Garcia soars into Roland Garros fourth round with upset of Mertens

Rain interrupted play on Friday at Roland Garros, but it didn't spell bad news for everyone. Playing under the new roof on Philippe-Chatrier, Caroline Garcia moved into the fourth round with a 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over Elise Mertens in front of a decent-sized crowd.

The rain falling outside of the high-tech roof meant most of the allowed spectators on site joined the indoor action to cheer on the highest-ranked Frenchwoman left in the women's draw. It made the atmosphere feel almost normal as they heartily applauded Garcia's many winners and quietly clapped for Mertens' valiant efforts. It was that signature patriotic support everyone has come to expect and they would even attempt the wave late in the third set.

"So to be able to live this kind of moment—first of all because we didn't know what was going to happen, to be able to play French Open—it's a great feeling," Garcia said. "And to have some crowd to be able to share it with, it's even more special, especially as they were really cheering for me."

A giddy Garcia soaked it all in to the fullest as she flew around the court in her "Fly with Caro" celebration.

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The celebration goes back to Fed Cup action in 2014 after she won the title in Bogota and a French coach said she was "flying on court."

"It started as a joke in the team for the whole week," Garcia said. "After my first-ever win in Fed Cup against the U.S., I just did it for fun. Then the fan created the hashtag, and I just thought it was fun and a little bit different. I kept doing it."

The "Fly with Caro" slogan has deeper meaning as the physio who was part of the team that year would pass away and so she uses it as a way to remember him and his positive energy.

Though a former world No. 5, Garcia has slid through the draw unseeded and under the radar. Though she was in control in the third set with a 4-2 and 5-3 lead, the match still came down to the wire. She held three match points while serving it out at 5-4 and needed another three at 6-5 before a Mertens backhand sailed a few inches long.

"I really tried to stay in the present," Garcia said. "Of course when I was at like 5-4 40-15 I got super stressed. You know, either it's a way you go for too much or you go for not enough. She's a good player. If I go for not enough, she's going for it."

After dropping the first set, Garcia became the aggressor, particularly using her big forehand wing to push the quick-footed Mertens off the court. Even though one of Garcia's squandered match points was a double fault, her serve was superb, producing six aces. She came to the net 28 times to Merten's 7 and hit 38 winners—33 of which came after the first set.

For Garcia, it's all about knowing when to go big and when to wait.

"It's always kind of balance—sometimes you find it right away, sometimes not," she said. "But I think it's the spirit of the game and what I can improve even more."

While the Frenchwoman has struggled at her home Slam—losing in the first or second round in seven out of 10 appearances—she did reach the quarterfinals in 2017 and the fourth round in 2018. She's happy to making new memories on the new Court Philippe-Chatrier.

"I think I played some good tennis so far in this French Open," Garcia said. "So I'm curious to see how it goes against Elina Svitolina, who is a very solid player and in full confidence now. So I don't know if I'm as good or better or whatever, but I'm just the Caroline Garcia of now, 2020."