The Serb lost the opening set against his Spanish opponent, a two-time winner on the ATP Tour this year, but recovered to put himself 3-6, 6-4, 4-1 ahead when the fourth-round match was interrupted for a second and final time.

Following the first French Open washout in 16 years yesterday, there was more of the same today with the two separate suspensions as well as a delayed start allowing for only two hours' play.

Second seed Andy Murray’s quarter-final match against home hope Richard Gasquet was due to be the third match on Philippe-Chatrier Court, but at 5.15pm local time, it was confirmed the Scot would have to wait until tomorrow to resume his bid for a first title at Roland Garros. 

Stan Wawrinka will have to do likewise before continuing the defence of his title with Spain’s Albert Ramos-Vinolas providing the Swiss' opposition in the last eight.

Elsewhere in the round four, Spain’s David Ferrer leads Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych 2-1 on serve in the early stages of their meeting, while unseeded Latvian Ernests Gulbis holds a 3-0 advantage over Belgium’s David Goffin in the first set of their encounter.

The other match to get underway was that between Austria’s Dominic Thiem and Spain’s Marcel Granollers with the pair level at one set all. 

In the women’s fourth round, second seed Agnieszka Radwanska and sixth seed Simona Halep were both beaten.

Poland’s Radwanska had been in control against world number 102 Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria when play was suspended on Sunday (May 29), but lost the first 10 games on the resumption of play today.

She eventually fell to a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 defeat having required treatment to her hand on a wet Court Suzanne-Lenglen.

Halep, the 2014 runner-up, lost 7-6, 6-3 against fellow former finalist Sam Stosur of Australia, who now goes on to face Pironkova in the quarter-finals.

"I have no words," said Halep.

"It was impossible to play in my opinion."

She added: "No one cares about the players in my opinion.

"I don't care that I lost the match today, but I was close to getting injured with my back, so that's a big problem."

Top seed Serena Williams of the United States was scheduled to play Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in round four, but the match was postponed until tomorrow.

Williams’ sister Venus was due to face eighth seed Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland and will have to hope for better luck tomorrow.

The matches between The Netherlands’ Kiki Bertens and the US’s Madison Keys, and Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro and Russia’s Yulia Putintseva have also been pushed back. 

It all means that half of the men's and women's last-16 matches have yet to be completed with just five days of the schedule remaining.