Alex Zvirev and Novak Djokovic had to fight to get into round four, while Caroline Wozniacki and Kei Nishikori won with ease<doc-sep>PARIS — Talented and pegged-for-success as Alexander Zverev might be, there he was in the French Open’s main stadium Friday, on the precipice of a third-round defeat and yet another Grand Slam disappointment. A loss to Damir Dzumhur would have left the second-seeded Zverev with an 0-8 record at major tournaments against men ranked in the top 50. A loss also would have left his résumé with only one trip as far as the round of 16 at any Grand Slam tournament — and zero such runs at Roland Garros. In the fourth set, Dzumhur, a Bosnian seeded 26th, served for the victory. In the fifth, the circumstances were more dire: Zverev faced a match point. Both times, he proved steadier and sturdier than Dzumhur, and Zverev eventually prevailed, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 7-5 in 3 hours 54 minutes. It gave Zverev, a 21-year-old German, his second consecutive five-set win; he trailed by two sets to one in each. It also showed — not just to others but, perhaps more important, to Zverev himself — that he can handle such occasions, that he is capable of doing what is necessary when the sets and hours add up, and that he is perhaps finally ready to stride into the very last days at a major.<doc-sep>Last updated on .From the section Tennis Elina Svitolina is the highest seed so far knocked out of the 2018 French Open French Open 2018 Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 27 May-10 June Coverage: Daily live radio and text commentaries on BBC Radio 5 live, the BBC Sport website and app. Fourth seed Elina Svitolina became the highest-profile casualty in the women's draw at the French Open after a surprise straight-sets defeat. The Ukrainian lost 6-3 7-5 to Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu, the world number 33 who had never won a Grand Slam match before this week. But Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki eased into the last 16. Wozniacki, the second seed at Roland Garros, defeated France's Pauline Parmentier 6-0 6-3. She will next face Russian 14th seed Darya Kasatkina, who beat Greece's Maria Sakkari 6-1 1-6 6-3. "Today, really, I was off and couldn't find my rhythm, my game. I was really struggling," said Svitolina. "On the other hand, she was playing great tennis. She was really, really on the ball." Play was later cancelled for the day following a heavy spell of rain with eighth seed Petra Kvitova and 10th seed Sloane Stephens yet to start their matches.<doc-sep>Williams had only met Barty once before at the 2014 Australian Open French Open 2018 Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 27 May-10 June Coverage: Daily live radio and text commentaries on BBC Radio 5 live, the BBC Sport website and app. American Serena Williams believes she can play even better than she did before she took a break from tennis to give birth. The 36-year-old defeated Australia's 17th seed Ashleigh Barty 3-6 6-3 6-4 to reach the third round of the French Open - her first Grand Slam since winning the 2017 Australian Open. "I'm probably not where I was before I left," said the 23-time major winner. quote I felt like in the first set I didn't play bad - I just didn't make any shots Serena Williams "I'm definitely going to get there, but I also want to get beyond there." Williams will meet 11th seed Julia Goerges in the last 32 after the German beat former French Open quarter-finalist Alison van Uytvanck of Belgium 7-5 7-6 (7-5). Serena survives tougher test After her opening match, Williams played down her chances of winning a joint-record 24th Slam, saying she was not putting any pressure on herself to equal Margaret Court's tally so soon into her comeback from a difficult birth. Inspired to play tennis? Find out how to get into tennis in our special guide. Williams, who said she was "lucky to survive" the birth, has spoken about Olympia being the main focus in her life, but also made it clear she had not lost any of her will to win. And it showed against Barty, after it had looked initially as if the American would be exiting at the second stage - something she has not done in a Slam since the 2014 tournament at Roland Garros. A double fault at 0-30 in the sixth game presented Barty with the first opportunity of the match, one she was gifted when Williams planted a forehand well long. The former world number one offered little threat on the serve of the Australian, who closed out the opener in 28 minutes. History of Tennis' tweet showed Serena Williams winning the 2002 French Open - when Ashleigh Barty was six Barty broke in the opening game of the second set, but Williams showed fight to wipe out that advantage in the next game and win the following three for a commanding 4-1 lead. With the backing of half-full Chatrier on a late Paris evening, Williams's rhythm continued to improve and she served out the set with an ace as the match ticked past the hour mark. The American broke in the third game of the decider, but missed a decent chance to break again for 4-1. Her path to victory, though, was only held up by an extended Mexican Wave from the Chatrier crowd, which had the umpire begging for quiet and left Williams laughing. She regained composure to hold for a 5-3 lead and, after after missing a match point on Barty's serve, took her second with a thumping backhand winner down the line to the delight of the crowd. Williams added: "I felt like in the first set I didn't play bad. I just didn't make any shots. So I guess it is bad. But I had all the right ideas, like coming to the net and hitting all my shots. They just weren't going in. "For me, that was kind of like a positive thing, because it wasn't like I was playing the ultimate match. I was just making so many errors. "I thought I've got to cut down on the errors, and I've just got to come out here and fight. And that's what I did." Analysis Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent The versatile Barty outfoxed Williams in the opening set, and the Australian got off to a flyer in the second when the current world number 451 played an awful service game. She framed a smash and put a regulation drive volley into the net to drop serve, and yet within a game the whole tenor of the match had changed. Williams let out a spectacular roar after a backhand service return winner, and a rather uncertain crowd took that as a cue to wake up. Like so many before her, Barty did start to make more errors in the face of such an intense presence. But in just her second clay court match in two years, there was enough evidence to suggest Williams can also pose a significant threat to others here at Roland Garros.<doc-sep>
Last updated on .From the section Tennis Edmund is now the last British player left in the singles French Open 2018 Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 27 May-10 June Coverage: Daily live radio and text commentaries on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, the BBC Sport website and app. British number one Kyle Edmund moved into the French Open third round by beating Hungary's Marton Fucsovics 6-0 1-6 6-2 6-3 in a strange match. Edmund, seeded 16th, raced to the opening set in just 27 minutes against the world number 45. Fucsovics looked a different player as he took the second set quickly, before momentum swung back to Edmund. Edmund edged a tight fourth set to seal victory after two hours and 16 minutes. "The second set is something to learn from but I'm happy to come through," Edmund said. "When I'm playing at my best it's very good but I can't play like that the whole time. When I'm not playing my best, I have to find a way to win. This year I've done that a lot better." He is the last British player left in the singles after Cameron Norrie lost to Lucas Pouille and Heather Watson was beaten by Elise Mertens. The Briton will next play Italy's Fabio Fognini, a clay-court specialist who has beaten 16-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal twice on his favoured surface. Reaching the last 32 equals Edmund's best performance at Roland Garros, where he lost against South African Kevin Anderson in a third-round epic last year. Bettering his record in Paris would be another notable landmark in a year which has already seen him reach the Australian Open semi-finals - his first appearance in the last four of a Grand Slam - and climb into the world's top 20 for the first time. Maturing Edmund seizes momentum after blip Edmund is treading new ground at Roland Garros: his first Grand Slam as the British number one and his first as a seed. The 23-year-old showed a ruthless streak in his opening match against promising Australian teenager Alex de Minaur, although that was not as evident - perhaps as a result of a finger injury which needed treatment - in the first hour of an erratic match. Edmund eased through a rapid opening set which saw Fucsovics hit 15 unforced errors and only claim 15 points. However, momentum completely shifted in the second set as a different Fucsovics reappeared after the changeover. The Hungarian, making his debut in the Roland Garros main draw, gained a foothold in the match by breaking Edmund's opening serve in the second set, the Briton's game disintegrating as Fucsovics levelled in 34 minutes. Yet the match took another twist. Edmund dropped just four points to lead 3-0 in the third, breaking serve again in the eighth game to regain the lead. He saved three break points midway through a tight fourth set, then took his first opportunity at 4-3 to leave him serving for the match. And a long return by Fucsovics saw him take a second match point to book his place in the last 32.