Defending Champion Swiatek Storms into French Open Fourth Round, Coco Gauff Advances as Well

Iga Swiatek, the world number one, demonstrated her dominance at the French Open on Saturday, breezing into the fourth round in just 51 minutes. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff ended 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva’s memorable Paris debut with a comeback victory.

Swiatek delivered a remarkable performance, overpowering China’s Wang Xinyu, ranked 80th, with a flawless 6-0, 6-0 victory.

With 21 winners under her belt, the 22-year-old Pole moved one step closer to becoming the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to secure back-to-back titles at Roland Garros.

Out of the six sets Swiatek has played so far, an impressive four have been won to love. Throughout the tournament, she has dropped a mere eight games, showcasing her exceptional form.

“It was a really solid performance from me. It’s not easy to stay disciplined and keep your focus,” Swiatek commented. “I took care of everything, and I’m pretty happy with my performance.”

Swiatek, aiming for her fourth Grand Slam triumph, including a second French Open title, will face either 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu or Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko in the quest for a quarter-final spot.

Earlier on Saturday, Swiatek’s path to the final became slightly smoother as Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina withdrew from the tournament due to illness.

Rybakina, a potential last-four opponent, cited a fever and discomfort, leading to her decision to withdraw from her third-round match against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo.

As a result, Sorribes Tormo, currently ranked 132nd in the world, secured her spot in the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time. She will now face either Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova or Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia in the quest for a place in the quarter-finals.

In another thrilling match, world number six Coco Gauff, last year’s runner-up, fought back from a set down to defeat Mirra Andreeva 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 6-1. Andreeva, ranked 143rd, had made a remarkable debut in Paris after coming through the qualifying rounds, becoming the youngest player since 2005 to reach the third round.

“Mirra is super young and has a big future,” Gauff acknowledged. “I remember I played here when I was 16, so she has a lot to look forward to. I’m sure you’ll see a lot more matches between us.”

Despite facing some challenges in the first set, Gauff remained confident in her ability to turn the match around. “I was a little undisciplined in the tiebreak, but I knew what the game plan was, so I just tried to execute that in the second and third sets,” she explained.

Gauff, 19, will now face either fellow American Kayla Day or Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in her quest for a place in the quarter-finals.

In the men’s competition, Casper Ruud, last year’s runner-up to Rafael Nadal, rallied from a set down to secure a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 victory against China’s Zhang Zhizhen.

Zhang, the first Chinese man since 1936 to reach the third round in Paris, put up a strong fight in the opening set but couldn’t maintain his momentum against the fourth-ranked Ruud.

Ruud credited his victory to his opponent’s mistakes in the crucial moments of the match. “At 5-4 in the second set, he played some sloppy shots, and that gave me the set, maybe the match,” Ruud reflected. He hit an impressive 36 winners and saved seven out of 10 break points during the match.

Next up for Ruud is Nicolas Jarry, who recently won the Geneva clay court title and secured his spot in the last 16 of a major tournament for the first time. Jarry overcame Marcos Giron of the United States 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3.

Additionally, Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina caused an upset by defeating 15th seed Borna Coric 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2. The 49th-ranked Etcheverry will face Japan’s 27th seed Yoshihito Nishioka, who emerged victorious in a thrilling five-set battle against qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild, securing a fourth-round spot for the first time.

Holger Rune of Denmark, ranked sixth in the world, cruised through the competition, defeating Argentinian qualifier Genaro Alberto Olivieri 6-4, 6-1, 6-3. The 20-year-old, who reached the quarter-finals in his debut last year, awaits the winner of the match between American ninth seed Taylor Fritz and Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo.