PARIS – Aryna Sabalenka’s dominant run at the French Open continued Monday with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Emma Navarro to reach the quarterfinals.
And watch out, because now the sun is shining at Porte d’Auteuil in the southwest of Paris.
“When the sun is out, I play with a lot more happiness,” said Sabalenka, who has yet drop at Roland Garros this year.
She certainly showed some joy after her fourth-round win over the 22nd-seeded Navarro, displaying disco-inspired dance moves on her way off the court to the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” played loudly on the phone of No. 8 Ons Jabeur, who stood near a staircase leading to the locker room.
The Belarusian, ranked second in the world, is now one win away from her seventh straight Grand Slam semifinal appearance. She will face the winner of the match between Varvara Gracheva and Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals.
Other results included No. 12 Jasmine Paolini defeating Elina Avanesyan 4-6, 6-0, 6-1, and No. 4 Elena Rybakina advancing past Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-3. Paolini and Rybakina will meet in the quarterfinals.
“She’s a tough opponent. She’s moving well and hitting the ball quite heavily. I’ll have to focus on my footwork,” Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, said of Paolini.
With temperatures in Paris approaching 22 degrees Celsius (72 Fahrenheit), the absence of rain allowed the matches on Court Philippe Chatrier and Court Suzanne Lenglen to proceed with an open roof.
That hot, really?
It is far from the scorching heat Alex De Minaur grew up with back home in Australia. The 11th-seeded De Minaur rallied past No. 5-seeded Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 to become the first Australian to reach the quarterfinals at Roland Garros since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004. Medvedev had some treatment on his right foot during the second set.
De Minaur conducted his on-court interview all in French.
“I will try (speaking) in French. I want to say thank you to everyone, it was an incredible atmosphere. I was not expecting to get to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros because I haven’t played very well on clay in recent years,” the 25-year-old De Minaur said.
He then tried to explain how difficult it is playing Medvedev but found it too hard in French, saying “it’s too difficult” but still drawing loud cheers and applause.
Next up for De Minaur is either No. 4 Alexander Zverev or No. 13 Holger Rune who were playing their fourth-round match later Monday.
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