Sharapova on course tomeetserena Nadal swats aside Gasquet, in Rd 4
Returning to event after two years, former world No 1 destroys No 6 seed Pliskova
PARIS: Maria Sharapova would relish the opportunity to take on Serena Williams at the French Open, stating that her hard work allows her to “bring it” in such high-profile encounters. Former world No 1 Sharapova booked her place in the fourth round at Roland Garros with a straightsets 6-2, 6-1 defeat of Karolina Pliskova, potentially setting up a clash with fellow great Williams if she can overcome Julia Goerges.
While Sharapova has spoken in the past of her struggles against Williams, who she has beaten only twice on the WTA Tour, she is in confident mood after a fine start to her campaign in Paris. “I think there are a lot of things in (Serena’s) game that she’s done much better than I have,” the Russian told a news conference. “The records certainly don’t elaborate on that --numbers don’t lie.
“But, of course, I came into Europe and Stuttgart with not a great record, not playing great tennis with a lot of injuries, and have been able to turn that around a little bit. I have been able to put myself in this position of playing better tennis. That’s what I continue to work for, of course. You don’t put those hours on the back courts in Bradenton, Florida to just show up at events like this and not bring it.
“Any time you play against Serena, you know what you’re up against. You know the challenge that is upon you,” she continued.
“Despite the record that I have against her, I always look forward to coming out on the court and competing against the best player. I will look forward to doing that if she wins this one.”
Eighth seeded Petra Kvitova’s hot streak on clay ended in disappointing fashion as the Czech lost 7-6(6), 7-6(4) to Anett Kontaveit.
Former champion Garbine Muguruza reached the last 16 with a comfortable 6-0, 6-2 win over Australia’s Sam Stosur.
Spanish third seed Muguruza, the 2016 winner in Paris and the reigning Wimbledon champion, fired 15 winners past Stosur, the 34-year-old 2010 runner-up and former US Open champion.
After wrapping up the first set in just 25 minutes, Stosur only got on the board in the third game of the second.
“I knew this would be very tough against a former US Open winner and a player who has made the final here,” said the 24-year-old Muguruza.
US Open champion Sloane Stephens clung on for dear life to reach the fourth round with a 4-6, 6-1 8-6 victory over Italian Camila Giorgi.
The American 10th seed had dropped just six games in her previous two matches and stepped onto a sunbathed Court 18 holding a perfect record against Italian opponents at Majors.
But such statistics mattered little to Giorgi and she left Stephens yelling “What the hell’s going on?” after breaking the American to go 6-5 up in final set.
HALEP PROGRESSES
Top seed Simon Halep maintained her steady progress when she beat Germany’s Andrea Petkovic 7-5 6-0 to reach the fourth round on Saturday. Relegated to the new Court 18 for the day, the Romanian had to battle for an hour to take the opening set but sped through the second with a minimum of fuss. PARIS :Rafael Nadal continued his bid for an 11th French Open title on Saturday by brushing aside home favourite Richard Gasquet to claim a 16th consecutive win over his childhood friend and reach the fourth round.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion has still never lost to his old junior rival at Tour level, after easing to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The 31-year-old took his run of consecutive completed sets at the French Open to 34, just seven shy of the record held by Bjorn Borg between 1979 and 1981.
Nadal, who lost only two points in the first five games, will next play Germany’s world No 70 Maximilian Marterer, who beat Estonian lucky loser Jurgen Zopp.
Hard-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov knocked out France’s No 1 player Lucas Pouille 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 in the third round after the rain-hit match resumed.
Khachanov, who will be in the last 16 for the second year in a row, always had 15th seed Pouille on the back foot and now takes on German wunderkind Alexander Zverev.
The match was interrupted by rain on Friday with world number 38 Khachanov having won the first two sets and the Russian was just as focused when play started again on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Italian maverick Fabio Fognini edged a topsy-turvy five-setter against British number one Kyle Edmund to reach the fourth round. King of the unpredictable, the 18th seed mixed dazzling brilliance with careless errors and even lost 16 points in a row at one stage before prevailing 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Marin Cilic brought out his A-game to swiftly dispatch hapless American Steve Johnson 6-3 6-2 6-4 in the third round.
The Croatian third seed whipped nine aces and 35 winners past Johnson to reach the last 16 for the fifth time in 12 visits.
Cilic will next face Fognini for a place in the quarter-finals.