Iga Sviatek has won his last 31 games without missing a set in the last 10 after beating Danka Kovinic Dates: May 22-June 5 Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Coverage: Live text and radio comments on selected matches on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, the BBC Sport website and app
Hot favorite Iga Sviatek went through her toughest test so far to reach the final of the French Open, while the draw continued to open for her in Paris.
World number one beat Danka Kovinic of Montenegro 6-3 7-5.
Although it did not reach a level as high as its previous two victories, the 20-year-old Polish toy still had too much quality for world number 95.
She is now the only one in the top 10 left in the women’s draw after Arina Sabalenka and Paula Badosa left on Saturday.
Seventh-placed Sabalenka was defeated 4-6 6-1 6-0 by Italy’s Camila Giorgi, while Spain’s Badosa withdrew with an injury, trailing Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova 6-3 2-1.
Swiatek will face Chinese No. 74 Zheng Qinwen in the fourth round.
The 2020 champion, who has extended her winning streak to 31 games, will still face the Roland Garros player this year.
“I wanted to play aggressively and sometimes I thought I was putting too much force. “Sometimes it was difficult to control myself at full speed,” said Svyatek, who interrupted Kovinic’s pass three times.
“I tried to play at a slower pace and be more consistent in the overtime. She did a good job in defense, responding at full speed.”
After quick victories against Ukraine’s Lesya Tsurenko and Alison Riske of the United States, the match against Kovinich required a little more problem-solving.
The 27-year-old Montenegrin is an aggressive base player who has pushed Swiatek deeper on the court than her previous opponents, forcing the top-ranked player to make more mistakes than before.
This became apparent for the first time in the second game, where the wayward shots helped Swiatek not take its first four break points.
The pressure eventually told Kovinic as Swiatek made a breakthrough and then took a 3-0 lead, although she didn’t run away with the opening set, as those watching Court Philippe Chatrier would have imagined she could.
Four more unforced errors from her usually unerring forehand returned Kovinich’s 4-3 break, but her ruthlessness returned to regain the lead in the next game and serve the first set.
In the second set there were more difficulties to overcome.
With a 4-1 lead, Kovinic responded with four rebounds – including two breakthroughs – while pushing for Swiatek’s second serve and reaping the rewards.
However, she lost service 5-5 of 30-0 and Swiatek took the match to reach the second week of the Grand Slam tournament for the eighth time in the last nine major tournaments.
Jinjin’s wildcard ended with Begu
China’s Zhen hosted a fourth-round match with Swiatek after her French opponent Alize Cornet was forced to retire while 6-0 3-0 behind.
Elsewhere, Leolia Zhangyan’s run at Roland Garros ended in the third round after she was defeated 6-1 6-4 by Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu.
Gin, ranked 227th in the world, stunned eighth-placed Karolina Pliskova in the previous round of a victory she called “will change everything”.
Reaching the third round, she became the first wildcard in 34 years to make the last 32, but fell 5-0 in the first set.
Despite his dominant performance, Begu failed to achieve everything in his own way, as when he led 5-1 in the second set, Jeanjean made a late comeback, winning three consecutive games and saving three match points before Begu won.
“In the end, I was a little shaken,” said world number 63, who is in the fourth round for the first time since 2016.
Former Russian quarterfinalist Daria Kasatkina, who is competing under a neutral flag over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, defeated American Shelby Rodgers 6-3 6-2, while American Jessica Pegula defeated Tamara Zidansek 6-1 7-6 (7-2).
Add Comment