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New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
'Nice show': Swiatek says women deserve French Open night matches
PARIS: Three-time reigning champion Iga Swiatek said women's matches can provide just as much entertainment as the men's as she weighed in Friday on the uneven scheduling of French Open night sessions. Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo has rejected accusations that the decision to only put men's matches in the primetime slot implies that women are "not worthy" of it. Swiatek has been reluctant to get drawn into a continuing debate but said after her third-round win over Romania's Jaqueline Cristian that women's matches should be treated evenly. "I think it should be equal. Like personally it's not like, you know, I have big feelings about it because I just do my job. I adjust to the schedule that I'm given," she said. "But, yeah, I think it should be equal, because the women's matches can be an entertainment the same way. "As you could see today on my match, they were giving waves and everything. So people like it. We can put on a nice show. That's why I think it should be equal." Four-time Roland Garros champion Swiatek battled past the 60th-ranked Cristian 6-2, 7-5 to reach the fourth round and improve her win-loss record at the tournament to 38-2. Swiatek broke Cristian twice in a comfortable first set, but she was pushed a lot harder by her rival in the second and had to save six break points. The 23-year-old Pole increased her winning run at the French Open to 24 matches as she looks to become the first woman to win four successive titles in Paris in over a century. Swiatek will play 12th seed Elena Rybakina for a place in the quarter-finals after the Kazakh dispatched 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-2 in a clash of big hitters. She has a 4-4 record against Rybakina but has lost both previous meetings on clay. Swiatek though could scarcely hide her relief at avoiding Ostapenko, who is 6-0 against her. A grinning Swiatek suggested earlier she had no preference as to her last-16 opponent before asking: "Am I a good liar?"
Express Tribune
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Swiatek, Sabalenka into French Open last 16
FAST WORK: Defending champion Iga Swiatek on the way to a fourth-round victory over Czech Karolina Muchova at Indian Wells. Photo: AFP Iga Swiatek kept her bid for a fourth consecutive French Open title on track Friday, advancing to the last 16 at Roland Garros along with top women's seed Aryna Sabalenka and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen. Reigning men's champion Carlos Alcaraz will look to book his place in the last 16 later to join Italy's Lorenzo Musetti and Dane Holger Rune who both rallied to set up a fourth-round clash. Swiatek came through despite a very close second set against Romania's world number 60 Jaqueline Cristian, winning 6-2, 7-5 in nearly two hours in sweltering conditions on Court Suzanne Lenglen. "Before it was 20 degrees when I played my first match but today it was 30 degrees. It is not easy to adjust but I have played in every condition," said Swiatek. The 23-year-old Pole awaits the winner of a big-hitting showdown between Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko, who has beaten Swiatek in all six of their previous meetings. A former world number one, who has fallen to fifth in the WTA rankings, Swiatek has not won a title since her third consecutive title on the Parisian clay in 2024. Swiatek broke the 60th-ranked Cristian twice in a comfortable first set, but she was pushed a lot harder by her rival in the second and had to save six break points. "She went for it every time I gave her a chance," said Swiatek, hoping to become the first woman to win four successive Roland Garros titles since Suzanne Lenglen 102 years ago. "I'm just happy that I was super solid and didn't give any free points but she used her chances." Earlier Sabalenka produced a dominant display in a 6-2, 6-3 win over Serbian left-hander Olga Danilovic. "Olga is a fighter. I enjoyed our battle," said Madrid Open winner Sabalenka after beating her 34th-ranked rival in 79 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier. The 27-year-old Belarusian next plays 16th-seeded American Amanda Anisimova for a place in the quarter-finals. Anisimova ousted Danish 22nd seed Clara Tauson 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 in their third-round tie. Zheng ended the run of Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko 6-3, 6-4. The Chinese eighth seed has now won nine successive matches at Roland Garros following her run to Olympic gold last year. "We had some really good points, it was not an easy match," said Zheng. "Today was a tough battle against Qinwen," said 18-year-old Grand Slam newcomer Mboko. "Lots of things to learn and hopefully come back to my next tournament with some more positives and (having) improved on my game." Zheng is through to the fourth round in Paris for the second time and will next Russian 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova who brushed aside Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska 6-2, 6-3. Zheng and Samsonova will both be bidding for a first Roland Garros quarter-final berth. Eighth seed Musetti won 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 against Argentine Mariano Navone in three hours and 25 minutes. Musetti arrived in Paris as one of the form players in the world after backing up his runner-up finish in Monte Carlo with semi-final runs in Madrid and Rome. But the Italian dropped his first set in Paris against world number 97 Navone. "I've grown up a lot. A match like this I don't know if I would (have) come back a few years ago," said Musetti. "The heat was pretty tough to manage. But happy to find a way to turn around the match." Musetti, who reached the fourth round in Paris for the third time, next plays Rune who rallied past France's Quentin Halys in five sets. In the night session, second seed Alcaraz steps up for a third-round meeting with 69th-ranked Bosnian Damir Dzumhur. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz is the title favourite after securing the Monte Carlo Masters and Italian Open trophies in the build-up to the clay-court major. The 22-year-old Spaniard has reached the second week in 10 of his last 11 Slam appearances.
The Sun
8 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
'Nice show': Swiatek says women deserve French Open night matches
THREE-TIME reigning champion Iga Swiatek said women's matches can provide just as much entertainment as the men's as she weighed in Friday on the uneven scheduling of French Open night sessions. Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo has rejected accusations that the decision to only put men's matches in the primetime slot implies that women are 'not worthy' of it. Swiatek has been reluctant to get drawn into a continuing debate but said after her third-round win over Romania's Jaqueline Cristian that women's matches should be treated evenly. 'I think it should be equal. Like personally it's not like, you know, I have big feelings about it because I just do my job. I adjust to the schedule that I'm given,' she said. 'But, yeah, I think it should be equal, because the women's matches can be an entertainment the same way. 'As you could see today on my match, they were giving waves and everything. So people like it. We can put on a nice show. That's why I think it should be equal.' Four-time Roland Garros champion Swiatek battled past the 60th-ranked Cristian 6-2, 7-5 to reach the fourth round and improve her win-loss record at the tournament to 38-2. Swiatek broke Cristian twice in a comfortable first set, but she was pushed a lot harder by her rival in the second and had to save six break points. The 23-year-old Pole increased her winning run at the French Open to 24 matches as she looks to become the first woman to win four successive titles in Paris in over a century. Swiatek will play 12th seed Elena Rybakina for a place in the quarter-finals after the Kazakh dispatched 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-2 in a clash of big hitters. She has a 4-4 record against Rybakina but has lost both previous meetings on clay. Swiatek though could scarcely hide her relief at avoiding Ostapenko, who is 6-0 against her. A grinning Swiatek suggested earlier she had no preference as to her last-16 opponent before asking: 'Am I a good liar?' 'Let's say it doesn't matter, really. Oh, my God. I couldn't play poker,' she joked.
Boston Globe
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka reach fourth round at French Open
Swiatek, who has won four of her five major titles at Roland-Garros, defeated Jaqueline Cristian, 6-2, 7-5, on Court Suzanne-Lenglen to extend her French Open winning streak to 23 matches. A second set lasting 1 hour, 16 minutes, tested the Pole, who yelled in relief after winning on her second match point. Swiatek had 20 winners and 21 unforced errors. Advertisement 'She used her chances and just went for it,' said Swiatek, who enjoyed temperatures which reached 84 degrees. 'For sure I don't mind. On clay it gives the balls the extra bounce.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Sabalenka and Swiatek have been in contrasting form. Sabalenka has reached six singles finals this year, the most for a woman entering Roland-Garros since Serena Williams in 2013. But Swiatek is looking to reach her first final anywhere since winning her third straight French Open title, and fourth overall, a year ago. No woman has won four straight French Opens in the Open era. Asked who was under the most pressure to win this year — her or Swiatek — Sabalenka said, jokingly: 'Let's just leave it on Iga since she won it, what, three times in a row?' Advertisement Defending men's champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain was in action later Friday. The No. 2-ranked Alcaraz faced Damir Dzumhur, who hurt his left knee during a fall in his second-round win. What else happened at the French Open on Friday? Fourth-seeded Jasmine Paolini, last year's runner-up, beat Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva, 6-4, 6-1, and No. 12 Elena Rybakina won against 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko. Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen beat 18-year-old qualifier Victoria Mboko, 6-3, 6-4, while No. 16 Amanda Anisimova and Liudmila Samsonova also advanced. In men's third-round play, 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. No. 15 Frances Tiafoe beat No. 23 Sebastian Korda, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 6-4, in an all-American matchup, joining Paul and No. 13 Ben Shelton to give the US three men in the French Open fourth round for the first time since 1995. If qualifier Ethan Quinn wins on Saturday, there would be four American men in Week 2 in Paris for the first time since 1991. Shelton won against Matteo Gigante, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. No. 25 Alexei Popyrin of Australia also advanced.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Elena Rybakina thrashes Ostapenko to set up intriguing tussle with Iga Swiatek
Jelena Ostapenko has long been one of the most devastating shot-makers of her generation and every time she steps on to a court, she is there to decide her own destiny in victory or defeat. On Friday afternoon, however, Ostapenko experienced the rare sensation of not being in control as Elena Rybakina put on a devastating exhibition of her effortless, destructive ball-striking to reach the fourth round of the French Open with a 6-2, 6-2 demolition of the former champion. The most notable consequence of Rybakina's victory, of course, is that she will renew her rivalry with the four-time champion Iga Swiatek in what will be the most highly anticipated match in either singles draw. In the earlier match on Court Suzanne Lenglen, Swiatek closed out her 24th consecutive victory at the French Open by defeating Jaqueline Cristian 6-2, 7-5. Advertisement Related: French Open: Rybakina sets up Swiatek clash, Alcaraz to come on day six – live A week after winning her first title in more than a year in Strasbourg, this victory marks another positive step forward for Rybakina. Much of her past 12 months have been extremely difficult, with the Kazakh falling from her career high ranking of No 3 to her current spot at No 11. Not long ago, Rybakina had positioned herself as the top contender to Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka. In recent months, she has been her own biggest rival. Although Rybakina has been frequently sidelined with various illnesses over the past year, her issues have also been personal. In February, her previous longtime coach, Stefano Vukov, was suspended by the WTA tour for a year after the organisation concluded that Vukov had been verbally abusive to Rybakina, breaching the its code of conduct. Despite Rybakina objecting to the suspension, Vukov is banned from attaining accreditation at official WTA events and grand slam tournaments. On Wednesday, Rybakina noted that she continues to work with Vukov on court between tournaments. 'We usually practise together between the tournaments, not when the tournament is on,' she said. It has been eight years since Ostapenko shocked the tennis world by spectacularly winning the 2017 French Open, while Rybakina won her first grand slam title at Wimbledon in 2021. A battle between two major champions is always a significant event, but the prospect of a meeting with Swiatek, and their respective records against the four-time French Open champion, only added a level of significance to the tie. Advertisement At this point, the match-up between Ostapenko and Swiatek is the most notorious non-rivalry on the tour. After defeating Swiatek en route to winning the Stuttgart Open title last month, Ostapenko is now 6-0 versus the Pole, having defeated her on every surface. Ostapenko is a supreme ball-striker and, when she finds her rhythm, she times the ball more sweetly than almost any other player. Even so, a player as distinguished as Swiatek having such a difficult match-up against a lesser opponent is shocking. Although Swiatek avoided her greatest nemesis, facing Rybakina is hardly a positive outcome. Their head-to-head record is tied at 4-4 and Rybakina's game matches up well against the Pole, with her powerful first serve neutralising Swiatek's return and she takes time away with her clean, flat ball-striking. As Swiatek attempts to rebuild her confidence on her favourite court after a difficult few months, this will be an enormous test in her push for a fourth consecutive French Open title. Elsewhere, the top seed Aryna Sabalenka eased into the second week with a comfortable 6-2, 6-3 win over Olga Danilovic of Serbia. Afterwards, Sabalenka said that she is happy for Swiatek to carry the title of favourite, and the pressure that comes with it, in this tournament. 'It's tough to predict in women's tennis,' she said. 'Let's just leave it on Iga since she won it, what, three times in a row, really, right? I will just leave it for her.' Elsewhere, Amelie Mauresmo, the French Open tournament director, defended the decision not to schedule women's matches during the night sessions. 'For me, the message that I always said, and I will repeat, the conditions did not change from having one unique match in the evening,' said Mauresmo. 'For me, the message is not changing, and it has never been that the girls are not worthy to play at night. It's never been this. I will not accept that you carry this message. That's really clear to me.'
