Reigning champion Iga Swiatek showcased her dominance on the clay courts of Roland Garros as she stormed into the third round of the French Open, keeping her hopes alive of becoming the first woman in 16 years to successfully defend the title.
The world number one comfortably defeated American Claire Liu 6-4, 6-0 on Court Philippe Chatrier. Swiatek, who celebrated her 22nd birthday the day before, is set to face China’s Wang Xinyu in her next match, vying for a spot in the second week of the tournament.
With her impressive performance, Swiatek also seeks to maintain her number one ranking, a position she has held for over a year. Failure to secure her fourth Grand Slam singles title could potentially result in her losing the top spot. Justine Henin was the last woman to achieve back-to-back victories at Roland Garros in 2007, lifting her third consecutive and fourth overall French Open title.
Meanwhile, in the men’s draw, fourth seed Cas-per Ruud and defending champion Iga Swiatek con-tinued their impressive runs at the tournament. Ruud, who reached the final last year, overcame Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri in a hard-fought battle, winning 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. Ruud expressed his satis-faction with the victory, acknowledging the resilience of his opponent. His next challenge will be against Chinese player Zhang Zhizhen, who became the first man from his country since 1937 to reach the third round.
In the women’s draw, Russian qualifier Mirra Andreeva made her mark with a convincing 6-1, 6-2 win over Frenchwoman Diane Parry, advancing to the third round. The 16-year-old Andreeva’s dream Grand Slam debut continues as she becomes the youngest player since 2005 to reach this stage at Roland Garros. She is set to face 19-year-old Coco Gauff, last year’s runner-up, in an exciting third-round encounter.
The day also witnessed some other notable matches, including American Kayla Day’s victory over compatriot Madison Keys. Day attributed her success to her Czech roots and the influence of her mother, who was born and raised in Prague.—APP
