French world No.49 keeps up brilliant form to move into the second week, Djokovic thumps Galan as Muguruza crashes out
© Nicolas Gouhier/FFTHome favourite Fiona Ferro endured a two-hour 48-minute grind against Patricia Maria Tig to book a maiden berth in a Grand Slam fourth round on Saturday.
The French world No.49 posted her eighth consecutive victory - all on clay - with a 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-0 success over Tig, who was a champion in Istanbul just two weeks ago.
Ferro returned from the tour hiatus in August with a bang, lifting the trophy in Palermo before a rib injury ruled her out of the US Open.
Roland-Garros is her first tournament since and the 23-year-old has picked up right where she left off to storm into the last 16, where she takes on American No.4 seed Sofia Kenin.
World No.1 Novak Djokovic took sole ownership of second place on the match-wins leaderboard at Roland-Garros after recording his 71st victory on Parisian clay with a 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 drubbing of Colombian lucky loser Daniel Elahi Galan.
The 2016 champion, who helped sweep the court during a brief rain delay while the roof was being shut, has dropped just 15 games through his first three matches this week.
Karen Khachanov kept up his streak of always reaching the second week in Paris by maneuvering past Cristian Garin 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
A quarter-finalist at Roland-Garros last year, Khachanov has now reached the last 16 on Parisian clay every year since his 2017 debut. His next squares off against Djokovic.
© Philippe Montigny/FFTMeanwhile, Bulgarian No.18 seed Grigor Dimitrov secured passage to the second week when his opponent Roberto Carballes Baena retired from their third round while trailing 6-1, 6-3.
Dimitrov is in the last 16 at Roland-Garros for the very first time in 10 appearances.
The former world No.3 next takes on Greek No.5 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who also had a retirement in his victory over Aljaz Bedene over on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova recovered from a 1-5 opening-set deficit en route to a 7-5, 6-3 victory over last year's Roland-Garros junior champion Leylah Fernandez in third-round action on Saturday.
The Czech No.7 seed squeezed past the Canadian teen after nearly two hours of sheer battle to set up a fourth-round meeting with China's Zhang Shuai.
In a rain-delayed third round that was moved to Court Philippe-Chatrier late on the schedule, 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza squandered a double-break 3-0 lead in the decider to exit the tournament 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 against American Danielle Collins, who is being coached by former ATP player Nicolas Almagro.
Collins is through to the Roland-Garros fourth round for the first time, where she takes on Tunisian No.30 seed Ons Jabeur.
ROLAND-GARROS
20 May - 9 June 2024
