World number one Carlos Alcaraz sailed into the Paris Masters third round with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Yoshihito Nishioka but Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev both slumped to surprise losses on Wednesday.
'I'm just glad to overcome today's challenge in straight sets and move on.'
Top seed Novak Djokovic beat Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-5, 7-6(1) to reach the semi-finals of the Italian Open on Friday and move within one win of 1,000 career victories.
Novak Djokovic enjoyed a stress-free return to US competition following a two year absence
Images from Day 6 of the 2021 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Friday.
The trio have dominated men's tennis over the last 20 years and played a major role in shaping the direction of the sport
Djokovic will be nowhere near the centre court after losing his bid to overturn a second visa cancellation.
Wrapping up the first set in less than 25 minutes, the pair led 4-1 in the second when they were made to work a bit as Galfi and Pera won four games on the trot to make it five-all.
World number one Carlos Alcaraz faces a tough path to a maiden French Open title after being placed in the same half of the draw as 22-times Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
Stefanos Tsitsipas said he would not be surprised if Daniil Medvedev beat Novak Djokovic
Zverev is also in fine form, having beaten world number one Novak Djokovic on his way to claiming the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo at the start of the month.
World number two Nadal's fate will rest on his final group match against Tsitsipas.
Certainly the prospect of another showdown at the US Open in a few weeks is exciting, but whether or not 23-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic can stretch his career long enough to battle Carlos Alcaraz on a regular basis is questionable.
Australian Open set a Grand Slam attendance record with more than 900,000 spectators visiting over three weeks
The German is the first lucky loser to reach the final of a Masters 1000 event.
'There is so much excitement brewing about Wednesday's Alcaraz and Rune quarter-finals showdown -- it could well be a juicy foretaste of things to come.'
Since 2003, one of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray have won the title at Wimbledon, with the Swiss leading the way with eight titles.
Let battle commence, says Djokovic ahead of Nadal showdown
Novak Djokovic will be favourite to reach his 27th Grand Slam final when he faces Stefanos Tsitsipas in the French Open semis on Friday but what had been a smooth path through the draw has suddenly got a little rocky.
After an Olympic stumble Novak Djokovic will get a second bite at history in the Big Apple with a calendar year Grand Slam there for the taking at the US Open.
The maverick Australian is in his first Slam final after a roller-coaster career.
The 'Big Three' of men's tennis have found some "fresh energy" to thwart the charge of younger players on the tour, world number one Novak Djokovic said after setting up yet another title clash against his biggest rival against Rafael Nadal.
Fiery Australian Nick Kyrgios has been fined $7,500 for "spitting and audible obscenities" during his second-round win at the US Open on Wednesday.
Novak Djokovic defended his father after a video emerged showing him posing at the Australian Open with some fans holding Russian flags, saying he was "misused" by the individuals and that his family was against war.
Nick Kyrgios could not resist poking his nose at authority and Wimbledon's all-white clothing rules.
Rafael Nadal shrugged off his derailed bid for the Grand Slam record with a pledge to keep "fighting" but the Spaniard leaves the Australian Open with familiar regrets after bowing out to a rising talent on Wednesday.
Images from Day 4 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday.
Novak Djokovic beat Casper Ruud in the French Open final to win a men's record-extending 23rd Grand Slam title.
The second round match between former champion Angelique Kerber and Anhelina Kalinina, originally scheduled to begin after Schwartzman and Anderson, was pushed to Thursday.
Amazon has exclusive TV broadcast rights in France for the night sessions, which are taking place for the first time at Roland Garros. The late matches are being played without fans on Court Philippe-Chatrier because of the 9 p.m. curfew.
A round-up of all tennis action on Saturday.
Daniil Medvedev lost his world number one ranking after being defeated by Gael Monfils
Images from Day 4 of the 2021 French Open in Paris on Wednesday.
Take a look at the five top contenders for the men's singles title at the French Open:
This year's ATP Finals boasts a fresh new
Images from Day 6 of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
Tsitsipas had lost all five previous matches against the Russian, but turned the tables in impressive fashion.
It was billed as the battle of the 20-year-olds but Carlos Alcaraz pulled rank on his childhood buddy Holger Rune to enter the Wimbledon semifinals.
Paris crowd made themselves heard on day one of the French Open as they booed and jeered when Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands
Images from Day 4 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday.
