The Prague Post - Sabalenka to face Osaka, Berrettini into French Open quarters

World number one Sabalenka will likely face a stern test in her bid to win a maiden Roland Garros crown after suffering an agonising loss to Coco Gauff in last year's final.

A resurgent Osaka has powered into the French Open second week for the first time in her career, looking more at home then ever before on the Parisian clay.

It will be only the fourth meeting, all at the last-16 stage of tournaments, between two of the biggest stars in the sport.

Osaka edged their first encounter en route to the 2018 US Open title and then they never met again until this year.

Sabalenka saw off her Japanese opponent in straight sets in Indian Wells, before fighting back from a set down to win at the Madrid Open.

They renew their rivalry with a quarter-final against either former Australian Open champion Madison Keys or Russia's Diana Shnaider up for grabs.

"It's nice to see her," said Sabalenka of Osaka, who took a break from tennis in 2023 to give birth to her daughter.

"She's a great player, great person. I feel like I really enjoy our battles. It's high-level matches, and I really enjoy when somebody pushes me to the limit."

This will be the first time that WTA players have featured in the primetime slot since Sabalenka took on Sloane Stephens in the last 16 on June 4, 2023.

"I think it was pretty obvious this should be the night's match," tournament director Amelie Mauresmo told reporters on Monday.

The winner will face Diana Shnaider after the Russian left-hander beat Madison Keys 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.

Former Australian Open winner Keys's defeat leaves Sabalenka and Osaka as the only Grand Slam champions left in either the men's or women's singles draws.

Austrian 28th seed Anastasia Potapova could not back up her win over defending champion Gauff, twice failing to serve for the match in a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (10/7) defeat by Anna Kalinskaya.

The Russian will next face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska after she continued her remarkable run by cruising past the last remaining French player, Diane Parry, 6-3, 6-2.

"She's one of the top players in the world. No one knows me, to be honest, so definitely a very challenging one, like every match here," said Chwalinska of facing Kalinskaya.

There was something for the Paris crowd to cheer after Parry's defeat, though, as Paris Saint-Germain players Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Warren Zaire-Emery and Bradley Barcola paraded their two Champions League trophies on court after securing a second straight title on Saturday.

- Brilliant Berrettini marches on -

Former Wimbledon runner-up Berrettini, who has been plagued by injuries in recent years, booked his first major quarter-final since the 2022 US Open with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (8/6) win over Jannik Sinner's conqueror Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

The world number 105 is the lowest-ranked player to reach the Roland Garros men's last eight since Igor Andreev in 2007.

"This (tennis) is the love of my life, I guess, otherwise I wouldn't keep coming back after all the setbacks, the injuries," said the Italian, playing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2021.

"There were moments it was really tough to come back and hit a ball... But now I'm back and it's thanks to them (his team), my character and my resilience."

Berrettini is one of only two Grand Slam finalists left in a wide-open men's draw, alongside Alexander Zverev, after surprise early exits for Sinner and Novak Djokovic.

The 30-year-old will next face either American 19th seed Frances Tiafoe or fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi on Wednesday.

Italian 10th seed Flavio Cobolli overcame some late nerves to beat Zachary Svajda 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/5) on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Cobolli wobbled badly from 4-0 and 5-1 up in the fourth set, before finally getting over the line in a tie-break to reach his second Grand Slam quarter-final after Wimbledon last year.

"The match is never done and today I almost shit in my pants," said Cobolli. "I'm happy but I'm still nervous."

The 24-year-old will battle fourth-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime for a semi-final berth.

World number six Auger-Aliassime is the highest-ranked player left in the top half of the men's draw and he laid down a marker with a dominant 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 success against Chile's Alejandro Tabilo.

F.Vit--TPP