they’re back on level terms! Halep, remember, was 4-0 down.

Updated

First set: Sharapova 2-5 Muguruza*

Sharapova lands a strong serve; Muguruza can only block into the net. 40-30. And that’s followed by a Sharapova shriek and fist-pump as the Russian holds. She still has a mountain to climb to get back into this opening set though.

The business end of both sets and I don’t know where to look. Halep v Kerber? Halep holds to force the German to serve out the first set at 5-4. Muguruza v Sharapova? It’s 30-all on Sharapova’s serve, with Muguruza potentially two points from the set.

Updated

First set: *Sharapova 1-5 Muguruza

Muguruza and Sharapova are like two boxers going at each other from the baseline – but Muguruza is currently packing the bigger punch. She then batters the line to within a millimetre of its life for her first ace of the match.

First set: Sharapova 1-4 Muguruza*

Muguruza, hitting the ball early and taking the time away from Sharapova (who once described herself as a “cow on ice” on clay before winning the title here in 2012 and 2014), holds to 30 for 4-0. Muguruza is such a mercurial talent. Her game can be on or off. This tournament – and this match so far – it’s very much been on. But suddenly, Sharapova finally gets the games moving on her side of the scoreboard by holding to love.

First set: Halep 3-4 Kerber*

Halep has got one of those breaks back over on Lenglen. She’s shaking her head though after dropping 30-40 down on her own serve. Halep moves Kerber from left to right to left to right, wearing down the German, who nets. Deuce. Advantage Kerber. Deuce. Advantage Halep, as she wallops away a winner. Game Halep.

First set: Sharapova 0-3 Muguruza*

This game has been going for 10 minutes already, and the intensity is rising by the point. They’re both hitting with real depth and purpose. But Sharapova is once again let down by her serve and Muguruza has another break point. The Spaniard hits deep, and Sharapova hits into the skies. There’s the double break, but Muguruza had to work hard to get it.

First set: *Sharapova 0-2 Muguruza

Back on Chatrier, Muguruza holds in her opening service game. Then Sharapova drifts wide before hitting long. Break point Muguruza, 30-40. Egalité. Advantage Muguruza. Sharapova hasn’t hit a single winner yet. Scratch that, a ferocious forehand flies past a scrambling Muguruza. Egalité. Advantage Sharapova. Egalité. Advantage Sharapova, who looks like she’s starting to find her feet. But she needs to get some games on the board. Sharapova fluffs a drop-shot and it’s a fourth deuce. A fifth deuce. A sixth deuce ...

First set: Halep 0-3 Kerber*

No such serving problems for Kerber, who’s raced out of the blocks on Lenglen and leads 2-0 with a chance for a double break at advantage on Halep’s serve. Halep sends a darting backhand winner down the line, that’ll help settle the early nerves. Deuce. But Kerber comes back at the world No 1, seizing the next two points for the double break. Halep, who has the ability to be the more aggressive of the two counterpunchers, is trying to dictate the play but it’s not yet coming off. The stats make grim reading for her: 10 unforced errors to three winners, while Kerber has two apiece.

First set: Sharapova 0-1 Muguruza*

Premier jeu, Mademoiselle Sharapova to serve first. The Russian gets the first point on the board, but after some early serving yips it’s 15-30. Perhaps her inaction at Roland Garros this week is proving to be a curse rather than a blessing. She’s well rested but may need time to regain her momentum. She had moved through the draw very impressively in the first week. But Muguruza is in a similar position after her fourth-round opponent retired injured. Right on cue, Muguruza shows some rust by missing two break points at 15-40. But from deuce, Muguruza has advantage. And a third double fault hands the game to the Spaniard.

I’ll focus more on Muguruza v Sharapova, while providing updates on Halep v Kerber, by the way.

As for Halep v Kerber, this could come down to how well Halep handles her nerves in the big moments. The Romanian didn’t do that so well in the French Open final last year, when she snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against the 18-year-old Jelena Ostapenko. Halep also lost in the 2014 final and was the runner-up at this year’s Australian Open. She’s clearly determined to get that grand slam monkey of her back and arguably could be the hungriest player in the draw. Kerber, the Australian and US Open champion of 2016, is seeking redemption too after a terrible 2017.

The head-to-head is tied at five matches apiece, though Kerber won their only meeting on clay. If their Australian Open semi-final is anything to go by, this could be a cracker. Halep prevailed 9-7 in the final set after Kerber missed match points.

Muguruza and Sharapova have probably been sauntering around Paris the last few days because they’ve not been playing much tennis. Sharapova reached the quarter-finals when her old foe Serena Williams pulled out of their fourth-round encounter without a ball being hit in venom. Muguruza was inconvenienced for only two games against Lesia Tsurenko before the Ukrainian retired hurt.

Sharapova leads the head-to-head 3-0 – including two matches on clay – but they were in 2013 and 2014 and, with Muguruza seven years younger than the 31-year-old Sharapova, the Spaniard should have the physical edge. For me, Muguruza is the slight favourite.

Here they come, Halep and Kerber making their way on to Lenglen a couple of minutes before Muguruza and Sharapova arrive on Chatrier.

Back to today’s action and first up, in just under 10 minutes’ time, the women will make their entrance. Philippe Chatrier plays host to what could be the match of the day, between Muguruza and Sharapova, while on Suzanne Lenglen it’s Halep v Kerber. These are two contrasting contests; the former will be all about power, the latter will be about the counterpunch.

Meanwhile Djokovic said after his defeat to Cecchinato yesterday that he wasn’t sure whether he’d be at Wimbledon. Is his shoulder injury serious or was the comment simply made in the heat of moment during a very prickly press conference? He may feel differently today.

Here’s the latest on Murray delaying his comeback. After pulling out of the Libema Open in the Netherlands next week, he said he still hopes to play at Wimbledon but that he doesn’t want to play competitively until he’s 100% fit. Which must put his participation at the All England Club in some doubt, given he only recently returned to training.

The order of play

Court Philippe Chatrier

Garbine MUGURUZA (ESP) [3] vs Maria SHARAPOVA (RUS) [28]

Rafael NADAL (ESP) [1] vs Diego SCHWARTZMAN (ARG) [11]

Court Suzanne Lenglen

Simona HALEP (ROU) [1] vs Angelique KERBER (GER) [12]

Marin CILIC (CRO) [3] vs Juan Martin DEL POTRO (ARG) [6]

Preamble

It’s the French Open quarter-finals! Part Deux. And it’s quite some cast list. Today’s hot shots include two current world No 1s in Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep, and three former No 1s in Maria Sharapova, Garbiñe Muguruza and Angelique Kerber. Apart from the still grand slam-less Halep (lest she need reminding), the group boast 25 major titles between them (10 of those have been snaffled by Nadal at Roland Garros, the greedy so-and-so) – and then there’s Marin Cilic and Juan Martín del Potro to add to the mix too, who have a US Open title each.

Three of the matches – Muguruza v Sharapova, Halep v Kerber and Cilic v Del Potro – are almost too close to call (though if you pushed me I’d go for Muguruza, Halep and Del Potro), with only Nadal v Diego Schwartzman looking like a mismatch. The 5ft 7in Schwartzman came from two sets down to beat the 6ft 8in Kevin Anderson in the previous round and described it as David slaying Goliath – but overthrowing the King of Clay is an entirely different proposition. However we all know what happened to Novak Djokovic against the outsider Marco Cecchinato yesterday. Watch out, Rafa!

Play starts at: just after 1pm BST/2pm Paris time.

Which gives you plenty of time to: remember when Novak Djokovic was still Novak Djokovic. Two years and one day ago, the Serb won the French Open, beating Andy Murray 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in the final to hold all four major titles at once and complete a career grand slam. Since then his imposter has failed to win a single major crown.

Updated

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