Davidovich Fokina battles cramps, saves match point to advance at Roland-Garros
Down two sets to one, 3-5 in the fourth, cramping in the fifth, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (No 21) found a way past Damir Dzumhur 6-7(5), 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 in four-plus hours of Paris heat.
Tennis – Rome 2026 – ATP – WTA – 09/05/2026 – Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina came back from two sets to one down, saved a match point on Dzumhur‘s serve, and hit through cramps in the fifth to beat the Bosnian 6-7(5), 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 in a first-round contest at Roland-Garros that pushed both players past four hours in the Paris heat. It was the Spaniard’s 13th win of 2026.
The 21st seed had served for the opening set before losing it in a tie-break, and from two sets to one down he found himself 3-5 in the fourth, with Dzumhur a hold away from the third round. From there Davidovich Fokina did not give him another game, taking four in a row to force a decider.
Cramps Force Aggressive Play
The fifth set turned on a sequence the Spaniard played without legs. Visibly cramping, he saved five break points and produced a flurry of winners from positions where defence was no longer an option. The strategy was the only one available to him – flat, aggressive ball-striking with no margin – and it held long enough to close out the match.
Dzumhur, who had been the better player for long stretches, broke down physically in parallel. Both men finished the contest in obvious distress, and whether what ultimately gave way was injury or fatigue was not immediately clear.
Tirante next
Davidovich Fokina is scheduled to face Thiago Tirante in the second round, but his condition leaves the meeting uncertain. The Argentine came through his opening match against Llamas Ruiz, 6-3, 7-6(6), 6-7(5), 6-0, sealing it with a final-set bagel that suggested he, at least, will arrive fresh.
