German second seed Alexander Zverev kept alive his hopes of claiming a first Grand Slam title as he beat Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong in straight sets at the French Open on Sunday.
The 29-year-old, a three-time runner-up in major finals, eased into the quarterfinals at Roland Garros with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-1 win over his 106th-ranked opponent.
With the men’s draw certain to produce a first-time Grand Slam champion, Zverev is considered the favourite to be that player as he bids to cast away the unwanted title of tennis’ nearly-man.
He overcame an early break of serve in the first set to take the opener in a tie-break.
From then on, it was plain sailing for the big-serving Hamburg native as he raced through to victory in two hours and 14 minutes.
“In the beginning it was a bit difficult, but once I found my rhythm I felt very comfortable on court,” Zverev said.
He will meet Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar for a place in the semifinals on Tuesday.
“He’s a very young player, incredibly talented, he’s come on the scene this clay-court season,” Zverev said of the 19-year-old.
“He’s playing incredible tennis and it’s going to be a very difficult challenge but I have to trust myself and I’ll be ready for it.”
Jodar battled back from two sets down to beat the 34-year-old 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 and progress to the last eight.
Meanwhile, four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek exited Roland Garros as the top seeds continued to fall at the start of the second week.
The Polish third seed endured a miserable 25th birthday as she went down 7-5, 6-1 to Madrid Open winner Marta Kostyuk.
Since winning Roland Garros in her second appearance at the tournament in 2020, Swiatek had never gone more than two years without hoisting aloft the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen, but after Aryna Sabalenka ended her bid to win a fourth consecutive French Open in the semifinals last year, she has lost her unbeatable status on clay.
Indeed since last winning in Paris in 2024, Swiatek has only lifted three titles in the two subsequent seasons.
“I feel, like, for sure I lost today because Marta used the opportunity, and I was super tense,” she said.
“It is harder a bit to handle stress for me in, like, (the) last year.
“So I feel like today I felt off, you know, and I did mistakes that I didn’t want to do, and I wanted to play safe, but the ball flew everywhere.
“Suddenly these feelings came back, and I tried to work on it with my dialogue inside, but it was tough today. Yeah, so it all kind of went drastically down, and I played worse and worse.”
After breaking Kostyuk in the first set to edge 4-3 ahead, Swiatek’s serve totally deserted her and she failed to hold again as the Ukrainian hit back to claim the opener and then raced through the second frame.
For Kostyuk, reaching a first quarterfinal at Roland Garros was just the latest high mark in a fine clay-court season, in which she claimed the 250-level event in Rouen, as well as a first WTA 1000 title in the Spanish capital.
Elina Svitolina next stands between her compatriot and the last four after she fought back to beat Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-4, 6-0.
The seventh seed has reached the quarterfinals at the French Open on five previous occasions but has failed to ever go beyond that mark.
After winning a first WTA 1000 title in eight years earlier in May at the Italian Open, Svitolina’s last-eight encounter with Kostyuk will pit against each other the two winners of the main warm-up events to Roland Garros.
“It’s exciting. Definitely she’s been playing really well,” Svitolina said of Kostyuk, who is on a 15-match win streak on the red dirt.
“I feel like it’s going to be an exciting battle for Ukraine, as well, you know, that there will be one Ukrainian in the semis. Yeah, I think it’s really cool.”
Sorana Cirstea continued her remarkable renaissance during her farewell season on tour as the 36-year-old bested Chinese world number 148 Wang Xiyu 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
“I came into my last year, wanted to go out the front door of the sport, wanting to really do well, but I didn’t really think it was going to go that well,” Cirstea, who arrived in Paris at a career-high ranking of 18th, said.
“In the same time it’s very beautiful. I’m very grateful for everything that’s happening.”
Source: Khaleej Times