Top seed Aryna Sabalenka beat Daria Kasatkina in straight sets to set up a mouth-watering fourth-round match against Naomi Osaka at the French Open.
The 28-year-old Belarusian delivered a commanding display as she won 6-0 7-5 against the Australian on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
World number one Sabalenka is chasing her first title at Roland Garros as she looks to add to her Grand Slam tally of four.
Japanese 16th seed Osaka, also a four-time Grand Slam winner, reached the last 16 after beating American 17th seed Iva Jovic 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (3-7) 6-4.
The pair have faced each other twice this year, with world number one Sabalenka securing victories against Osaka at Indian Wells, in March, and the Madrid Open last month.
Osaka, who is also chasing a first title in Paris, said: “I feel like I played a pretty good match against her in Madrid. I think I just dipped in the second and third set.
“Hopefully just keep the consistency and keep trying to be aggressive. Whatever happens, happens.”
Sabalenka said she was relishing the match against Osaka, while adding it is great to see her showing signs of the form which made her a four-time Grand Slam champion.
Osaka won the US Open and Australian Open twice between 2018 and 2021 but did not play for 14 months around the the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023.
“It’s great to see her back on her level. Maybe not at her best level, but she’s back, she’s fighting, she’s building her level,” said Sabalenka.
“I feel like I really enjoy our battles. It’s high-level matches, and I really enjoy when somebody pushes me to the limit.”
Sabalenka took control of her match early, winning 92% of first-serve points in the opening set as Kasatkina failed to win a game.
Kasatkina improved in the second set as she broke to briefly lead at 2-0, but Sabalenka broke back immediately before asserting control late on and converting the second of three match points.
Victory means Sabalenka is the ninth woman to win 100 matches while ranked number one in the world.
Joining Sabalenka and Osaka in the last-16 is France’s world number 92 Diane Parry, who stunned American sixth seed Amanda Anisimova.
Parry, 23, won 6-3 4-6 7-6 (10-3) to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time, while Anisimova’s wait for a maiden Grand Slam title goes on.
Parry was serenaded by the home crowd on an electric Court Philippe Chatrier and had to wait for them to stop singing before she could conduct her post-match interview.
She will face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska in the fourth round after her 1-6 6-3 6-2 victory over Greece’s Maria Sakkari.
‘It’s going to be a battle’ – analysis
Ryan Harrison, 2017 French Open doubles champion, on BBC Radio 5 Live:
“The question for Naomi Osaka is going to be physically, after three hours and a battle that was so physical, is she going to be able to respond really well or is she going to have a little bit of a slow start?
“Sometimes, after a physical match, you can have a start that is a little bit sluggish and she’s not going to be able to afford to give Aryna Sabalenka anything, she’s going to have to be at her best.
“Osaka can be disruptive for the players at the top, she’s won four majors herself so everyone knows what she can do at this stage.
“I think Sabalenka gets through but I don’t think she’s going to get through easily – it’s going to be a battle and I would not be surprised at all if it ends up being a three-setter.”
By BBC Sports
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
