King of clay Rafael Nadal's hopes of reclaiming his Roland Garros throne ended in despair when the nine-times champion pulled out of the French Open because of a wrist injury.
The Spaniard, who looked in top form when cruising through the first two rounds for the loss of nine games and was due to face compatriot Marcel Granollers on Saturday, called a news conference at short notice.
"I'm here to announce that I have to retire from the tournament because I have a problem in my wrist that I have had a couple of weeks," Nadal, 30 next week, told a packed room.
"Every day was a little bit worse. To win the tournament I need five more matches, and the doctor says that's 100 per cent impossible."
Fourth seed Nadal, beaten only twice in 74 matches at the French Open since taking the place by storm in 2005, had been tipped for a strong showing as he looked to recover from last year's quarter-final exit at the hands of Novak Djokovic.
The claycourt slam has been robbed of two of its biggest attractions after Roger Federer, the 17-times grand slam champion and winner in 2009, withdrew with a back injury last week.
With Nadal's news reverberating around the grounds, a day of third-round action under sunny skies was overshadowed.
Ordinarily 10th seed and twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova's 6-0 6-7(3) 6-0 defeat by 108th-ranked American Shelby Rogers would have been a big talking point.
As would men's second seed Andy Murray scything past big-serving Croatian veteran Ivo Karlovic in straight sets - a relief after the Briton's first and second round dramas when he was twice pushed to five sets by lowly-ranked opponents.
Home favourite Richard Gasquet provided some cheer for the home fans when he tamed Australian tyro Nick Kyrgios 6-2 7-6(9) 6-2 to move into the last 16 where he will face fifth seed Kei Nishikori.
Nishikori let slip a two-set lead against Spain's Fernando Verdasco before prevailing 6-3 6-4 3-6 2-6 6-4.
French Open holder Stan Wawrinka eased into the fourth round at Roland Garros with a drama-free 6-4 6-3 7-5 win over Jeremy Chardy.
(Getty)
The Swiss third seed stepped on court shortly after nine-times champion Nadal, pulled out of the tournament.
But there was little chance of Wawrinka following Nadal out of Roland Garros. He broke the hapless Chardy five times to secure a place in the last 16 for the sixth time in his career.
The only men's champion still left in the draw, Wawrinka will next play either another Frenchman, Gilles Simon, or Serbian Viktor Troicki.
In the women's draw, fourth seed Garbine Muguruza shone in the Chatrier sunshine, thrashing Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer to set up a last-16 clash with 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Sixth seed Simona Halep also prevailed as did experienced Australain Samantha Stosur who beat 11th seed Lucie Safarova in a battle of two former runner-ups.
Newshub.
