Sabalenka sets up French Open last-16 clash with Osaka

PARIS: Top seed Aryna Sabalenka moved into the fourth round of the French Open on Saturday with a 6-0, 7-5 win over Australia’s Daria Kasatkina, setting up a last-16 meeting with Naomi Osaka.

Sabalenka needed 76 minutes to get past the 53rd-ranked Kasatkina. After sweeping through the opening set, the Belarusian world number one fell an early break behind in the second before recovering to close out the match.

Speaking on court, Sabalenka said:

“I was happy in the tough moments, I never gave up,”

Her victory came as Roland Garros went through the final day of the heatwave that has hung over Paris since the start of the tournament.

Osaka, the 16th seed, advanced after beating American teenager Iva Jovic 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 6-4. The match was largely shaped by strong serving, with the first two sets decided in tie-breaks before Osaka secured the crucial break in the 10th game of the third set against the 18-year-old 17th seed.

The Japanese player, who had never previously gone beyond the last 32 at Roland Garros, said:

“I was a lot calmer than in my first matches … in a Slam, the further I get, the calmer I am. It’s such an honour to be here. It’s the furthest I have ever been here,”

Sabalenka and Osaka, both 28, have each won four Grand Slam titles, with two Australian Open crowns and two US Open titles apiece. Sabalenka has beaten Osaka twice this season, but Osaka won their only previous meeting at a major, at the same stage of the 2018 US Open, which became the first major title of her career.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova lost 7-5, 6-1 to Russia’s Diana Shnaider. In the build-up to the match, Oliynykova had accused Shnaider of taking money from a company she said was financing war crimes and of liking social media posts by propagandists.

Defending champion and fourth seed Coco Gauff was due to play Austria’s Anastasia Potapova later on Saturday for a place in the fourth round.

Men’s draw opens up

On the men’s side, Flavio Cobolli continued his run with a commanding 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 victory over American Learner Tien in one hour and 45 minutes on centre court. With top seed Jannik Sinner and 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic already out, the Italian 10th seed said he was keeping his focus narrow.

Cobolli said:

“I want to think match by match. That’s the way that I want to think this week,”

He added:

“I know that… for sure we (will) have a new Grand Slam champion, but I don’t want to think about this. For sure, I have now another tough match.”

Cobolli will next face Zachary Svajda for a place in the quarter-finals. The American world number 85 reached the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time by defeating 25th seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3. The 23-year-old had never previously gone beyond the second round at a major.

Later on Saturday, Canadian fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime was scheduled to play American 31st seed Brandon Nakashima in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier. Seventeen-year-old French player Moise Kouame was also set to continue his campaign against Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo on Court Suzanne Lenglen.