Swiatek, Sabalenka reach 4th rd. at French Open

PARIS -- Defending women's champion Iga Swiatek joined No.1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka successful the 4th circular of the French Open connected Friday and neither subordinate has dropped a acceptable truthful far.

Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam victor who has lone erstwhile reached the semifinals astatine the French Open, bushed Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-3 connected Court Philippe-Chatrier, wherever Friday's blistery upwind contrasted with erstwhile days.

"The shot flies overmuch faster," Sabalenka said. "The bounces are overmuch higher."

Swiatek, who has won 4 of her 5 large titles astatine Roland-Garros, defeated Jaqueline Cristian 6-2, 7-5 connected Court Suzanne-Lenglen to widen her French Open winning streak to 23 matches. But a 2nd acceptable lasting 1 hour, 16 minutes tested the 23-year-old Polish player, who yelled successful alleviation aft winning connected her 2nd lucifer point.

"She utilized her chances and conscionable went for it," said Swiatek, who enjoyed temperatures which reached 29 degrees Celsius (84 Fahrenheit). "For definite I don't mind. On clay it gives the balls the other bounce."

Sabalenka and Swiatek, who had 20 winners and 21 unforced errors successful her win, person been successful contrasting form.

The 27-year-old Sabalenka has reached six singles finals this year, the astir for a pistillate entering Roland Garros since Serena Williams successful 2013.

But Swiatek is looking to scope her archetypal last anyplace since winning her 3rd consecutive French Open title, and 4th overall, present past year.

Swiatek is looking to go the archetypal pistillate to triumph present 4 successive times successful the Open era. Her archetypal rubric came successful 2020. Her different large was successful 2022 astatine the U.S. Open.

Asked who was nether the astir unit to triumph this year's French Open - her oregon Swiatek - Sabalenka said, jokingly: "Let's conscionable permission it connected Iga since she won it, what, 3 times successful a row?"

Defending men's champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain was successful enactment aboriginal Friday. The No.2-ranked Alcaraz faced Damir Dzumhur, who wounded his near genu during a autumn successful his second-round win.

What other happened astatine the French Open connected Friday? In different women's play, Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen bushed 18-year-old qualifier Victoria Mboko 6-3, 6-4, portion No. 16 Amanda Anisimova and Liudmila Samsonova besides advanced.

In remaining third-round women's play, erstwhile U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff faces Marie Bouzkova connected Court Philippe-Chatrier, and No. 3 Jessica Pegula, the runner-up astatine past year's U.S. Open, plays erstwhile Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova earlier connected the aforesaid court. There is an all-American contention connected Court Suzanne-Lenglen betwixt existent Australian Open champion Madison Keys and erstwhile Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, who won that large successful 2020, the twelvemonth she went connected to suffer successful the French Open last to Swiatek.