Top seed Iga Swiatek of Poland, third-seeded Coco Gauff and Czech Marketa Vondrousova, the fifth seed, all posted sweeps Sunday to move into the quarterfinals of the French Open.
The trio of reigning Grand Slam titleists each beat an unseeded opponent at Roland Garros in Paris.
Swiatek blanked Russian Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0 in just 40 minutes, the shortest WTA Tour match ever for Swiatek. She is attempting to win her third straight title in Paris and fourth in five years.
The numbers from the match show Swiatek’s dominance. She won 48 of 58 points — including 18 in a row at one stretch — and had 13 winners and two unforced errors. Potapova mustered just five winners against 19 unforced errors.
As juniors, Potapova held the upper hand when playing Swiatek, but how that has changed in the ensuing years.
“I remember she was always the player to beat me. I don’t think I won against her, and I lost some heartbreaking matches for me,” Swiatek said.
“Honestly, there’s no point to think about that, but I had just a thought like that. It lasted two seconds, and then I was focusing on my work because that’s the best thing I can do.”
Swiatek, who also won the 2022 U.S. Open, said she has worked hard for her success.
“I’m just proud of myself and the work that I’ve put to be in this place,” said Swiatek, who turned 23 on Friday. “Everything changed because I’m just older, and I play better.”
Gauff, the current U.S. Open champion, is just 20 and seeking her second final at the French Open, where she lost to Swiatek in 2022. She took another step toward the goal Sunday with a 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Gauff wasn’t quite as dominant as Swiatek — but close enough. She needed only an hour to complete the sweep, converting five of seven break chances and striking 19 winners compared to seven for her opponent.
All of that in what she considers less than pristine conditions in Paris.
“This week I feel like I’ve been managing and playing well,” Gauff said after the match. “It’s definitely, I feel, tough conditions to play in. It’s just really slow and muggy. The weather makes you maybe not as hyped up for your match just naturally. This week at Roland Garros has been a little bit different than the past first weeks.”
Vondrousova, who will defend her Wimbledon title next month in London, dropped Olga Danilovic of Serbia 6-4, 6-2, breaking her opponent’s serve four times.
She will face Swiatek in a quarterfinal match Tuesday.
Next up for Gauff will eighth-seeded Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, who was a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Clara Tauson of Denmark. Jabeur will be playing the quarterfinals at Roland Garros for the second consecutive year, defeated in 2023 by Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia in three sets.
Jabeur is looking for her first Grand Slam victory. Gauff has won four of the six matches between the two.
–Field Level Media
