Swiatek marches on as leading seeds exit

PARIS: The French Open women’s title appears Iga Swiatek’s to lose, with the seemingly unstoppable Polish superstar the only top10 seed remaining after the third round.

Potential rivals Paula Badosa and Aryna Sabalenka joined the early exodus of leading seeds from Roland Garros yesterday.

Spanish third seed Badosa retired at 63, 21 against Veronika Kudermetova while Sabalenka, seeded seventh, lost 12 of the last 13 games — including eight in a row — against Italian Camila Giorgi.

World No 1 Swiatek, the 2020 champion, marched on to the fourth round with a 63, 75 defeat of Danka Kovinic.

It has been more than 100 days — and 31 matches — since Swiatek last lost.

The next highestranked opponent remaining in the draw is American Jessica Pegula, the 11th seed, who powered into the last 16 for the first time with a 61, 76 (72) win over last year’s semifinalist, Tamara Zidansek.

Badosa was forced to retire with a right calf injury. She required medical attention during her match and then decided early in the second set that she could no longer continue.

Kudermetova will face the American No 22 seed, Madison Keys, who beat No 16 seed Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, 36, 61, 76 (73).

Sabalenka went down to bighitting Italian Giorgi 46, 61, 60.

Frenchwoman Alize Cornet was also forced to retired but said she was more hurt by the jeering from her home crowd than the pain from her injury.

Cornet pulled out while trailing 60 30 to Chinese teenager Zheng Qinwen.

Romanian IrinaCamelia Begu took 85 minutes to defeat Jeanjean 61, 64 and will meet Pegula.

In the men’s draw, Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas thrashed Sweden’s Mikael Ymer 62, 62 61 in a lopsided contest to canter into the fourth round.

Tsitsipas, who made the final at the claycourt grand slam last year, dominated proceedings over fellow 23yearold Ymer from the onset.

Norway’s Casper Ruud and Denmark’s Holger Rune led a Viking charge into the last 16 with impressive wins.

Eighth seed Ruud battled back to beat Italian Lorenzo Sonego 62, 67 (37), 16, 64, 63 to take his place in the fourth round in Paris for the first time.

Danish 19yearold Rune continued his sensational progress as he trounced Frenchman Hugo Gaston 63, 63. 63. — AAP