Top seed Aryna Sabalenka comfortably advanced to the last 16 of the French Open on Friday with a commanding 6-2, 6-3 victory over Serbia’s Olga Danilovic. Playing under sunny skies on Court Philippe Chatrier, the world number one needed just 79 minutes to dispatch her 34th-ranked opponent.
“I’m super happy with the win, Olga is a fighter,” said the three-time Grand Slam champion. “Here it’s about dreams, I give my all,” added the 27-year-old Belarusian, who is still seeking her first French Open final appearance, having never progressed beyond the semi-finals in Paris.
Sabalenka will next face 16th seed Amanda Anisimova of the United States in the fourth round. Anisimova secured her spot with a hard-fought 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 win over Denmark’s 22nd seed Clara Tauson.
Meanwhile, over on the men’s side, world number one Jannik Sinner brought an emotional close to Richard Gasquet’s French Open career on Thursday, defeating the 38-year-old Frenchman 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 in just under two hours.
Gasquet, making his 22nd and final appearance at Roland Garros, was no match for the Italian, who returned to competition earlier this month at the Italian Open after serving a three-month doping suspension. Sinner looked sharp, saving three break points in the opening set before cruising through the rest of the match.
In the ongoing Grand Slam race, defending champion Novak Djokovic also advanced, keeping alive his bid to add to his record-setting collection of major titles.
