French Open order of play, Day 4 – Alcaraz, Sinner in action as Swiatek faces Osaka

The French Open continues on Wednesday, May 29 at Roland-Garros, with some of the sports’ biggest stars in second-round action on the clay courts of Paris.

Second seed Jannik Sinner faces French favourite Richard Gasquet in a night session showdown as the Italian star hunts a second straight Grand Slam title.

Carlos Alcaraz, another pin-up of the new generation, is also in action against Jesper de Jong, while the women’s draw features some blockbuster battles.

World No. 1 and defending champion Iga Swiatek locks horns with Naomi Osaka in an unmissable tussle between two four-time major champions.

Third seed Coco Gauff also returns to the court, as does fan favourite Ons Jabeur in another packed day of tennis in the French capital.

A generational battle awaits in the night session on Philippe Chatrier when veteran home favourite Gasquet faces rising star Sinner.

Gasquet, 37, is competing at Roland-Garros for the 21st time this year and is a former quarter-finalist at the event, but the No. 124-ranked wildcard will be a huge underdog in this second-round clash.

Sinner is the form player on the tour this season and could even rise to world No. 1 by the time the tournament is over as he looks to kick on from claiming his maiden Slam in Australia at the start of the year.

Boasting a 29-2 record this season and titles in Rotterdam and Miami to add to the Melbourne triumph, the only doubt surrounding the 22-year-old Italian is over his recovery from a hip injury that forced him to retire in Madrid and ruled him out of Rome to disrupt his preparation.

The match third up on Philippe-Chatrier is a mouth-watering contest as two multiple Grand Slam champions go head-to-head.

Top seed Swiatek is the runaway favourite to defend her crown in Paris this year, but faces a tough early task against fellow four-time major champion Osaka.

Osaka is returning to her top level after missing all of last year on maternity leave and she showed her threat on clay by taking out top-20 seeds Marta Kostyuk and Daria Kasatkina on a run to the last 16 in Rome.

But Swiatek is in her element on the clay courts of Paris, where she has won in three of the last four years, and the 22-year-old came to France in flying form after claiming back-to-back titles in Madrid and Rome.

Boulter is back in action on Wednesday in the first round of the women’s doubles, where she teams up with fellow Brit Heather Watson against 12th seeds Hao-Ching Chan/Veronika Kudermetova.

Luke Johnson and Henry Patten get their men’s doubles campaigns underway with partners Skander Mansouri and Harri Heliovaara, facing Romain Arnoeodoo/Sam Weissborn and fifth seeds Santiago Gonzalez/ Edouard Roger-Vasselin respectively.

• Sofia Kenin v Caroline Garcia (21)
• Jesper De Jong v Carlos Alcaraz (3)
• Iga Swiatek (1) v Naomi Osaka

• Richard Gasquet v Jannik Sinner (2)

• Daniel Altmaier v Stefanos Tsitsipas (9)
• Camila Osorio v Ons Jabeur (8)
• Andrey Rublev (6) v Pedro Martinez
• Coco Gauff (3) v Tamara Zidansek

• Hubert Hurkacz (8) Brandon Nakashima
• Katerina Siniakova (32) v Chloe Paquet
• Danielle Collins (11) v Olga Danilovic
• Corentin Moutet v Alexander Shevchenko

• Katie Volynes v Marketa Vondrousova (5)
• Denis Shapovalov v Francis Tiafoe (25)
• Donna Vekic v Marta Kostyuk (18)
• Pavel Kotov v Stan Wawrinka