Swiatek Celebrates Birthday By Returning To French Open Last 16; Gauff, Jabeur Also Winners

Other then more rain, there wasn’t much drama in the women’s draw for the start of the third round Friday at the French Open.

Tournament favorite Iga Swiatek cruised past Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2. Swiatek connected on 34 winners to just 19 unforced en route to her 17th straight win at Roland Garros and her 15th straight overall.

Swiatek has now reached week 2 all six times she’s played the French Open, and she’s 18-0 in the first three rounds at the event. It was indeed a happy 23rd birthday for the world No. 1.

“I was waiting until after the match to feel that I have a birthday because I knew that I need to focus on my work because if I would lose, it would be a total disaster,” Swiatek said far.

“So I’m happy that I won, and I kind of gave myself a present.

“I think if I would be at home, I would practice anyway, I would see the same people anyway,” she added. “Maybe I would have some kind of a party or something, but I’m also not a party person, so I’m not sure.

“For sure playing on your birthday, it’s not so comfortable because it’s 8 o’clock, and I have four hours to celebrate, so yeah, but that’s the work that we have to do. We can’t complain. Like many people work during their birthday, and they have to do that, so I don’t care.”

She’ll now face Anastasia Potapova on Sunday after the Russian edged Xinyu Wang 7-5, 6-7(6), 6-4.

Coco Gauff, a projected semifinal foe for Swiatek, kept pace ousting Australian Open semifinalist 6-2, 6-4. The 20-year-old American got the better of a 5-break second set. Elisabetta Cocciaretto, winner over No. 17 Liudmila Samsonova 7-6(7-4), 6-2, will be next for Gauff

Ons Jabeur could be a quarterfinal opponent for Gauff. The veteran topped 31st-seeded Leylah Fernandez in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(5). With all the attention going to the top four, Jabeur had a message.

“Just reminding everyone that I’m still here,” Jabeur joked. “It’s also nice to prove for myself, because I’ve been in a bad place for months trying to get back and gain back my confidence. But, again, to be in the second week, it’s really important for me and for the hard work that I did.”

Also on the outer courts which were once again delayed by rain, former finalist Marketa Vondrousova beat down France’s Chloe Paquet in straights 6-1, 6-3. Serbia’s Olga Danilovic won a thriller over Donna Vekic 0-6, 7-5, 7-6(10-8) and Clara Tauson got by one-time finalist Sofia Kenin 6-2, 7-5

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