PARIS (AP) — Defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek joined No.1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round of the French Open on Friday and neither player has dropped a set so far.
Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam winner who has only once reached the semifinals at the French Open, beat Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-3 on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where Friday’s hot weather contrasted with previous days.
“The ball flies much faster,” Sabalenka said. “The bounces are much higher.”
Swiatek, who has won four of her five major titles at Roland-Garros, defeated Jaqueline Cristian 6-2, 7-5 to extend her French Open winning streak to 23 matches. But a second set lasting 1 hour, 16 minutes tested the 23-year-old Polish player, who yelled in relief after winning on her second match point.
“She used her chances and just went for it,” said Swiatek, who enjoyed temperatures which reached 29 degrees Celsius (84 Fahrenheit). “For sure I don’t mind. On clay it gives the balls the extra bounce.”
Sabalenka and Swiatek, who had 20 winners and 21 unforced errors in her win, have been in contrasting form.
The 27-year-old Sabalenka has reached six singles finals this year, the most for a woman entering Roland Garros since Serena Williams in 2013.
Swiatek is looking to become the first woman to win here four successive times in the Open era. Her first title came in 2020. Her other major was in 2022 at the U.S. Open.
Defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain was in action later Friday. The No.2-ranked Alcaraz faced Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia, who hurt his left knee during a fall in his second-round win.
What else happened Friday?
In other women’s play, Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen beat 18-year-old qualifier Victoria Mboko 6-3, 6-4, while No. 16 Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. defeated Liudmila Samsonova of Denmark, 7-6, 6-4.
Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina beat Bernarda Pera of the U.S. in two tiebreakers, 7-6, 7-6.
In men’s third-round play, the Americans Frances Tiafoe and Sebastian Korda faced off. Tiafoe won, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Ben Shelton of the U.S. beat Matteo Gigante of Italy, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy beat Mariano Navone, No. 10 Holger Rune of Denmark beat Frenchman Quentin Halys in five sets and 12th-seeded American Tommy Paul did the same against No. 24 Karen Khachanov, while No. 25 Alexei Popyrin of Australia also advanced.
Who is on the schedule Saturday?
Novak Djokovic plays in the night session Saturday, much to his frustration as he had hoped to play earlier so he could watch the Champions League final in Germany between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan on TV.
