French Open: Kostyuk sets up Swiatek rematch as winning streak rolls on

Ukrainian 15th seed extends clay win streak to 15 matches; Wang Xiyu marches into last 16

Paris: Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine maintained her brilliant run on clay at Roland Garros on Friday with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, sending the 21-year-old into the fourth round of the French Open for the second time in her career.

The 15th seed delivered another assured performance on the Parisian clay to extend her winning streak on the surface to 15 matches, demonstrating how she has gathered pace during this successful European swing. Kostyuk arrived in Paris fresh off back-to-back titles in Rouen and Madrid, where she landed the biggest prize of her career so far.

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Her latest victory sets up a dream fourth-round clash against four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek, rekindling a rivalry from their round-of-16 encounter at this tournament in 2021, which was won by the Polish world number one in straight sets.

Swiatek sealed her own place in the second week in straightforward fashion, dispatching compatriot Magda Linette 6-4, 6-4, proving yet again just how comfortable she is on clay during her pursuit of a fifth French Open crown.

Kostyuk has been one of the form players of the WTA Tour on this clay swing. Her relentless backcourt aggression and improved composure have propelled her into the latter rounds, making her upcoming match against Swiatek one of the headline events of the women’s draw.

Elsewhere in the women’s singles, talented Chinese qualifier Wang Xiyu continued her fine run by overcoming Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-3, 7-5 to march into the last 16 without dropping a set.

In the men’s draw, Novak Djokovic was due to take center stage against Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, just a day after world number one Jannik Sinner’s shock defeat. Sinner had notably served for the match twice in the third set before crashing out.

Second seed Alexander Zverev was scheduled to face French wildcard Quentin Halys in the evening session as he chases the only Grand Slam title to elude him. Meanwhile, Andrey Rublev and Nuno Borges were locked in battle as the race for second-week berths in the men’s singles began to intensify.