BIRTHDAY BOOST: Swiatek coasts to Last 16

BIRTHDAY BOOST: Swiatek coasts to Last 16 | Daily Tribune

PARIS, France (AFP) — Reigning champion Iga Swiatek celebrated her 23rd birthday by brushing aside Marie Bouzkova to reach the French Open Last 16 on Friday, while Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz both powered into the second week.

Alcaraz got the better of Sebastian Korda in straight sets to edge closer to a semifinal meeting with Sinner, who saw off Russian Pavel Kotov 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

“Sebastian Korda is a great player and a really good ball striker,” Alcaraz said.

“It is difficult to play against him. I had to run a lot. It was like a marathon for me today.”

Sixth seed Andrey Rublev suffered a shock exit at the hands of unheralded Italian Matteo Arnaldi, losing his cool repeatedly as anger at his performance boiled over.

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.

“I feel good physically, I had a day off yesterday,” Swiatek said.

“I don’t feel like the match (against Osaka) stayed with me but we’ll see at the end of the tournament.”

The world No. 1 is a red-hot favorite 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.

Coco Gauff held off a late fightback from Australian Open semifinalist 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, making the fourth round for a fourth straight year.

“When it was time to close out and the games were getting close and tight, I was trying to just remind myself I’m in the better position,” Gauff said.