Iga Świątek came from a set and a break down against Elena Rybakina to extend her winning run at the French Open, prevailing 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Sunday.
Three-time defending champion Świątek has now recorded 25 consecutive main draw wins at Roland-Garros, with Chris Evert the only woman in the Open Era to have more on 29.
She was made to work hard for it against former world No. 3 Rybakina, who battled hard to cause a huge upset on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Having raced into a 5-0 lead before wrapping up the opening set in just 35 minutes, Rybakina won the first eight points of the second set to put her in full control of the fourth-round contest.
But Świątek rallied in the second part of the match, edging out Rybakina in a tight deciding set to continue her hunt for a sixth grand slam title and fifth at the French Open.
“I was feeling pretty bad (at the start of the match), so I was kind of accepting that I can lose it,” Świątek later told reporters. “But it didn’t change the fact that I wanted to fight for it anyway.”
The world No. 5 will next play 13th seed Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals after the Ukrainian beat last year’s runner-up Jasmine Paolini on Sunday.
Having won in straight sets across the opening three rounds of the tournament, Świątek faced her first real test of this year’s French Open against Rybakina. She saved 10 break points over the course of the match, only edging in front in the final stages of the deciding set.
It was a gutsy, rather than an accomplished, victory for the Polish star. She made an uncharacteristic seven double faults during the match, including three in one game in the second set.
But in the context of her title defense, this sort of victory might feel more significant than the many routine wins she has had in Paris.
“I think I needed that kind of win … That I’m able to win under pressure, and even if it’s not going the right way, still turn the match around to win it,” Świątek said.
“For sure, it’s a great confirmation for me. Obviously, it’s great to also have full control over the match, but against great players, it’s not always going to be possible. I’m happy that I fought and also problem-solved on court.”
Alcaraz moves into quarters
Another defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz, also overcame a challenging opponent to reach the quarterfinals, defeating American 13th seed Ben Shelton 7-6(8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Alcaraz had to save three set points to avoid handing Shelton the early lead, and he then faced six break points in the first game of the second set, only to survive and get a break of his own at 4-3.
Although Shelton had a glimmer of hope when he took the third set, the Spaniard hit back in the fourth, once again demonstrating his supremacy on clay to secure his 100th victory on the surface.
Coming into the tournament off the back of wins in Monte-Carlo and Rome, Alcaraz is looking to capture his fifth grand slam title and second at the French Open. On Tuesday, he faces American Tommy Paul for a spot in the final four.
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