World No 3 Jessica Pegula became the highest-ranked player in the women's draw to exit the tournament after a 6-1 6-3 loss to Belgium's Elise Mertens in the third round while Aryna Sabalenka moved on with a clinical win over Russian Kamilla Rakhimova in an 67 minutes
Friday 2 June 2023 17:14, UK
Third seed Jessica Pegula became the highest-ranked women's casualty so far at the French Open, falling in the third round to Elise Mertens.
American Pegula had lost both her previous meetings with Mertens and this was a one-sided affair, the Belgian 28th seed triumphing 6-1 6-3 on Philippe Chatrier.
Pegula's preparations were hampered by food poisoning, which may have contributed to her failing to reach the quarter-finals for only the second time in six Grand Slams.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 2021 runner-up, got off to a slow start before finishing strong to down 24th seed Anastasia Potapova 4-6 6-3 6-0 to book a clash with Mertens.
Former French Open quarter-finalist Elina Svitolina moved into the Roland Garros fourth round with a determined performance to stave off Anna Blinkova and claim a 2-6 6-2 7-5 victory.
Svitolina returned to the WTA Tour at the Charleston Open in April following the birth of her daughter Skai with husband and fellow tennis player Gael Monfils, and bagged her first title in two years by beating Blinkova in last week's Strasbourg final.
Ukrainian Svitolina did not shake hands with her Russian opponent at the end amid more booing from the crowd on Simonne Mathieu. The 28-year-old gave a thumbs-up and exchanged a few words with Blinkova, but did not offer her hand.
Svitolina, a three-time French Open quarter-finalist, next faces ninth seed Daria Kasatkina.
Kasatkina has been the most vocal of the Russian and Belarusian competitors in speaking out against the war.
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka wasted no time as she whizzed into the fourth round of the French Open with a 6-2 6-2 drubbing of Kamilla Rakhimova.
Sabalenka, who beat world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the Madrid Open final last month, has yet to lose a set in the tournament and has now broken her third-round losing streak in Paris.
"It feels amazing to feel the support and just to be on this court and have the opportunity to play tennis," the Australian Open champion said after an encounter that lasted a little over an hour.
"Every tournament is different, Roland Garros is especially different from the Australian Open because of the surface but winning gives you confidence."
Sabalenka will face the winner of the match between American Sloane Stephens or Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in her quest for a second Grand Slam title.
Kasatkina was even quicker across the finish line against another American as the ninth seed dropped only one game in her win over Peyton Stearns.
"I have to be quick because I'm not that powerful like many girls," Kasatkina explained. "Physically I'm not that gifted, so I have to be quick. I have to find ways to win, to survive.
"So I have to do it with my legs, with the brain, and try to squeeze the maximum I can."
