A stunning winner from yards behind the baseline secured a 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 fourth-round triumph for 2015 champion Wawrinka after five hours and nine minutes in sweltering heat on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

The 34-year-old has a 23-3 losing head-to-head record against close friend and fellow Swiss Federer, who saw off Argentinian world number 68 Leonardo Mayer 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 earlier in the day.

“It’s incredible, lots of emotions. Thanks to all the fans for staying and (the) support,” said Wawrinka after the third longest match in the last 20 years at the French Open.

“It’s for these kind of emotions that I live for after coming back from injury.”

It is the first time Wawrinka has reached a Grand Slam quarter-final since losing to Rafael Nadal in the 2017 Roland Garros final, and completes an amazing turnaround from 12 months ago.

Last year, the three-time Grand Slam champion, following injury struggles, lost in the first round to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and dropped out of the world’s top 250.

The 20-year-old Tsitsipas missed out on the chance for a rematch with Federer, having beaten the 20-time major title winner in the Australian Open fourth round earlier this year.

Wawrinka, seeded 24th, saved 22 of the 27 break points he faced, including all eight in the final set as sixth seed Tsitsipas pushed for victory to no avail.

“Worse thing in tennis. It’s the worst feeling ever. Especially when you lose. You don’t want to be in my place,” Tsitsipas said.

– Evergreen Federer marches on –

Federer, the 2009 champion in Paris, is the oldest man to make the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament since Jimmy Connors at the 1991 US Open.

“It’s fabulous that I can spend this time in Paris,” said Federer who last played the tournament in 2015 when he lost in the quarter-finals to Wawrinka.

“I was prepared for the worst scenario, losing in the first round in three sets. But I am super happy with my performance.”

Federer will be playing in his 54th quarter-final at a Slam, cementing his place on top of the all-time men’s list.

Federer, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament, said he still remembers his last-eight loss to Wawrinka in Paris four years ago.

“I have a bad memory of it. Stan beat me in three sets with his terrible shorts!”

Reigning champion Nadal continued his bid for a record-extending 12th Roland Garros title by beating Grand Slam debutant Juan Ignacio Londero 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.

World number 78 Londero had his moments, breaking Nadal when 4-1 down in the third set, but the 17-time major champion always looked too strong, powering 40 winners past the Argentinian.

Nadal will face either Japanese seventh seed Kei Nishikori or home favourite Benoit Paire in his 38th Grand Slam quarter-final, after their match was suspended due to darkness with Nishikori leading 6-2, 6-7 (8/10), 6-2.

“It’s an incredible feeling to be in another quarter-final at this tournament which has been the most special of my career,” said Nadal.

The Spaniard, who turns 33 on Monday, has only been defeated twice in his French Open career and has a 10-2 record over Nishikori while he has yet to lose to Paire in four matches.

– Stephens beats Muguruza –

In a wide-open women’s draw after the shock exits of top seed Naomi Osaka and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams on Saturday, last year’s runner-up Sloane Stephens laid down a marker with a 6-4, 6-3 win over 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza.

The American, a former US Open winner, needed five match points to get over the line.

Seventh seed Stephens will take on Johanna Konta for a place in the semi-finals, after the British number one saw off Croatia’s Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-4 to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final since Wimbledon in 2017.

Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova reached her maiden major quarter-final by thrashing Anastasija Sevastova 6-2, 6-0.

She will face 31st seed Petra Martic for a semi-final spot, after the Croatian came from a set down to beat Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.

At least five women will reach their first Roland Garros quarter-final this year, the first time that has happened since 2001.

Supporters turned Liverpool into a sea of red as the open-top bus carrying coach Jurgen Klopp and his victorious players edged through the city.

“You see in their eyes how much it means. It’s unbelievable and it’s so intense. Today, wow! It’s crazy,” Klopp told LFC TV.

“I cannot really describe it because I cried a little bit as well because it’s so overwhelming what the people are doing.

“When you have a direct eye contact and you see how much it means to them that’s touching to be honest. It’s brilliant.”

“I’m ecstatic and hungover at the same time — the best type of hangover,” said Peter Broad, 37, a social housing worker and Liverpool native who was lining the route.

Liverpool became champions of Europe for a sixth time when Mohamed Salah’s second-minute penalty and Divock Origi’s late strike secured a 2-0 win in the sweltering Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.

It was a first trophy of any sort in seven years for the club and banished the memories of last year’s bitter defeat to Real Madrid in the final in Kiev.

The win also represented a personal triumph for Klopp, who finally snapped his run of six straight losses in cup finals.

“We were all pretty much crying on the pitch, because it was so emotional, it was so big, it means so much to us,” Klopp said.

Celebrations ran late into Saturday night in the Spanish capital and in Liverpool, as ecstatic supporters danced drunkenly in the streets and the club anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” rang out.

By lunchtime fans began streaming back onto the streets for the parade.

– First victory since 2005 –

“We wanted to get tickets for Madrid, but obviously this is the next best thing,” said Mark Hodgetts as he waited for his heroes.

“We just wanted to feel the atmosphere. We’ve been waiting so long — my daughter was only two when we last won it,” he added.

The team returned to tabloid headlines declaring the “Joy of Six”, in the Mail on Sunday, and “Six Machines”, in the Sunday Mirror.

Liverpool’s sixth success in Europe’s top club trophy came after wins in 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984 and the memorable come-from-behind victory against AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005.

The Sunday Times hailed Klopp for introducing steely discipline into Liverpool’s play this year, turning an all-out attacking team that often leaked goals into European champions.

“Game management is the biggest item Jurgen Klopp added to the armoury since desolation in last year’s final in Kiev,” Jonathan Northcroft said.

– Salah’s redemption –

Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah, who scored a penalty awarded in the first minute for a disputed handball from Moussa Sissoko, said he had drawn on the disappointment of last year’s final in which he trudged off in tears with a shoulder injury.

“Before the game, I looked at a picture of last year and we were so disappointed to lose the final,” Salah said.

“I was very disappointed after that injury, I went off after 30 minutes and we lost the game. It motivated me to win today. When you know how it feels to lose, you say to yourself ‘Let’s go and win that’.”

Liverpool’s success also underlined the financial muscle of the Premier League, made rich by TV contract revenues that dwarf other European leagues.

Dutch central defender Virgil van Dijk, signed for £75 million ($95 million, 84.5 million euros), and Brazil goalkeeper Alisson Becker, a £65 million recruit, both played crucial roles in Liverpool’s success.

Klopp revealed he had received a congratulatory call from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

Three weeks ago, Liverpool were denied a first league title in 30 years by Abu Dhabi-backed City, despite losing just once all season.

“We promised each other already that we will kick our butts next year again,” Klopp said of his conversation with Guardiola. “We will go for everything and we’ll see if we get something.”

The Buriram United striker is one of five forwards Sirisak selected for the friendly football tournament taking place at the Chang Arena in Buri Ram from Wednesday to Saturday (June 5 to June 8).

The five are spearheaded by captain Teerasil Dangda and also include Adisak Kraisorn, Surachat Sareepim and rising star Supachai Jaided, whose Buriram teammate Suphanat is the youngest in the national squad.

“I’ve been following his form in the Thailand League and AFC Champions League and I’ve see rapid improvement in him,” Sirisak said of the teenage star. “Once he is sent into a match, he lifts the offensive game of his team to a higher level. He is talented beyond his age and will be the future of the national team,” added the national coach.

Born in Si Sa Ket, the teenager will make his debut in the senior team after making 22 appearances for the U16 and U19 Thailand teams in 2017-18. Earlier this year he scored a goal in the AFC U23 Championship against Indonesia in his debut tournament with the team.

“That’s why he deserves to be in the team. If he is physically tough enough, he can be in the first-team line-up. I’ve been watching him and I know how can he be of use,” Sirisak said.

Despite lacking key player Chanathip Songkrasin (muscle injury) and uncertainty hovering over skipper Teerasil (back injury), Sirisak believes he has the best team and is confident his side will produce good results in the King’s Cup.

“I’m not worried that much as we never rely on one particular player. For Teerasil, his condition is improving, according to the doctor. He should be fit by Wednesday,” said the Thai coach.

If recovers in time, Teerasil will win his 100th cap in the game against Vietnam, which kicks off at 7.45pm on June 3. Curacao and India kick off the opening match of the tournament at 3.30m.

Yu Liu / LPGA Photo 

Liu, a native of Beijing who now lives in Florida, three-putted for bogey at No. 3 but immediately got back on track with birdies at holes 5 and 6. The 23-year-old dropped in four more birdies over her closing 10 holes, including a rare birdie at the difficult par-3 No. 11, to shoot 66, tied for the lowest round of the day. She could become the first player, male or female, from the People’s Republic of China to win a major championship and just the second Chinese winner on the LPGA Tour.

“I think this is something that’s really out of my expectations because it’s only my first ever U.S. Open. I was just happy to make the cut and being able to play the weekends. But now it’s something that I didn’t really expect,” said Liu, who played in the final round of the 2019 Bank of Hope Founders Cup, where she bogeyed the final hole to drop out of a potential playoff. “Definitely just trying to embrace the moment, playing with my great friend, possibly on the last group tomorrow. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Boutier carded birdies at Nos. 5, 9 and 13 to pull two strokes clear of the field, but a three-putt bogey at No. 14 dropped her into a tie for the lead. In February, Boutier became the fourth Frenchwoman to win an LPGA Tour event when she captured the ISPS Handa Vic Open. Move ahead to Charleston and the 25-year-old could become the second U.S. Women’s Open winner from France, joining 1967 winner Catherine Lacoste.

“Honestly, everything was going well. I feel like I was hitting the ball pretty good and pretty straight,” said Boutier, who now lives in Dallas. “Then when I was missing a couple of greens, my short game was there to save me. I feel like all around, my game was pretty solid.”

The former college teammates are looking to give Duke University its second U.S. Women’s Open title, joining 2016 champion Brittany Lang.

A trio of players sit one stroke off the lead. Americans Lexi Thompson and Jaye Marie Green shot matching 68s on Thursday, while 18- and 36-hole leader Mamiko Higa shot her second consecutive even-par 71. Defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn shot her best round of the championship with a 69 on Saturday and is tied for 27th.

WITH A WIN…

Celine Boutier would become the third major champion from France, joining Catherine Lacoste (1967 U.S. Women’s Open) and Patricia Meunier-Lebouc (2003 ANA Inspiration)

Yu Liu would become the second LPGA winner from the People’s Republic of China, joining nine-time winner Shanshan Feng

Celine Boutier or Yu Liu would become the second U.S. Women’s Open winner from Duke University, joining 2016 winner Brittany Lang

Yu Liu or Jaye Marie Green would become the season’s third Rolex First-Time winner, joining Celine Boutier (ISPS Handa Vic Open) and Bronte Law (Pure Silk Championship)

Lexi Thompson would earn her second major title, joining the 2014 ANA Inspiration

With the $1 million winner’s check, Lexi Thompson would move to $9,844,805 in career earnings and jump to 17th on the Career Money List

Lexi Thompson, who won the 2008 U.S. Girls’ Junior, would become the second consecutive past champion to win the U.S. Women’s Open, following 2011 Girls’ Junior champion Ariya Jutanugarn; five other players have won both titles – Amy Alcott, JoAnne Carner, Inbee Park, Hollis Stacy and Mickey Wright

Lexi Thompson or Jaye Marie Green would become the first American winner of the U.S. Women’s Open since Brittany Lang in 2016 and just the fourth American winner in the last 10 years

Mamiko Higa would become the first U.S. Women’s Open winner from Japan and the second Japanese major winner, joining Chako Higuchi, who won the 1977 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Bay Tree Golf Plantation, also in South Carolina

THOMPSON USING NEW CLAW PUTTING STROKE

All eyes this week have been on Lexi Thompson’s new putting stroke. On Wednesday, the 10-time LPGA Tour winner visited with her brother Curtis Thompson to tinker with her putting stroke. She eventually settled on a claw grip, which is clearly working for the 24-year-old Floridian.

“It feels very good,” said Thompson, who drained a 30-foot eagle putt at No. 15 to jump up the leaderboard. “Obviously, there’s some putts out there that I’m like, eh, maybe not so good. But I feel comfortable with it, and I think that’s the important part.”

With a win, Thompson would extend her streak of consecutive years with an LPGA Tour victory to seven. She has won at least one event since 2013, the longest active streak on the LPGA Tour.

GREEN RELYING ON BROTHER, A HIGHER POWER AND EVEN BROOKS KOEPKA

Jaye Marie Green has an ichthus tattooed on her right arm, displaying her faith through the symbol closely associated with Christianity. With faith on her arm and close friendship at her side via her brother and caddie Matt, Green finds herself in a good state of mind as she heads into perhaps the most pressure-packed day of her six-year LPGA Tour career, just one stroke off the lead at the U.S. Women’s Open.

“Who am I kidding? I’ve never been this close in a major before,” said Green, who missed the cut in her last four consecutive events leading into the U.S. Women’s Open. “I felt this calmness that I’ve never felt before. I think God’s blessed me with that because I’m usually a nervous wreck sometimes. But I just feel — I feel calm. I feel like my game plan has been working, so I’m not going to change it.”

Green pointed to a specific moment on Thursday with her brother as a big turning point in this week’s play. At No. 8 on Thursday, Matt Green told his sister something he’d heard from four-time major champion Brooks Koepka. She needed to putt like a child again.

“He told me that Brooks Koepka was talking about how he putts the same as when he was younger,” said Green, who had only made one previous cut in her five Women’s Open appearances. “My brother said, Jaye, you don’t even look like you putting. I’m like, okay, what did I used to do? So he kind of told me, and that just freed me up because under the gun you’ve got to go to what you know, and what I know is how I was when I was younger. So I just kind of tried to recreate that, and it’s helped a lot. I at least feel better over the putter, because I had the shakes so bad the first day.

KOERSTZ MADSEN ENJOYING BREAKTHROUGH MAJOR WEEK

This week’s U.S. Women’s Open marks Nanna Koerstz Madsen’s 10th major appearance. She quickly jumped to success at the AIG Women’s British Open, shooting a final-round 65 at the 2015 championship en route to a tie for 21st and followed that up with a T37 showing in 2016.

But since that week at England’s Woburn Golf and Country Club, Koerstz Madsen has hit a major drought. The 24-year-old from Denmark missed the cut in six consecutive major appearances, including in her U.S. Women’s Open debut in 2017, before finishing T66 at this year’s ANA Inspiration.

Now in her second season on the LPGA Tour, Koerstz Madsen seems to be hitting her stride on the golf course. She has only missed one cut in 2019 and played in the final group of the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open before finishing 13th. Today’s 66 at the Country Club of Charleston, sparked by a 56-foot eagle at No. 15, pulled Koerstz Madsen yet again into contention heading into the final round.

“It’s exciting. I like being in this position,” said Koerstz Madsen, who credited her difficult final-round 76 in Los Angeles as a great learning experience. “I’m just happy to be here and I feel like my game is pretty solid and I’m confident in my game. So, yeah, I’m just excited for tomorrow, and I like going and playing tomorrow.”

NO. 11 CONTINUES TO CHALLENGE USWO FIELD

As expected, No. 11 kept the players on their toes on Saturday. Through 54 holes, the hole has allowed 29 birdies, along with 134 bogeys, 28 double bogeys and five scores worse than double bogey. The hole’s scoring average is 3.4607, making it one of the most difficult par-3s in championship history. In 2012, the 13th hole at Blackwolf Run played to 3.47, while No. 5 at Pine Needles Lodge and Country Club in 1996 played to 3.44.

SECOND-ROUND COMPLETED ON SATURDAY MORNING

Second-round play resumed at 7:15 a.m. due to an extended weather delay on Friday, with 45 players yet to complete their rounds. The cut came at +3, with 70 players reaching the last two rounds. Notables to miss the cut include 2018 runner-up Hyo-Joo Kim (+7); major champions Paula Creamer (+4), Shanshan Feng (+5), Danielle Kang(+5), Jiyai Shin (+6), Pernilla Lindberg (+6), Karrie Webb (+8), Cristie Kerr (+8), Stacy Lewis (+10), Georgia Hall (+11), In Gee Chun (+11), Na Yeon Choi (+12) and Laura Davies (+21); and Emma Talley (+5), who won the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur at the Country Club of Charleston.

The defeat came a week after they went down to France 3-1 in another friendly game in Orleans, one of their three warm-ups for the Cup.

The Kingdom’s team lost two goals in the first half and four more in the second before 32-year-old Kanjana Sungngoen stopped the bleeding during the injury-time.

 The Nuengrutai Srathongvian’s team will play their last World Cup build-up match against Kontich FC in Belgium on June 4.

Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova

Japanese top seed Osaka, the reigning US and Australian Open champion, crashed to a 6-4, 6-2 defeat to the 42nd-ranked Czech.

“Losing is probably the best thing that could have happened,” said 21-year-old Osaka, the reigning Australian and US Open champion.

“I felt very tired. In the other matches I had headaches, maybe that’s the stress.

“I felt there was a weight on me. This hasn’t been the happiest of times.”

Osaka’s defeat left just four of the women’s top 10 seeds in the tournament including three-time winner Serena Williams and defending champion Simona Halep.

Osaka was undone by a shocking 38 unforced errors as she finally ran out of luck in Paris having had to come back from a set down in her first two matches.

“I played my best tennis and I hope it continues,” said Siniakova, who was the women’s doubles champion in Paris in 2018 alongside Barbora Krejcikova.

Osaka dropped the first set for the third successive match at the tournament, squandering seven break points in all.

Siniakova made her pay, breaking for 5-4 and taking the opener when Osaka sent back her 16th unforced error of the set.

The Czech, who is the world’s number one doubles player, kept up the pressure on the misfiring top seed, breaking for a 3-2 lead in the second set.

Siniakova backed it up with another break for 5-2 off Osaka’s third double fault of the match.

Victory was hers on Court Suzanne Lenglen when Osaka unleashed another misguided forehand.

The Czech goes on to face Madison Keys of the United States for a place in the quarter-finals in what will be her first appearance in the last 16 of the majors.

Despite being seeded top for the first time at a Slam, Osaka never looked convincing in Paris.

She was two points away from defeat in the first round against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and came back from a set and break down to see off Victoria Azarenka in round two.

There were no such problems for men’s world number one Novak Djokovic who eased into the last 16, stepping up his bid to hold all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously for the second time.

The Serbian saw off unseeded Italian Salvatore Caruso 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 to set up a fourth-round tie with either Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff or Croatian 13th seed Borna Coric.

“Finally, I think I found my best form in the second set,” said Djokovic, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament.

It is the 10th successive year the top seed has reached the second week — and 13th in total — as he looks for a second French Open title after sealing his first ‘Djoko’ Slam in Paris in 2016.

German fifth seed Alexander Zverev needed another five-setter to reach the fourth round, defeating Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 1-6, 6-2.

Zverev, whose best run at a Slam came in Paris last year when he made the quarter-finals, will face Italy’s Fabio Fognini for a place in the last-eight.

Fognini needed four sets to defeat Spanish 18th seed Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

Crowd favourite Tsitsipas became the first Greek player in 83 years to reach the second week at Roland Garros as he survived a scare against Filip Krajinovic.

The sixth seed led by two sets when the match was suspended at 5-5 in the third due to darkness just before 10:00pm on Friday.

– Greek breakthrough for Tsitsipas –

On the resumption Saturday, Tsitsipas lost the set in a tie-break but sealed a 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (8/6) success on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The 20-year-old will take on former champion Stan Wawrinka for a place in his second Grand Slam quarter-final.

Wawrinka, the 2015 champion and a three-time major winner, recorded his 500th match win with a 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (10/8) win over Grigor Dimitrov.

As temperatures nudged close to the 30-degree mark, Halep decided not to hang around.

The Romanian third seed stormed to a 6-2, 6-1 thrashing of Ukrainian 27th seed Lesia Tsurenko.

Halep next faces either Olympic champion Monica Puig or Polish teenager Iga Swiatek.

Williams is bidding to reach the second week for the 13th time as she continues her pursuit of equalling Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles.

The 37-year-old faces fellow American Sofia Kenin who wasn’t born when Williams made her debut in Paris in 1998.

Sofia Kenin of the US 

Her 6-2, 7-5 French Open third round defeat by US compatriot Sofia Kenin meant that she failed again to move level with Margaret Court’s majors record set between 1960 and 1973.

She will be 38 in September and her 23rd and most recent Slam triumph was at the Australian Open in 2017 while pregnant.

After giving birth to daughter Olympia Alexis in September 2017, she returned to Grand Slam tennis at Roland Garros in 2018, making the last 16 where she had been set to resume her bitter rivalry with Maria Sharapova.

An arm injury torpedoed that meeting and stalled her assault on a fourth title in Paris after 2002, 2013 and 2015.

Defeat in the 2018 Wimbledon final to Angelique Kerber, and at the US Open championship match, where her now-infamous meltdown overshadowed Naomi Osaka’s title triumph, followed.

Her Australian Open campaign in January ended in a quarter-final loss to Karolina Pliskova despite having led 5-1 in the final set and holding four match points.

Since Melbourne, Williams had been unable to finish the three tournaments she entered — she retired to Garbine Muguruza in the third round of Indian Wells, withdrew after winning a round in Miami, and pulled out after winning a round on the clay in Rome due to a right knee injury.

But the American remains defiant over her longevity.

“If I was told I would only make the third round here, I would have thought they were lying, because I wouldn’t expect to have gotten only to the third round,” said Williams after her loss on Saturday.

Williams said she will try again to equal Court’s record at Wimbledon in July where she will be chasing an eighth title at the All England Club.

– ‘Far away ‘ –

“I’m just pretty far away, but the optimistic part is I haven’t been able to be on the court as much as I would have,” she said, adding that she may even take a wildcard into a pre-Wimbledon event grass court event.

“At least I can start trying to put the time in now.

“It’s just been a really gruelling season.”

Saturday’s loss was Williams’ earliest exit at the Slams since a third round loss to France’s Alize Cornet at Wimbledon in 2014.

This year’s Wimbledon gets underway on July 1, so she at least has four weeks to line up her next assault on the Court landmark.

“I’m still working on it and working on getting there. So I think it will be enough time. We’ll see, but I definitely hope so,” she explained.

“I feel like I have had some great runs last year, and I’m hoping to still build on that this year and keep it going.

“I’m definitely feeling short on matches, and just getting in the swing of things

“So I have some time on my hands, so maybe I’ll jump in and get a wildcard on one of these grass court events and see what happens.”

However, in a further reality check and possible sign of things to come for the American star, there are three teenagers in the last 16 at Roland Garros this year.

Amanda Anisimova, at just 17, is the youngest woman to make the fourth round since Martina Hingis in 1998.

Kenin, the 20-year-old world number 35, wasn’t even born when Williams made her Paris debut in 1998.

However, she was not overawed by the occasion on Saturday having already appeared on tennis’s biggest stage — the Arthur Ashe Court at the US Open in 2017 when she lost to Sharapova.

“This is such a great win for me,” said Kenin after her third victory over a top 10 player.

“I don’t normally cry after a match. I had so many emotions playing on Chatrier. I have always imagined playing there and winning a match.”