Swiatek, Sabalenka sweep through third round at French Open

PARIS — Defending ladies’s champion Iga Swiatek joined No.1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka within the fourth spherical of the French Open on Friday and neither participant has dropped a set up to now.

Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam winner who has solely as soon as reached the semifinals on the French Open, beat Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-3 on Courtroom Philippe-Chatrier, the place Friday’s sizzling climate contrasted with earlier days.

“The ball flies a lot quicker,” Sabalenka mentioned. “The bounces are a lot larger.”

Swiatek, who has gained 4 of her 5 main titles at Roland-Garros, defeated Jaqueline Cristian 6-2, 7-5 on Courtroom Suzanne-Lenglen to increase her French Open successful streak to 23 matches. However a second set lasting one hour, 16 minutes examined the 23-year-old Polish participant, who yelled in reduction after successful on her second match level.

“She used her possibilities and simply went for it,” mentioned Swiatek, who loved temperatures which reached 29 levels C. “For positive I do not thoughts. On clay it offers the balls the additional bounce.”

Sabalenka and Swiatek, who had 20 winners and 21 unforced errors in her win, have been in contrasting kind.

The 27-year-old Sabalenka has reached six singles finals this yr, essentially the most for a girl coming into Roland-Garros since Serena Williams in 2013.

However Swiatek is trying to attain her first remaining wherever since successful her third straight French Open title, and fourth total, right here final yr.

Swiatek is trying to develop into the primary lady to win right here 4 successive instances within the Open period. Her first title got here in 2020. Her different main was in 2022 on the U.S. Open.

Requested who was underneath essentially the most strain to win this yr’s French Open — her or Swiatek — Sabalenka mentioned, jokingly: “Let’s simply depart it on Iga since she gained it, what, thrice in a row?”

Defending males’s champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain was in motion later Friday. The No.2-ranked Alcaraz confronted Damir Dzumhur, who harm his left knee throughout a fall in his second-round win.

What else occurred on the French Open on Friday?

In different ladies’s play, Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen beat 18-year-old Canadian qualifier Victoria Mboko 6-3, 6-4, whereas No. 16 Amanda Anisimova and Liudmila Samsonova additionally superior.

In males’s third-round play, No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy beat Mariano Navone, No. 10 Holger Rune of Denmark beat Frenchman Quentin Halys in 5 units and Twelfth-seeded American Tommy Paul did the identical in opposition to No. 24 Karen Khachanov, whereas No. 25 Alexei Popyrin of Australia additionally superior.

Who’s on the schedule at Roland-Garros on Saturday?

Novak Djokovic performs within the evening session Saturday, a lot to his frustration as he had hoped to play earlier so he might watch the Champions League remaining in Germany between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan on TV.

The 24-time main winner, who lately gained his a centesimal profession title, faces qualifier Filip Misolic. If Djokovic wins shortly, although, he might be able to catch the top of the soccer remaining, which begins at 3 p.m. ET. Or probably additional time.

In remaining third-round males’s play, Alexander Zverev — final yr’s runner-up — takes on Flavio Cobolli on Courtroom Philippe-Chatrier, whereas No. 1 Jannik Sinner — who beat Zverev on this yr’s Australian Open remaining — faces Jiri Lehecka on Courtroom Suzanne-Lenglen. Over on Courtroom Simonne-Mathieu, British hope Jack Draper performs 18-year-old rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca. They’re adopted by Cameron Norrie vs. Jacob Fearnley, guaranteeing a British participant within the fourth spherical.

In remaining third-round ladies’s play, former U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff faces Marie Bouzkova on Courtroom Philippe-Chatrier, and No. 3 Jessica Pegula, the runner-up eventually yr’s U.S. Open, performs former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova earlier on the identical courtroom. There’s an all-American contest on Courtroom Suzanne-Lenglen between present Australian Open champion Madison Keys and former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, who gained that main in 2020, the yr she went on to lose within the French Open remaining to Swiatek.