Dominic Thiem admitted he needs more time to be able to complete after his frustrating return from injury continued with a "painful" French Open first-round exit to Hugo Dellien.
Thiem also hinted he could drop down to play a couple of ATP Challenger-level tournaments, having struggled upon his return from a wrist injury which ruled him out for the second half of last season.
The 2020 US Open winner, who was runner-up to Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros in both 2018 and 2019, arrived in the French capital on a six-match losing run, and Dellien took full advantage of the Austrian's woes to claim a 6-3 6-2 6-4 win.
Speaking after a comprehensive defeat in which he was broken four times, Thiem acknowledged he is not operating at the necessary level to compete at grand slams.
"It was not a good match at all, but it is what it is," a dejected Thiem said post-match.
"You've got to take time, as the level is extremely high from all the players competing here, and I'm not there yet. I was really working hard to get there, but the time was just not enough, I've got to accept it.
"Even though there have been some really painful defeats now week after week, still nothing unexpected happened. Had I won a lot of matches, it would have been a big surprise, so it's painful.
"I'm very disappointed, but the wait goes on."
Since his comeback, the former world number three has only won one set of tennis in seven matches - at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Marbella in March - and he thinks a return to that level could aid his recovery.
"The problem is a match situation is something different; [in a] grand slam especially," he added. "I am definitely thinking to go back to Challenger level for one or two tournaments.
"I am more tight, more nervous, and the whole body gets more tight. This is toxic to my forehand because I am still missing the fine feeling there."
Ons Jabeur was the first big-name casualty at the French Open as Magda Linette produced a shock on day one.
Jabeur arrived at Roland Garros with the expectation she would be one of the most likely to challenge strong favourite Iga Swiatek, but Linette consigned the sixth seed to a 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 defeat on Sunday.
Battling Tunisian Jabeur won her maiden WTA 1000 title at the Madrid Open this month and had reached the final of three of the four tournaments she has played on clay this season.
The 27-year-old also started the Paris major with a tour-leading 17-3 record on this surface in 2022, but she was unable to get the better of the world number 56.
Linette was broken three times in the first set, but fought back from 3-1 down in a second-set tie-break to take Jabeur the distance.
It appeared a final-set tie-break would be on the cards in the opening match on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but Linette had other ideas.
The Pole - who struck 32 winners - decisively broke for a third time when Jabeur was serving to stay in the match to claim her first top-10 scalp of the season, setting up a second-round meeting with Martina Trevisan or Harriet Dart.
A junior French Open champion in 2011, Jabeur must lick her wounds after 47 unforced errors to fall at the first hurdle.
Dominic Thiem's miserable return from injury took another turn for the worse when he was dumped out of the French Open by the unheralded Hugo Dellien on day one.
Thiem, who missed the second half of last season due to a wrist injury, arrived at Roland Garros on a six-match losing streak.
The Austrian was totally out of sorts once again on Court Simonne-Mathieu and Colombian Dellien capitalised, winning 6-3 6-2 6-4 on Sunday.
A two-time runner-up at the clay-court grand slam in Paris, Thiem has only won one set in seven matches since making his comeback - and that was at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Marbella in March.
The 2020 US Open champion racked up 42 unforced errors and did not have a solitary break point on another difficult day.
The 28-year-old had a first-serve success rate of only 59 per cent as world number 87 Dellien moved through to round two at Roland Garros for only the second time.
Thiem struck 29 winners to Dellien's 15, but the former world number three was broken four times as he crashed out.
Fernando Alonso will start the Spanish Grand Prix from the back of the grid after incurring a penalty for using his fourth power unit of the season.
Alonso qualified 17th for his home grand prix, blaming a "misunderstanding" in Q1 for his disappointing performance.
The Alpine driver, whose 2022 season has been defined by misfortune, suffered more bad luck ahead of the race.
Alpine changed the engine in Alonso's car, meaning he is now on his fourth different power unit at just the sixth race of the campaign.
That is one more than is permitted by the regulations, with the penalty sending him to 20th on the grid.
Two-time world champion Alonso has taken only two points from the first five races, suffering retirements in Saudi Arabia and at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
His team-mate Esteban Ocon, by contrast, has 24 points to his name.
Jimmy Butler will not require an MRI scan after leaving Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals with knee inflammation, said Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who praised Bam Adebayo for "stabilising" the team in his absence in a 109-103 win over the Boston Celtics.
Butler played 19 minutes in the first half but did not emerge from the locker room for the second at TD Garden.
Yet the Heat were still able to claim a 2-1 lead in the series, a rematch of the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA Bubble, thanks predominantly to Adebayo.
Adebayo went 15 for 22 from the field as he scored 31 points and added 10 rebounds.
He also had six assists and four steals. The Heat's 19 steals marked a franchise postseason record and the most for any team in a playoff game since 2015.
Having produced 32 and 27-point games against the Celtics in the bubble, Adebayo's three-highest scoring playoff performances have now all come versus Boston.
"He did his version of what Jimmy does in terms of 'do what's necessary for the game,'" Spoelstra told a media conference of Adebayo, who finished plus-17 in the plus-minus.
"He was extremely assertive, it happened in a lot of moments that were fully in the context of how we want to play. He was just way more assertive on the catch and those moments in between.
"It wasn't just the scoring, that's what everybody is going to recognise but he did so many things in terms of getting us organised, facilitating, playing point guard for us at times, running offense in the post through him and then defending as he always does one through five against a team that presents a lot of challenges.
"He's a winning player. He really is the heart and soul of our group, you can count on him all the time, he doesn't get caught up in all the noise, he's just out there competing, playing winning basketball, doing it on both ends and doing what is necessary.
"When Jimmy was out in the second half he just stabilised us. It got a little bit gnarly out there and when it did we were able to get the ball to Bam and just get something coherent."
St. Louis Blues coach Craig Berube sent a veiled shot at Nazem Kadri, after the Colorado Avalanche defeated his team 5-2 to take Game 3 in their playoff series.
Kadri bowled over Blues starting goaltender Jordan Binnington less than seven minutes into the first period, forcing him to leave the game with a lower-body injury.
Binnington, who made three saves in as many attempts to that point, was replaced by Ville Husso, who stopped 19 of 23 shots.
Berube did not overtly blame Kadri for the collision following the defeat, but made reference to his notoriously frenetic and aggressive style.
"Look at Kadri's reputation," Beurbe said post-game. "That's all I've got to say.
"There are a lot of calls you can question. That's hockey. I'm not going to sit here and talk about calls, that weren't called or called, it's just not worth it.
"I can be disappointed but talking about it is not going to change it."
The Western Conference's first seed took a 2-1 series lead on the back of a Artturi Lehkonen brace and 29 saves from Darcy Kuemper.
Kadri, Logan O'Connor and Gabriel Landeskog also scored for the Avalanche, who bounced back from a 4-1 loss on their home ice on Thursday.
DJ LeMahieu's early grand slam propelled the New York Yankees to a 7-5 win over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday as tempers flared again.
A week after Josh Donaldson and Tim Anderson scrapped in Chicago, the two resumed hostilities in the third inning as the former American League MVP, in his first season with the Yankees, rounded second base.
The benches were then cleared in the fifth inning, when the Yankees' designated hitter faced off with White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal.
The Pinstripes started strong early and took the lead in the second with a five-run inning, on the back of LeMahieu going deep off Dallas Keuchel with two out.
Nestor Cortes struck out seven and gave up six hits over 100 pitches in five innings, as the Yankees moved to 29-10.
Musgrove muzzles Giants in Padres win
Joe Musgrove was in fine form as the San Diego Padres defeated the San Francisco Giants 2-1 in a big National League West matchup.
Musgrove pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out four and giving up only four hits over 100 pitches.
Manny Machado scored the eventual winning run for the Padres, sending Carlos Rodon's fast-ball back over his head.
Varsho drives Diamondbacks to extra-innings victory
The Arizona Diamondbacks staged a late comeback to defeat the Chicago Cubs, winning 7-6 in an extra inning on the road.
Daulton Varsho was pivotal for the D-Backs, forcing the 10th inning with a two-out, three-RBI double.
Varsho then scored the winning run on the back of a throwing error by Andrelton Simmons in the 10th inning, before Mark Melancon made his ninth save of the season.
The Miami Heat warded off a gritty fightback from the Boston Celtics to win 109-103 on Saturday, reclaiming home-court advantage and taking out Game 3 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics were down by 26 points in the first half and clawed their way back to make it a one-possession game down the stretch, but clutch baskets from Max Strus and Bam Adebayo were able to halt momentum.
Erik Spoelstra's side eventually saw the game out from the free-throw line.
With Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro off injured in the second half, Adebayo finished with 31 points on 15-of-22 shooting, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals in a big performance.
Jaylen Brown led the late charge for the Celtics, scoring a game-high 40 points off 14-of-20 shooting from the floor, but turnovers were critical as the team failed to take care of the ball.
Brown was responsible for seven of his own while Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart combined for 10 with the Celtics committing 23 turnovers.
Boston shot 37.5 per cent from three-point range but following a 39-14 first quarter, were facing an uphill battle.
The Heat scored 33 points off those turnovers in contrast to Boston's nine points, with double-digit margins for points in the paint (48-34) and bench points (26-16).
Butler came up with eight points and three rebounds as well as two assists and steals, but knee inflammation saw him miss the second half.
Kyle Lowry's return to the floor was pivotal for the Heat, however, finishing with 11 points, six assists and four steals.
On an abnormal weekend, Mito Pereira is trying to keep things as normal as possible, leading the US PGA Championship coming into the final round.
The world number 61 holds a three-stroke lead coming into the fourth round at Summer Hills, after posting a one-under 69 on Saturday.
Having only earned his PGA Tour card last year and still without a tournament victory to his name at that level, the 27-year-old Chilean is in uncharted territory at the second major of the year.
Pereira is not hiding that fact, but is trying to maintain a relative sense of calm to see the tournament out.
"It's by far the biggest tournament that I've played, the biggest round of golf and tomorrow is going to be even bigger," Pereira said after the third round. "I'll just try to keep it simple, try to do the same things that I've been doing and try to not even look at the people around."
The last time a player won a major for their maiden tour victory was Danny Willett at the 2016 Masters, following Jordan Spieth's final-day collapse.
Saturday was a rough day for the field in Tulsa, with blustery and overcast conditions wreaking havoc on shot selection.
Pereira posted four bogeys on five holes between eight and 12, but recovered with consecutive birdies on the 13th and 14th, before closing the day out on 69 with a tough birdie putt on 18.
The birdie on the par-five 13th was critical according to Pereira, reaffirming the confidence his ball-striking was giving him.
"It was a really tough day - it was windy, cold, last pairing. So I thought I hit it pretty well, hit some bad shots but it's normal," he said.
"It's more just mental, you know. Obviously that birdie really helped on 13, to get things going.
"I wasn't playing really bad and with those bogeys – one three-putt, one bad break – it wasn't like I was losing my confidence. I was still hitting the ball really well, so I think I'll just hold to that."
Tiger Woods has withdrawn from the US PGA Championship after shooting a nine-over 79 on Saturday, marking the first withdrawal of his professional career.
After four consecutive bogeys to open the back nine at Southern Hills on moving day, the 46-year-old birdied the par-four 15th to finish on 79, avoiding his third-ever score in the 80s at a major.
On Friday, Woods made the cut for the second time in as many tries after almost losing his leg in a devastating single-car crash in February last year.
It was a difficult third round across the board with heavy winds and overcast conditions, as he played through evident pain.
"I didn't do anything right," Woods said afterwards. "I didn't hit many good shots. Consequently, I ended up with a pretty high score."
Due to persistent soreness, the 15-time major winner eventually opted to withdraw.
Mito Pereira became the first Chilean to lead a major as the elements shook the field at the US PGA Championship on Saturday, holding a three-stroke lead coming into the final day.
Strong winds and grey skies meant moving day took on a more distinct meaning at Southern Hills, with four of the players in the top 10 finishing their rounds on Saturday with scores over par.
Pereira was close to making that five but recovered from four bogeys in five holes between eight and 12, scoring back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th before sinking a long birdie putt on the 18th to finish the day on a one-under 69.
The 27-year-old leads an unheralded group at the top of the leaderboard at nine-under par after 54 holes, with the top four players yet to win a tournament on the PGA Tour.
With several big names missing the cut including world number one Scottie Scheffler and Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas remains the only top-ten player in the top ten at Southern Hills, shooting a four-over 74 on Saturday to sit seven strokes off Pereira.
The last time a player won a major for their maiden PGA Tour victory was Danny Willett's dramatic 2016 triumph at the Masters, capitalising on Jordan Spieth's back-nine collapse on the final day.
Willett's countryman, Matt Fitzpatrick, is tied for second with Will Zalatoris at six-under par after recovering from back-to-back bogeys on the opening two holes to shoot a three-under 67.
Cameron Young sits a further stroke back after scoring a 67 of his own on Saturday, on the back of an eagle on the par-four 17th.
First-round leader Rory McIlroy's hopes of winning his first major in eight years faded, tumbling down the leaderboard with a four-over 74.
Starting the day five strokes back, McIlroy followed up a double-bogey on the sixth with back-to-back bogeys on the next two holes, before a triple-bogey on the par-three 11th to finish on par after 54 holes.
Carlos Sainz declared he is "ready to fight for it" as the man from Madrid chases Spanish Grand Prix glory on Sunday.
The Ferrari driver, 27, has had nine podium finishes in his career but has yet to take the top step, and doing so at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya would be ideal.
Ferrari have won this race 12 times previously, secured 38 podium finishes and earned a record 485 points, and it will be up to Sainz and pole-sitter Charles Leclerc to follow the illustrious example of Prancing Horse greats of years gone by.
Sainz has collected points in each of his seven Spanish Grand Prix appearances, finishing between sixth and ninth each time.
He has loftier ambitions for Sunday's race after qualifying in third position, behind Leclerc and last year's champion Max Verstappen, but knows that however well he might drive, other factors will come into the equation, not least how the tyres cope in the sizzling Barcelona heat.
"I think there's two key aspects," Sainz said. "There's the start and the tyre management that you need to get right to win here. Strategy, obviously being more than one stop, will be key also.
"There's many things in a 66-lap race that can happen. I'm ready to fight for it. Ready to get a good start, ready to try to get ahead. Ready to try and push from there."
Referring to team-mate Leclerc and Red Bull's Verstappen, who have respectively won twice and three times in the five races held so far this season, Sainz accepted both were a hard act to match.
The home favourite said: "Obviously, these guys have proved they have very good pace [on Saturday] and recently, but I think anything's possible."
This is the 52nd Spanish Grand Prix and the 32nd to be staged at this particular circuit. Of the previous 31 winners at the race's current home, some 28 have started on the front row. Two have come from the second row, while only Fernando Alonso, who started from fifth in 2013, has gone on to win from further back on the grid.
Sainz has observed the rear of his car is "very light" and suggested that consequently he was having to curb his natural instincts.
Ferrari racing director Laurent Mekies urged caution about race prospects, saying rival teams might prove more competitive than proved the case in qualifying.
"And I think that any aspect, from the start to tyre degradation, which will probably be the highest we have seen so far this season, could make the difference," Mekies said.
Tiger Woods carded the third-worst round in a major of his career on Saturday after producing a miserable 79 at the US PGA Championship.
Woods had rebounded from a disappointing opening round of 74 to make the cut with Friday score of 69, which even he admitted "wasn't pretty".
However, things were far less pretty in his third round, especially on the sixth hole as he suffered a triple bogey.
Up until that point, the 46-year-old had not been doing too badly, making par on four of the first five holes (one bogey), but that setback on six led to a slide.
After another bogey at seven in tough conditions, Woods made par on eight before bogeying five holes in a row to sit on 10 over for the round after 13 holes.
The 15-time major champion was able to save some face after that, making par on 14 before his first and only birdie of the day at 15.
Three pars to finish saved his blushes as he just avoided carding 80, which he has only ever done twice at majors - scoring 81 in round three of the 2002 Open Championship, and 80 in the first round of the 2015 US Open.
He goes into Sunday on 12 over par, tied for 76th.
Tiger Woods carded the third-worst round in a major of his career on Saturday after producing a miserable 79 at the US PGA Championship.
Woods had rebounded from a disappointing opening round of 74 to make the cut with Friday score of 69, which even he admitted "wasn't pretty".
However, things were far less pretty in his third round, especially on the sixth hole as he suffered a triple bogey.
Up until that point, the 46-year-old had not been doing too badly, making par on four of the first five holes (one bogey), but that setback on six led to a slide.
After another bogey at seven in tough conditions, Woods made par on eight before bogeying five holes in a row to sit on 10 over for the round after 13 holes.
The 15-time major champion was able to save some face after that, making par on 14 before his first and only birdie of the day at 15.
Three pars to finish saved his blushes as he just avoided carding 80, which he has only ever done twice at majors - scoring 81 in round three of the 2002 Open Championship, and 80 in the first round of the 2015 US Open.
He goes into Sunday on 12 over par, tied for 76th.
Angelique Kerber overcame Kaja Juvan in an epic Internationaux de Strasbourg final, with all three sets going to tie-breaks.
The two played for three hours and 16 minutes on Saturday – the longest WTA final of the year – with Kerber eventually sealing it 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (0-7) 7-6 (7-5) to win her first clay court trophy in over six years.
In their only previous meeting in 2020, Juvan upset the former world number one at the French Open, and the 21-year-old gave Kerber another scare here.
There were three breaks of serve each in the first set, with neither able to take control, before the German edged the first of the trio of tie-breaks.
Juvan and Kerber exchanged two breaks each in the second, though it was the Slovenian who was finding more opportunities, forcing the number two seed to save eight further break points across the set, before dominating the second breaker.
Neither was able to pull away in the third, with Kerber breaking early, before Juvan hit right back. It felt inevitable that the third set would follow the first two in going to a tie-break, and so it proved.
Kerber finally put her determined opponent away and paid tribute to the world number 81 in her maiden WTA final during her on-court interview, saying: "Well done Kaja, you played a great week and also a tough final... I wish you all the best in Paris [the French Open] so good luck there."
In the final of the Morocco Open, Martina Trevisan eased to her first WTA title at the expense of Claire Liu in just over 90 minutes.
The Italian dominated her opponent in a 6-2 6-1 victory after winning 63.0 per cent of her first serve points and saving nine of 10 break points.
Liu just could not get going, only winning 38.7 per cent of her own first serve points as she was unable to contain Trevisan, who becomes the second first-time champion in 2022 after Anastasia Potapova in Istanbul.
Trevisan dedicated the win to her father, saying: "I would like to dedicate this trophy to my dad. He can't see me in this moment but I know he would be very proud of me. He is a fighter like me during this week, but during his whole life - so this is for you, dad."
Simon Yates did not want to put "a downer" on his stage 14 victory at the Giro d'Italia but is far from satisfied with his overall race.
Yates was seen as one of the contenders for the maglia rosa heading into the first Grand Tour of 2022 but the Briton is way down in 17th place in the general classification standings, 18 minutes and 44 seconds off new race leader Richard Carapaz.
Team BikeExchange-Jayco rider Yates, who won the individual time trial in Budapest on stage two, finished 15 seconds ahead of second-placed Jai Hindley on a day that threw the race wide open.
Yates latched onto a chasing pack that caught up with INEOS Grenadiers rider and 2019 Giro winner Carapaz, who had made a break with 28 kilometres remaining in Saturday's 147km route from Santena to Turin – the first of four consecutive mountain stages.
Hindley and Vincenzo Nibali, who is racing in his final Giro, were the initial chasers, but Yates – whose GC hopes were all but ended when he dropped 11 minutes on the Blockhaus climb on stage nine – had the momentum to cruise to victory.
While Yates was delighted with a sixth Giro stage win of his career, he could not help but be frustrated by being so far off the pace overall.
"I mean, not to put a downer on the day, but I came here to win the race," the 29-year-old said. "For me, it's another stage. I have five already and it's number six.
"I hope the legs stay as good as today. Today was a really big effort, not just for me but for everybody. The gaps are enormous, so if this heat sticks around it's going to be a very hard final week."
A bad day for Lopez
Juan Pedro Lopez wore pink for 10 straight days but Saturday's stage was always likely to prove crucial and he went from holding a 12-second lead to ninth place, four minutes and four seconds behind Carapraz.
The experienced Ecuadorian attacked at just the right time for the GC standings, even if he was unable to hold on for the stage win.
STAGE RESULT
1. Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) 3:43:44
2. Jai Hindley (BORA-hansgrohe) +0:15
3. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) +0:15
4. Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Qazaqstan Team) +0:15
5. Domenico Pozzovivo (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) +0:28
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) 58:21:28
2. Jai Hindley (BORA-hansgrohe) +0:07
3. Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +0:30
Points Classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 238
2. Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 121
3. Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) 117
King of the Mountains
1. Diego Rosa (Eolo-Kometa) 92
2. Koen Bouwman (Jumbo-Visma) 69
3. Jai Hindley (BORA-hansgrohe) 62
Casper Ruud retained his Geneva Open title with a hard-fought defeat of Joao Sousa on Saturday.
Ruud had to dig deep in the deciding set, breaking Sousa when the Portuguese was serving for the title at 5-4, before going on to win 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 7-6 (7-1).
The world number nine has now won six of his last seven ATP 250 events on clay, and is the first player since Stan Wawrinka (2016 and 2017) to win more than one Geneva Open title.
Ruud served five aces in the first set on his way to edging a tie-break, but a determined Sousa was able to level in a second set in which he won eight of 11 second-service points.
It looked like Sousa would cause an upset against the tournament's second seed when serving for the match, only for Ruud to break back and use that momentum to take the win.
The Norwegian made the semi-finals at the Internazionali d'Italia last week and maintained his momentum ahead of the French Open by lifting the trophy in Switzerland.
"It was one of the craziest matches that I have ever played," he said in his on-court interview. "It was a lot of up and down. Sousa was close to winning and then suddenly everything turns around and this is tennis.
"This win feels so good, but you have to give a lot of credit to Joao because he fought back from one set down and has been playing well all week.
"It was just a matter of one or two points today and luckily they went in my favour."
At the Lyon Open, it was Cameron Norrie who emerged triumphant as the Brit beat Alex Molcan 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 6-1.
Norrie – who was beaten by Stefanos Tsitsipas in last year's final – was largely on top throughout, firing down six aces and boasting an impressive success rate of 72 per cent of first serve points won, while also saving five of seven break points against his Slovakian opponent.
The top seed could have won in straight sets, but was unable to convert two match points in the second before being forced to a decider by Molcan.
It is Norrie's second ATP title of the season and the fourth of his career. It is his first on clay as he prepares for the second grand slam of the year at Roland Garros.
"It is my first title on the clay so it means a lot to me," Norrie said. "I can't be happier with how I handled everything this week. This one feels the best so far. I don't know why, it is just so special and I couldn't be happier and am really speechless right now. It was an incredible atmosphere. Thanks to everyone for coming out.
"I had chances to close the matches in straight sets this week and get it done easier than usual and it didn't go that way and I was able to let that go and respond. In the third set I moved really well and it is nice to get over the line."
Lewis Hamilton was "a little bit gutted" by qualifying sixth for the Spanish Grand Prix but is confident Mercedes can challenge Ferrari on race day.
Mercedes have endured a dismal start to the season and struggled to match the pace of the Red Bulls and Ferraris, with Hamilton's only podium coming when he finished third in Bahrain.
There have been significant signs of improvement at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – where Charles Leclerc pipped Max Verstappen to pole – but the seven-time champion was still outqualified by team-mate George Russell, who will start from fourth.
However, Hamilton hopes to be able to mix it with the Ferraris ahead of him on Sunday.
"The team have done a great job so a big, big thank you to everyone for keeping pushing back at the factory because we don't have bouncing in a straight line, which is a huge improvement for us. And the car has generally been nicer this weekend," Hamilton told Sky Sports.
"I am a little bit gutted [being sixth] because I want to be further up ahead, and you've obviously seen George is able to put it up further ahead than me, but I will keep pushing.
"[Friday practice] was our best race pace that we've had so if we could start racing with the Ferraris, for example, that would be amazing.
"I think the Red Bulls look like they might be quickest but we look like we could maybe compete with the Ferraris tomorrow and that is a big step for us."
Team principal Toto Wolff thinks the bouncing issues that have plagued Mercedes being solved has primed them to make further strides as the season continues.
"I think we have taken a solid step into Barcelona. You try to keep your expectations at a realistic point and I think where we slotted in is somehow the best we could have expected," said Wolff.
"My belief is we have a race car more than a qualifying car, but we're going to see tomorrow how it went for the others. I think with Red Bull, they always have the tendency of being much stronger in the race than the Ferraris.
"We know how to unlock more performance, but we're not yet there. It's step by step. The other teams have continued to develop their cars when we've been in a sort of pause moment to find out about the bouncing.
"So we can pick up the regular development as soon as we understand the tyres now the bouncing is gone."
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