Sabalenka and Djokovic soar, Roland Garros bans alcohol in stands

PARIS :Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic powered into the third round of the French Open on Thursday as tournament organisers cracked down on unruly fans by announcing an alcohol ban in the stands while also dealing with headaches caused by wet weather.

Playing under the roof on Philippe Chatrier even as Roland Garros authorities were scratching their heads over what to do with the rest of the schedule after a fifth straight rain-hit day, second seed Sabalenka blew away Moyuka Uchijima 6-2 6-2.

"That's the little advantage we get as top players because we play in big stadiums with the roof," said Sabalenka, who is eyeing a second major title this year.

"So I knew that no matter what the weather is going to be, I'm going to play my match. That's really helpful."

Defending champion Djokovic then outclassed Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4 6-1 6-2, while seeds Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina all went through unaffected by conditions due to overhead cover.

The story was vastly different on the outer courts where the day's action got into full swing only late in the afternoon with the backlog from Wednesday's washout adding to the problems of players and officials.

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova overcame American Katie Volynets 0-6 6-1 6-4 in one of those matches while 11th seed Danielle Collins went down fighting to Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic 6-7(3) 7-5 6-4 despite a neck issue.

Ninth seed and 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko also became an early casualty, losing 7-6(4) 4-6 6-3 to Dane Clara Tauson.

Play on the outer courts will begin early on Friday to ease pressure on the packed schedule with organisers hoping the rain stays away.

SPIRITS DAMPENED

With spirits already dampened