PARIS: World number one Aryna Sabalenka and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen eased into the fourth round of the Fre-n-ch Open while Lorenzo Muse-tti blew hot and cold on a scorc-hing day at Roland Garros on Friday. Defending champion Iga Swiatek continued her bid for a fifth Roland Garros trophy when the fifth seed stayed calm on a steamy afternoon to beat Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian while Holger Rune edged a brutal five-setter with France’s Quentin Halys. Sabalenka avoided the worst conditions but had to stave off a plucky Olga Danilovic to win 6-2, 6-3 and continue her bid for a maiden Roland Garros title following major triumphs at the Australian and US Opens. The three-time Grand Slam champion looked in ruthless form while racing ahead 5-0 but Danilovic avoided the bagel by taking the sixth game on serve and pulled a break back to give herself a small chance to come back. The resurgence did not last, however, as Sabalenka closed out the opening set with another break of serve and withstood another stern test in the second set to beat her 34th-ranked opponent from Serbia.Zheng, who won her biggest title at last year’s Paris Olympics, continued her good form on the Roland Garros clay as the Chinese eighth seed moved into the second week by beating Grand Slam debutant Victoria Mboko 6-3, 6-4 at Court Simonne Mathieu. That match was halted bri-efly when the 18-year-old Mbo-ko was down 5-3 in the second set as a fan needed medical attention but Zheng ensured her momentum was not affe-cted when play resumed and quickly dispatched the Canadian. Former semi-finalist Ama-nda Anisimova required treatment for a blister on her right hand before the American secured a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over Denmark’s Clara Tauson. Liudmila Samsonova will also expect to be fully tested when she meets Zheng after seeing off Dayana Yastremska 6-2, 6-3. Swiatek extended her spectacular French Open winning streak to 24 matches after seeing off a spirited Jaqueline Cristian of Romania 6-2, 7-5 as the temperature soared.Up next for Swiatek is fellow Grand Slam champion Elena Rybakina, who ousted 2017 Roland Garros winner Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-2. Last year’s runner-up Jasm-ine Paolini of Italy eased past Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-4, 6-1. On the men’s side, eighth seed Musetti dropped the opening set against Mari-ano Navone of Argentina before prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 while Rune emerged from a see-sawing battle against Halys with a 4-6, 6-2, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 win.Tommy Paul also won in five sets, the American 12th seed bea-ting Russian Karen Kha--chanov 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(7), 3-6, 6-3 while Australia’s Alexei Popyrin got past Nuno Borges 6-4, 7-6(11), 7-6(5). In Thursday’s evening session, Novak Djokovic continued his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title by battling into the third round. Three-time French Op-en cha-m-pion Djokovic had to work but the 38-year-old continued his quest for more history after his 100th title in Geneva last week as he beat Frenchman Cor-entin Moutet 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1), despite needing a medical time-out to treat a blister on his foot. The Serb-ian’s sixth victory in a row marked his longest winning streak since his run to the Paris Olympics gold at the same venue last year. The Serb will next play Aust-rian qualifier Filip Mi-s---olic, as he edges closer to a possible quarter-final cla-sh with Alexander Zverev. Teen sensation Joao Fon-s-eca beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-6(7/4), 7-6(7/4), 6-4 in a clash where French and Brazilian fans competed for vocal superiority at a packed Court 14. The 18-year-old will next face British fifth seed Jack Draper, who beat Gael Monfils 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a gripping night session match that had a partisan crowd screaming for more. Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2025