World No 1 Iga Swiatek was the only top 10 women’s seed left standing at the French Open as Aryna Sabalenka lost and Paulsa Badosa gave a walkover.
Swiatek, the 2020 champion, dropped serve three times against 95th-ranked Danka Kovinic of Montenegro before sealing a 6-3, 7-5 third round victory, her 31st successive win.
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Spain’s Paula Badosa, who made the quarter-finals in 2021, retired due to a calf injury when she was trailing Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova 6-3, 2-1.
Aryna Sabalenka, the seventh seed, slipped to a 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 defeat against Italy’s Camila Giorgi.
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The exits of Badosa and Sabalenka meant that for the first time in the Open era only one top 10 seed has survived to the fourth round.
In stark contrast, nine of the top 10 men’s seeds have made the second week.
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Briton Cameron Norrie, who lost to Karen Khachanov, is the only one who did not make it.
Nordic milestone for Casper Ruud and Holger Rune
Through to the last 16 at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career 👏 @holgerrune2003 takes out Gaston 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
@rolandgarros | #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/dtpSL02USG
— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 28, 2022
Eighth-seeded Casper Ruud became the first Norwegian man to reach the last 16 with a 6-2, 6-7(3), 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego.
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Meanwhile, Holger Rune became the first Danish man in the Roland Garros fourth round since 1959 when he knocked out France’s last man, Hugo Gaston.
Rune, 19, and ranked at 40, breezed to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win and next faces 2021 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas.
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The last Danish man to make a Slam fourth round was Kenneth Carlsen at the 1993 Australian Open.
Fourth seed Tsitsipas needed just 92 minutes to clinch a 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 win over 95th-ranked Mikael Ymer.
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