In a gripping match on Sunday at the French Open, Elina Svitolina pulled off a remarkable comeback to oust Jasmine Paolini, last year’s runner-up, overcoming three match points to claim victory 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1. This triumph propels Svitolina to her fifth quarterfinal appearance at Roland Garros while she seeks her first win in this stage after previous setbacks. Originating from Ukraine, Svitolina has reached the semifinals three times at major tournaments, twice at Wimbledon and once at the U.S. Open, but hasn’t progressed beyond the quarterfinals in Paris.
Reflecting on her achievement, Svitolina acknowledged the challenges faced in her homeland, inspiring her to perform on the court. “The past few months have been tough for Ukrainians, with recent weeks particularly harrowing,” she commented. “I focus on my tennis, striving to earn victories and lift my country’s flag high. This is what drives me to continue playing and winning.”
Svitolina is poised to aim for an unprecedented advancement on Tuesday against Iga Swiatek, a three-time defending champion who overcame a first-set deficit to win 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 against Elina Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion. Meanwhile, the other women’s quarterfinal will feature a face-off between No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka and No. 8 Zheng Qinwen. Sabalenka, a seasoned Grand Slam champion, gained traction with a five-game win streak to beat Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-3. Zheng, the 2024 Olympic gold medalist, advanced by toppling No. 19 Liudmila Samsonova in a three-set battle, finishing 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-3.
Paolini, who entered the contest riding a career-high nine-match win streak, including triumphing on clay at the Italian Open, couldn’t replicate last year’s performance that saw her reach her inaugural Grand Slam final at the French Open before succumbing to Swiatek. In the preceding round, she also appeared in the Wimbledon final, finishing as runner-up to Barbora Krejcikova. Against Svitolina, Paolini held a seemingly decisive position, leading 5-3 in the second set but failed to serve out the match or capitalize on two match points at 5-4, 15-40. Svitolina’s resolute performance saw her fend off these threats, subsequently dominating the deciding set, pushing through to claim victory and asserting her adeptness on clay.
In other action on Sunday, American tennis players Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe made notable strides into their first French Open quarterfinals, a feat that places two United States men in the quarterfinals in Paris for the first time since 1996. Paul took down Alexei Popyrin from Australia with a score of 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, while Tiafoe overpowered Germany’s Daniel Altmaier at 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4). Paul is set to go head-to-head with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who bested Ben Shelton in a triumph marked by resilience. Tiafoe’s challenge awaits in the form of Lorenzo Musetti, who prevailed against Holger Rune in a tightly contested match.
As for the upcoming schedule on Monday, the final fourth-round matches will wrap up the day, featuring top talents such as No. 1 Jannik Sinner taking on Andrey Rublev, and the legendary Novak Djokovic facing Cam Norrie. The women’s draw will witness U.S. contenders like Coco Gauff competing against Ekaterina Alexandrova, while Jessica Pegula is set to play Lois Boisson. Additionally, Madison Keys will engage in an all-American face-off against Hailey Baptiste.