The Greek No.5 seed eased past Cuevas to make the last 32 for a second year in a row
Stefanos Tsitsipas had to fight in his opening round from two-sets-to-love down against Jaume Munar but on Thursday against Pablo Cuevas, the Greek No.5 seed took the efficient route, producing a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 performance over the Uruguayan veteran to make the last 32.
The 22-year-old needed less than 90 minutes to advance to a third round against Slovenian Aljaz Bedene.
"I'm very satisfied with my game. I think my aggressivity and also the way I was prepared for the match was very important from the very beginning," Tsitsipas told Marion Bartoli on court.
"I came on the court knowing that I'm going to have to face a difficult opponent, I think that helped me just be there 100 per cent.
"Overall I would rate my game at a very good level. I'm glad I got a three-set win today after a very difficult first round."
Tsitsipas paid tribute to his team for helping him recover from his brutal opener two days earlier and said he is thrilled to have some spectators back in the stands.
"I see a lot of people cheering for me, that makes me very happy. I'm also very happy to see Roland-Garros renovated and become more modern and give this new flavour to the French Open, which is one of my favourite tournaments," he added.
Later in the day, Italian No.7 seed Matteo Berrettini was made to work against South African Lloyd Harris as he stepped into the third round with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory.
"Since the beginning I felt it was a tough match. The first set I was down a break, second set I had a lot of chances but he broke me. I was hitting better in the third and the fourth, moving him a bit better. It's tough, these conditions, if my serve is not working, I have to work more," Berrettini told Cedric Pioline on court after the win.
Belarusian No.8 seed Aryna Sabalenka blasted into the second round with a 7-6(6), 6-0 win over Russian former top-10 player Daria Kasatkina to book an intriguing third-round meeting with Tunisian ex-junior champion Ons Jabeur.
The 30th-seeded Jabeur returned to the Roland-Garros third round for the first time since 2017 with a 7-6(4), 6-4 result over Japan's Nao Hibino, while Sabalenka had never made it this far in Paris before.
Meanwhile, 2016 Roland-Garros winner Garbine Muguruza skipped past Kristyna Pliskova 6-3, 6-2 in 68 minutes. The Spanish No.11 seed is through to the third round in Paris for a seventh straight year.
2018 finalist Sloane Stephens, the No.29 seed, crashed out to Spanish world No.87 Paula Badosa 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
Badosa is into the third round of a major for the first time in her career but faces a tough task against 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko.
French world No.49 Fiona Ferro upset No.14 seed Elena Rybakina, a 21-year-old Kazakh who has taken the tour by storm this year, winning two titles from five finals reached.
The 23-year-old Ferro fought past Rybakina 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 to reach the third round at Roland-Garros for the first time in six appearances.
"I think first set was pretty good for me. I was a little bit tight in the beginning, especially the first two games, but then I managed to focus more on my game and I played some good tennis," said Ferro, who won the WTA title in Palermo in August before sustaining a rib injury that ruled her out of the US Open.
"But then in the second set I think I got a little bit negative, I didn't like my spirit. And beginning of third set was a little bit the same. But then I found a new breath and I was much better, I think the crowd helped me find that breath and also my family. So I'm pretty happy to beat her."
Ferro's compatriot, world No.357 Clara Burel toppled fellow 19-year-old Kaja Juvan to become the youngest Frenchwoman to reach the Roland-Garros last 32 since Alize Cornet in 2008.
ROLAND-GARROS
18 May - 7 June 2026
