Rain Continue To Disrupt French Open

Rain caused havoc for a fourth consecutive day at the French Open, although Novak Djokovic had enough time to open up a lead on Roberto Bautista Agut. After Monday's first washout in 16 years, there was more of the same on Tuesday with two separate suspensions as well as a delayed start and two schedule changes before play was abandoned at 7pm local time.


Djokovic had lost the first set to his Spanish opponent, a two-time winner on the ATP Tour this year, but came back out after the first delay with renewed focus to get the better of slow, heavy conditions and a number of breaks of serve. When the players came off shortly before 5pm local time Djokovic led 3-6 6-4 4-1 in the fourth round clash.


Elsewhere in the fourth round, David Ferrer leads Tomas Berdych 2-1 on serve in the early stages of their fourth-round encounter while Latvia's unseeded Ernests Gulbis took an early hold of his match with David Goffin with a break to lead 3-0. And in the only other match to get under way Dominic Thiem and Marcel Granollers are level at one set apiece, the unseeded Spaniard hitting back to take the second set in a tie-break after three breaks of serve gave Thiem the opener 6-2.


In the women's fourth round, Sunday's bottom-half-of-the-draw matches were finally completed with second seed Agnieszska Radwanska beaten by an inspired Tsvetana Pironkova, who will next face Sam Stosur, who beat sixth seed Simona Halep.


In games that did not get underway both Venus and Serena Williams were left waiting for another day as all four matches in the top half of the women's draw were forced to watch on. Serena was scheduled to face Elina Svitolina, with Venus due to face eighth seed Timea Bacsinszky, while the matches between Kiki Bertens and Madison Keys and Carla Suarez Navarro and Yulia Putintseva will hope for better luck on Wednesday.


Andy Murray's much-anticipated quarter-final with the only remaining Frenchman Richard Gasquet was due to be the third match on Philippe-Chatrier Court but unsurprisingly no play was possible and at 5.15pm local time it was confirmed the match would be moved to Wednesday. That announcement also went for defending champion Stan Wawrinka, who did not got close to starting his last-eight encounter with Albert Ramos-Vinolas.


Organisers will fully refund fans that came on Monday but, because almost exactly two hours of play was possible on Tuesday, no refunds can be claimed.