French Open 2025: Holder Iga Swiatek Battles Past Elena Rybakina To Reach Quarters
The Pole rallied from a set down to post a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 triumph over Rybakina in two hours and 29 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Three-time reigning champion Iga Swiatek survived a scare on Sunday as she rallied past Elena Rybakina to move into the quarterfinals of the French Open 2025.
The Pole rallied from a set down to post a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 triumph over Rybakina in two hours and 29 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Rybakina was all over Swiatek in the opening set as the Kazakh raced to a 5-0 lead before the Pole clinched her first game of the evening on the back of a long service game. The 25-year-old Rybakina closed out the set on serve to claim the first set.
'Well, it was tough you know, first set I felt like I was playing against Jannik Sinner", Swiatek jested.
'I needed to do something to get back in the game, but with her playing like that I didn't feel like I had much hope," the Pole revealed.
advetisement
However, Swiatek did claw her way back into the game by taking the second set against Rybakina despite being broken on serve in the first game of the second set.
The third set decider was poised evenly at 5-5 before Swiatek broke Rybakina to take the upper hand in the tie and closed out the game by holding her own to edge out the Kazakh.
Earlier in the day, American star Tommy Paul picked up a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win over Alexei Popyrin of Australia to move into the last-eight of the clay court major and become the first American man since Andre Agassi in 2003 to reach the quarters at Roland Garros.
Jasmine Paolini was shown the exit door by Elina Svitolina in a major upset as the Ukrainian fought her way to a 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 victory over the Italian.
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France
First Published:
June 01, 2025, 20:34 IST
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