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Thiem 'prepared' for Bublik underarm serving

Paris - Last year's runner-up Dominic Thiem said he was "prepared" to face some underarm serves from entertaining Kazakh Alexander Bublik as he reached the third round at Roland Garros for the fourth straight year on Thursday.

The Austrian fourth seed was facing a fifth set when trailing 5-2 in the fourth, but reeled off five straight games to win 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 7-5.

World number 91 Bublik delighted the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd with his wide range of shots, including three underarm serves, but ran out of steam at the wrong time.

Fiery Australian Nick Kyrgios has caused controversy in recent months with underarm serves, while Bublik also used the tactic during his first-round win over Rudolf Molleker.

"I expected it. To be honest, it's a good choice against players like us who are that far behind the baseline," said Thiem.

"There is nothing bad about it. And, I mean, I was prepared for that, so that was no problem.

"There's nothing wrong about it. It's sometimes quite a good tactic."

It is 30 years since fans on Chatrier witnessed the most famous underarm serve in modern history by then-17-year-old Michael Chang against Ivan Lendl en route to the title.

The 25-year-old Thiem is bidding for a maiden Grand Slam title and has reached at least the semi-finals in Paris for three consecutive years.

He will face Pablo Cuevas in the last 32, after British number one Kyle Edmund retired from their second-round match with a left knee injury while trailing the Uruguayan 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 2-1.

Results from the fifth day of the French Open on Thursday (x denotes seeding):

Men

Second round

Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Henri Laaksonen (SUI) 6-1, 6-4, 6-3

Salvatore Caruso (ITA) bt Gilles Simon (FRA x26) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4

Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Radu Albot (MDA) 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (4/7), 6-2

Borna Coric (CRO x13) bt Lloyd Harris (RSA) 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (7/2)

Fabio Fognini (ITA x9) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x18) bt Taylor Fritz (USA) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2

Dusan Lajovic (SRB x30) bt Elliot Benchetrit (FRA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4

Alexander Zverev (GER x5) bt Mikael Ymer (SWE) 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3)

Dominic Thiem (AUT x4) bt Alexander Bublik (KAZ) 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 7-5

Pablo Cuevas (URU) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR x28) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 2-1 - retired

Antoine Hoang (FRA) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP x23) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5

Gael Monfils (FRA x14) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Karen Khachanov (RUS x10) bt Grégoire Barrère (FRA) 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 0-6, 7-5

Jordan Thompson (AUS) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3

Juan Martín Del Potro (ARG x8) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2

Leonardo Mayer (ARG) bt Diego Schwartzman (ARG x17) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5

Women

Second round

Naomi Osaka (JPN x1) bt Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3

Katerina Siniaková (CZE) bt Maria Sakkari (GRE x29) 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (8/10), 6-3

Anna Blinkova (RUS) bt Caroline Garcia (FRA x24) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4

Serena Williams (USA x10) bt Kurumi Nara (JPN) 6-3, 6-2

Andrea Petkovic (GER) bt Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE x25) 4-6, 6-3, 8-6

Ashleigh Barty (AUS x8) bt Danielle Collins (USA) 7-5, 6-1

Simona Halep (ROM x3) bt Magda Linette (POL) 6-4, 5-7, 6-3

Mónica Puig (PUR) bt Darya Kasatkina (RUS x21) 6-3, 6-1

Iga Swiatek (POL) bt Wang Qiang (CHN x16) 6-3, 6-0

Amanda Anisimova (USA) bt Aryna Sabalenka (BLR x11) 6-4, 6-2

Irina-Camelia Begu (ROM) bt Karolína Muchová (CZE) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4

Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4

Aliona Bolsova (ESP) bt Sorana Cirstea (ROM) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3)

Belinda Bencic (SUI x15) bt Laura Siegemund (GER) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

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