Defending champion Iga Swiatek and last year’s finalist Sofia Kenin came through testing clashes to reach the last 16 while Barbora Krejcikova knocked fifth seed Elina Svitolina out of the French Open on Saturday, leaving only three of the women’s top 10 seeds left in the tournament.
Swiatek overcame an early break to defeat Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit. The eighth-seeded Pole won 7-6 (7/4), 6-0 to stretch her record of straight-sets victories at Roland Garros to 10 matches.
Swiatek reeled off 11 of the last 13 games on Saturday and will face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk for a place in the quarter-finals.
“She had a fast start and I was late getting going,” said Swiatek who had lost both her previous matches to Kontaveit.
Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic reached the last 16 for the second successive year with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over three-time quarter-finalist Svitolina.
World number 33 Krejcikova goes on to face former US Open champion Sloane Stephens for a…