Sloane Stephens had been out of the limelight for a while, but at Roland Garros she has regained her shine and she is willing to re-green old laurels, thanks to her evident improvement since working with Francis Roig, one of Rafa Nadal's coaches, and Jordi Vilaró, at the BTT Academy in Valldoreix (Barcelona). The 28-year-old American, a finalist in 2018, a year after winning the US Open, she beat Czech Karolina Muchova this Friday 6-3 and 7-5, 18th favorite, and she is already in the round of 16, a round in which she will face another Czech, Krejcikova, who gave the surprise of the day by leaving out the Ukrainian Svitolina (5th).
Muchova was again choked by another rival USA and has five defeats in six games against them in recent times. Stephens, who was on the verge of losing in the first round to the reappeared Carla Suárez (the Spaniard was two points away from victory), has grown in the tournament and has not lost a set again. She beat Pliskova, also Czech, on the fast track, and repeated her effectiveness against Muchova, with an impressive first serves (84%).
Sofia Kenin also seems to return for her own privileges after a bad run of results and got into the second round with a victory over her compatriot American Jessica Pegula (4-6, 6-1 and 6-4 at 1:56). The player with the highest ranking (4th) remaining in the championship, reaches the fourth round for the third time in a row and will face the Greek Maria Sakkari, who beat Belgian Elise Mertens (7-5, 6 -7 (2) and 6-2 at 1:52). It's Sakkari's fifth win against a top-20 so far this year.
Swiatek takes revenge on Kontaveit
Iga Swiatek, defending champion in Paris, took revenge on Anett Kontaveit, who won her at the 2020 Australian Open, with a more worked triumph than indicated by the scoreboard: 7-6 (4) and 6-0 in 82 minutes. The Pole, who had only lost seven games in the previous two matches, trailed in the first set (3-1 and 4-2), but came back to score the run in the tiebreaker. In the second he was already much higher. She will face the Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk for a place in the quarterfinals, who beat the Russian Varvara Gracheva (6-1 and 6-2). Coco Gauff also advanced, in this case due to the withdrawal of her countrywoman Jennifer Brady, who had to stop playing due to physical discomfort after losing the first game 6-1. Gauff, who has 21 victories this year, will face Ons Jabeur in the round of 16. The Tunisian fell to the polka Linette with a forceful reaction after losing in the first set (3-6, 6-0 and 6-1 in 1:26)
Results, table and calendar.