PARIS (AP) — Naomi Osaka may have had the upper hand in the match. fashion contest. However, in the tennis category, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka won.
Sabalenka defeated Osaka 7-5, 6-3 on Monday to advance to the finals. french open He advanced to the quarterfinals and moved one step closer to winning the Grand Slam on clay. She lost to Coco Gauff in last year’s final..
It was the first women’s night match at Roland Garros in three years, and Osaka entered the court wearing a gold bomber jacket over a gold sequined playdress and a tulle train in tow.
Sabakenka wore more standard tennis attire. A slightly sheer black flared tennis dress with a red underlayer. plus diamond necklace.
In a matchup between four-time Grand Slam champions, Sabalenka improved her career record to 3-1 against Osaka, who was playing in the fourth round for the first time at Roland Garros.
Sabalenka dominated Osaka from the baseline, producing a huge forehand return winner on the first match point while Osaka barely had a grip on her racket.
Tournament organizers have been criticized for not scheduling more women’s matches in the evenings, and Roland Garros officials have responded that a best-of-three women’s match does not occupy enough time for television broadcasters. Men’s matches will be played in five-set matches.
Sabalenka won in 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Sabalenka’s quarterfinal opponent was Diana Schneider, who defeated Madison Keyes, the last remaining American woman in the competition, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.
France’s hopes were dashed when Diane Parry lost 6-3, 6-2 to 114th-ranked Polish player Maja Chwalinska.
Chwalinska had never made it past the second round in a major tournament before, but her run has been even more impressive since making it past three qualifying rounds.
Chwalinska’s quarterfinal opponent will be Anna Kalinskaya, who surprised even herself by defeating Anastasia Potapova 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (10-7) to advance to the final eight.
“I couldn’t believe it when I thought I would be here two weeks ago,” Kalinskaya said. “Probably laughing with the team.”
A number of top female athletes have already been eliminated, including Gauff, four-time champion Iga Swiatek, and second-ranked Elena Rybakina.
The sinners are gone, but the Italians move on.
Although No. 1 ranked Jannik Sinner lost in the second round, Italian fans will be able to see at least two players in the quarter-finals.
Tenth seed Flavio Cobolli defeated American Zachary Svaida 6-2, 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(5) to reach his second Grand Slam quarterfinal, and his first here.
“This is definitely my favorite Grand Slam,” Koboli said after his victory on Court Philippe Chatrier. “As Italians we have the best sense of surfaces.”
Shortly after the victory, Cobolli, a former youth footballer for Italian club Roma, joined Paris Saint-Germain players parading the Champions League trophy on Court Philippe Chatrier. PSG beat Arsenal in Saturday’s final.
Cobolli’s next opponent will be fourth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime, who defeated Alejandro Tabilo 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 to reach the last eight of all four major tournaments. However, the Canadian never made it past the Grand Slam semi-finals.
“It’s another chance that Sinner doesn’t make it to the semi-finals, but we have to go there,” said Auger-Aliassime. “So we have to focus on the next game.”
Serving big Matteo Berrettini joined Cobolli in the quarterfinals, defeating Juan Manuel Cerundro 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (6). Berrettini last reached the quarterfinals here in 2021, but has not returned to the tournament since then due to a series of injuries and physical problems.
Matteo Arnaldi will later face 19th-placed Francis Tiafoe, with three Italians aiming to reach the last eight.
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AP Sports Writer Samuel Petrekin and AP Fashion Writer Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report.
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AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
