Dan King
Sun journalist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

"That cross-court shot for break point was stunning. It caught Williams in no man's land.

"Putintseva's been hitting some looping balls but when she drawn Serena in, she's hit some powerful flat ground strokes."

A backhand sock across court whistles past Serena Williams and in to set up break point for Yulia Putintseva.

Williams is having problems with her own backhand. She cannot prise a groundstroke off the red dirt and suddenly Putintseva is serving for the set.

How's that medicine Serena?

The top seed's serve gets the treatment she dishes out so regularly as Yulia Putintseva swings out wide and pummels a clean winner to take the game to deuce.

Dan King
Sun journalist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

"Fair play, Putintseva is not backing down. She's getting into Serena's head a bit.

"I think Serena thought after her break that Putintseva would back down but she hasn't."

Image source, Getty Images

This is a real contrast in styles.

The diminutive Yulia Putintseva is all scurry and chase, with footwork like Flatley as she chases around her groundstrokes and changes things up with chop and drop-shots.

Serena is her usual superhero power, crushing the ball into a sugarcube.

But Putintseva's craft comes through for her, delivering a hold to love.

Get Inspired
Get Inspired

Inspired by what's gone on at Roland Garros today? 

Well, the LTA have launched a new campaign to get more people into the sport across the UK.

Go Hit It, external targets adults aged 18 to 34 and hopes to raise awareness of the sport earlier in the year.

"The Davis Cup victory at the end of last year really captivated the British audience," says Alex Mawer, the LTA's marketing director.

"We want to continue on this high and encourage people across the country to get involved in tennis, earlier in the season and more regularly."

Serena Williams gets foot-faulted at 30-15 up, resists the temptation to insert the tennis ball into the line judge's lower bowel and instead lamps an enormous forehand winner past Yulia Putintseva .

When that ball sits up on that wing, the top seed makes sure it stays hit.

After the big build-up, Serena was nowhere near a break of serve there.

The American's forehand gets off the leash and Yulia Putinseva takes advantage with some tidy tennis.

Image source, Getty Images

You won't like her when she is angry.

Serena Williams seemed irritated by the drizzle and Yulia Putintseva's slice and dice game and has come out spitting venom after the rain break.

Another love service hold and, although it is on serve in the set, you fear this might be a head-on collision between a juggernaut and a greenfly.

Dan King
Sun journalist on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

"It's really important Serena hold her serve now, before the set gets away from her.

"She's taken a while to warm up but she's finding her groove now. The power of her shots is driving Putintseva back. 

"Putintseva has to find ways to get Serena out of the comfort zone."

Image source, Getty Images

Serena Williams starts to bully Yulia Putintseva with string-stretching power from the baseline.

The Kazakh slips 0-30 down as she scrapes desperately to get the ball back and cannot change the rhythm of the rally.

Putintseva dumps into the net to offer up 15-40 and two break points. 

And a wretched final stroke hands over the game and gives Williams parity in the opening set.

There was a bit of controversy in Novak Djokovic's win over Tomas Berdych.

In the third set, the world number slammed his racquet down in frustration, it bounced behind him and a line judge had to scarper to escape being hit.

Here's what the Serb said about the incident:

Serena Williams rattles though her own service game to love.

Is that the ship steadying itself?

Image source, Getty Images

Move the Serena alert to level five - meltdown possible.

Williams duffs a horrible backhand into the middle part of the net from front court and screws a forehand wide to fold out of Yulia Putintseva's service game to love.

If you are Putintseva you want to stay out there, come wind, rain or hail today.

Well, goodness me.

Yulia Putintseva snaps the Serena serve on the resumption with a wrong-footing forehand down the line deceiving Williams on the second of two break points.

Serena looks a little discombobulated.

Image source, Getty Images

Just as I type that, here come Serena Williams and Yulia Putintseva back on court.

The Met Office never did get back to me on that job application.

The bad news is that this rain has barged its way in, settled deep into the sofa and loaded up the whole of the Godfather trilogy on the telly.

It looks like it could be with us for some time.

World number 15 Dominic Thiem of Austria has now wrapped up victory against David Goffin to make the semi-finals for the first time.

Goffin of Belgium won the first set but Thiem recovered to win 4-6 7-6 6-4 6-1.

The 22-year-old will now face Novak Djokovic in the last four.

Image source, Getty Images

They are still ploughing on over on Suzanne Lenglen though.

And with good reason, Dominic Thiem is serving for the match against David Goffin.

Serena Williams looks to the sky as she prepares her ball toss and squints over to the umpire's chair.

The drizzle is falling heavier and harder.

British umpire Alison Hughes tells her to play on.

But play continues only three more points.

The players trudge off court with Putintseva leading 15-30.

Image source, AP