Swiatek, Sabalenka through as Musetti battles into French Open last 16

IGA Swiatek kept her bid for a fourth consecutive French Open title on track yesterday, advancing to the last 16 at Roland Garros along with top women's seed Aryna Sabalenka and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.

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Reigning men's champion Carlos Alcaraz will look to book his place in the last 16 later to join Italy's Lorenzo Musetti and Dane Holger Rune who both rallied to set up a fourth-round clash.

Swiatek came through despite a very close second set against Romania's world number 60 Jaqueline Cristian, winning 6-2, 7-5 in nearly two hours in sweltering conditions on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

"Before it was 20 degrees when I played my first match but today it was 30 degrees. It is not easy to adjust but I have played in every condition," said Swiatek.

The 23-year-old Pole awaits the winner of a big-hitting showdown between Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko, who has beaten Swiatek in all six of their previous meetings.

A former world number one, who has fallen to fifth in the WTA rankings, Swiatek has not won a title since her third consecutive title on the Parisian clay in 2024.

Swiatek broke the 60th-ranked Cristian twice in a comfortable first set, but she was pushed a lot harder by her rival in the second and had to save six break points.