French Open: Alcaraz overpowers Korda to reach quarterfinal

Reigning champion Iga Swiatek marked her 23rd birthday by defeating Marie Bouzkova to advance to the French Open last 16 on Friday. Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz also secured their spots in the tournament’s second week.

Alcaraz triumphed over Sebastian Korda in straight sets, moving closer to a potential semi-final clash with Sinner, who defeated Russian Pavel Kotov 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

“Sebastian Korda is a great player and a really good ball striker,” said Alcaraz. “It was difficult to play against him. I had to run a lot. It was like a marathon for me today.”

Sixth seed Andrey Rublev was unexpectedly eliminated by Italian Matteo Arnaldi, losing his composure multiple times during the match.

Swiatek, who had to save a match point to avoid an upset by Naomi Osaka in the second round, faced no such trouble against Bouzkova, winning 6-4, 6-2.

“I feel good physically, I had a day off yesterday,” Swiatek said. “I don’t feel like the match (against Osaka) stayed with me, but we’ll see at the end of the tournament.”

As the world number one, Swiatek remains the favorite to win her third consecutive Coupe Suzanne Lenglen, potentially becoming only the fourth woman in the Open era to win four Roland Garros titles. On Friday, she displayed top form, hitting 34 winners and committing just 19 unforced errors. She will face Russia’s Anastasia Potapova in the next round on Sunday.

Swiatek’s French Open record stands at 32-2, and she has always reached at least the second week of the tournament.

Coco Gauff overcame a late challenge from Australian Open semi-finalist Dayana Yastremska, winning 6-2, 6-4 in the first match of the day on Court Philippe Chatrier. The reigning US Open champion has a strong history at Roland Garros, with two quarter-final appearances and a runner-up finish in 2022.

Despite struggling to serve out the match at 5-2 in the second set, Gauff saved three break points in the 10th game to secure her place in the fourth round for the fourth consecutive year. She will face Elisabetta Cocciaretto next, after the unseeded Italian defeated 17th seed Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets.

**Angry Rublev Crashes Out**

Rublev’s shock exit came at the hands of Matteo Arnaldi, who defeated him in straight sets. Rublev, who won the Madrid Open last month, expressed frustration with his performance, smashing his racquet and making 37 unforced errors.

“Completely disappointed with myself, the way I behaved, the way I performed,” admitted Rublev. “The problem is the head, that today basically I killed myself, and that’s it.”

Arnaldi will meet former runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round after the Greek player defeated China’s Zhang Zhizhen 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.

Sinner dominated his match against Kotov, facing just one break point and saving it. The Australian Open champion, who will become the world number one if he reaches the final, will next face Corentin Moutet, who came from behind to beat Sebastian Ofner in four sets. Sinner has only lost two matches this year and is yet to drop a set in this tournament.

Wimbledon champion Alcaraz passed a challenging test against American 27th seed Korda, winning 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 in the night session. Alcaraz hit 38 winners and will play either Ben Shelton or Felix Auger-Aliassime next, as their match was one of three men’s ties suspended overnight due to rain. Alcaraz has now reached at least the fourth round in his last eight Grand Slam events.

**Women’s Draw Highlights**

In other women’s matches, Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova defeated Frenchwoman Chloe Pacquet 6-1, 6-3. Vondrousova will next face Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic, who followed her upset win over Danielle Collins with a comeback victory against Donna Vekic.

Tunisian eighth seed Ons Jabeur beat Leylah Fernandez and will play Clara Tauson next. Tauson knocked out former finalist Sofia Kenin following her surprise second-round win against 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko.