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World No 3 Coco Gauff reached the last 16 at the French Open for a fourth successive year yesterday with a straight sets win over Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine.
US Open champion Gauff, the runner-up to Iga Swiatek in Paris in 2022, came through an error-riddled clash on Court Philippe Chatrier 6-2, 6-4. The 20-year-old American will face unseeded Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy for a place in the quarter finals.
Gauff was 5-2 ahead in the second set before she eventually prevailed on a second match point after a clash where both players carved out 22 break points and combined for 62 unforced errors.
Qualifier Olga Danilovic hailed Novak Djokovic as “out of this planet” after reaching the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time, claiming that her record-setting Serbian compatriot doesn’t receive the recognition he deserves. Danilovic, ranked 125, needed more than three hours to defeat Croatia’s Donna Vekic 0-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10/8) in the French Open third round, playing the first match of the day at 11am.
On Thursday, she spent two and a half hours on court to see off 11th seed Danielle Collins in another three-setter which didn’t finish until 6.30 pm. The 23-year-old has already played six matches at the tournament, a gruelling effort which left her in tears during her on-court interview yesterday.
Danilovic praised the mental resilience of Djokovic for helping inspire her to a landmark appearance in the second week of a Grand Slam.
“The mentality he has, we are all seeking to have that. It’s just something that is out of this planet,” said Danilovic who admitted that playing with the 24-time major winner at the United Cup earlier this year had been a “bucket list moment”.
“I don’t know if we actually appreciate that he’s the best player in the world by far. He’s a very humble and nice guy, especially that he’s No 1 in the world and he’s, for me, the greatest of all time.
“He’s really proud to represent our country, he’s really open for us to talk. I come to him with some day-to-day struggles that I have on court, and he’s really happy to share his thoughts with me and what he learned, what kind of mistakes he did so maybe I don’t have to do them.”
Eighth seed Ons Jabeur continued her latest bid to become the first Arab and African woman to claim a Grand Slam title with a tough 6-4 7-6(5) victory over Canadian Leylah Fernandez that put her into the fourth round.
Tunisian Jabeur has come within touching distance of Grand Slam glory in the past, reaching the last two Wimbledon finals and the 2022 US Open title clash but the 29-year-old has not been able to cross the finish line.
A third-round meeting with fellow former Flushing Meadows runner-up Fernandez represented a tricky challenge and the pair exchanged breaks midway through the opening set before Jabeur took control of the contest on serve.
With limited success when she peppered the Suzanne Lenglen surface with her trademark drop shots against quick-moving 31st seed Fernandez, Jabeur quickly found herself trailing 3-1 in the second set.
“Everybody knows Leylah, she plays very well. She’s a very aggressive player,” said Jabeur. “I knew that I had to finish the match before the third set and I won some points at the right moments.
“It was a bit tough on serve but I’m very happy to win.”
Jabeur, a quarter finalist here last year, took the next two games to go level, before saving a set point in a five-deuce game and eventually completed the victory with an ice-cool show in the tie break.
Up next for Jabeur is unseeded Dane Clara Tauson, who stunned former runner-up Sofia Kenin 6-2 7-5. – SuperSport.
Online Reporter