Reigning champion Iga Swiatek celebrated her 23rd birthday by brushing aside Marie Bouzkova to reach the French Open last 16 on Friday. Swiatek had to save a match point to avoid an upset defeat by fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in a second-round thriller, but she was never in trouble during a 6-4, 6-2 win over Czech Bouzkova. The world number one is a red-hot favourite to lift the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen for a third straight year and become only the fourth woman to win four Roland Garros titles in the Open era.
She was much closer to her best form on Friday, hitting 34 winners and making only 19 unforced errors.
Swiatek will play Russia’s Anastasia Potapova in the next round on Sunday.
The Polish star’s win-loss record at the tournament stands at 32-2 and she has never failed to reach the second week.
Earlier on Friday, Jannik Sinner continued his serene progress at the French Open with a straight-sets victory over Russian Pavel Kotov in the third round.
The Australian Open champion, who will usurp Novak Djokovic as world number one if he reaches the final at Roland Garros, struck 36 winners and saved the only break point he faced in a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win.
Sinner will next take on either home hope Corentin Moutet or Austrian Sebastian Ofner for a place in the quarter-finals.
The Italian, who has only lost two matches so far this year, is yet to drop a set in the tournament.
Coco Gauff also eased into the second week for a fourth straight year. Gauff held off a late fightback from Australian Open semi-finalist Dayana Yastremska to win 6-2, 6-4 in the first match of the day on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The reigning US Open champion has an excellent record at Roland Garros, having previously reached two quarter-finals and the 2022 final which she lost to Swiatek.
The 20-year-old failed to serve out the match when leading 5-2 in the second set, but saved three break points in the 10th game before getting over the line.
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