Lenglen's Revenge: Sevastova's brave brilliance on a classic court

Pity poor Suzanne Lenglen—or her court, anyway. While Court Philippe Chatrier has had a makeover, and fans and players have been wowed by the new Greenhouse arena on the other side of the grounds, Lenglen has just been...Lenglen, the same curvy concrete second show court that it has been since 1994. Not that this is a bad thing: At once grand and intimate, Lenglen is still one of the world’s great tennis stadiums, and can more than hold its own with anything else—new or old—on the grounds at Roland Garros.

Does Lenglen have something to prove this year? Over the course of the first week, it has been the site of two classic overtime matches. The first was Benoit Paire’s four-hour, 33-minute win over fellow Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 10-8 in the fifth. Its emotions, momentum swings, and sheer number of high-quality points seemed destined to make it the match of the tournament. But it may have been topped on Friday by Anastasija Sevastova’s, three-hour, 18-minute, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 11-9 win over Elise Mertens.

This third-rounder was played in a hothouse atmosphere that only seems possible at the French Open. With Roger Federer scheduled to play next, the stands were full; but by the time the Belgian and the Latvian had begun their march down the homestretch together, the fans were fully engaged with their baseline tug of war and the contrasting styles they presented. Mertens hit hard and flat and straight through the court, while Sevastova carved under and over everything, and sent balls dipping and curving. It felt as if the fans were right on top of the players, leaning into the court; they roared their appreciation in unified fashion for every well-struck ball.

While there was plenty to appreciate on both sides of the net, this match eventually became a showcase for Sevastova’s unique talents. As a player and personality, she’s a paradox. Her ball-striking is as elegant as anyone’s on either tour; her forehand is a miracle of crispness, and she can do whatever she wants with her two-handed backhand. Yet the perpetually pained expressions she wears on her face make it more difficult to enjoy her game than it should be.

But there was nothing difficult about watching Sevastova save five match points, each one with a better, braver shot than the last, against Mertens. She saved the first with a bullet inside-out forehand that skidded off the sideline; the second with a full-blooded swing volley winner; the third with a backhand drop shot from behind the baseline; the fourth with a service winner; and the fifth with a down-the-line backhand winner that again skidded off the sideline. (Watch them all in the video above.)

Even Sevastova had to crack a smile when this one was over. Maybe Suzanne Lenglen, who played her own uniquely brave brand of tennis a century ago, was somewhere smiling, too.