Top half of Roland Garros women’s draw splits projected seeds and bracket busters

PARIS—The top half of the women’s round of 16 at Roland Garros is set with a pair of contrasting storylines.

The highest four seeds have all made their way through to week two at the clay-court Grand Slam, but each are joined by a bracket buster hungry to extend their notable runs.

A round after surviving match point against Naomi Osaka, top seed Iga Swiatek enjoyed a much more dramatic free day at the office on her 23rd birthday. The three-time champion dismissed Maria Bouzkova, 6-4, 6-2, improving to 18-0 in the first three rounds of the Paris major.

Read More: Happy birthday, Iga! 23 stats for Swiatek’s 23rd birthday

“I could reset, and I could also rest physically because this match was for sure demanding. I felt good today,” Swiatek told press afterwards.

“I'm happy that I won, and I kind of gave myself a present.”

On Sunday, Swiatek meets Anastasia Potapova in a first-time clash. The Russian battled past Wang Xinyu, 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-4, to snap a 0-4 mark in major third-round matches. Potapova trailed by a break in the third set, before winning the final three games – including a finale that required five match points to get across the line.

Swiatek’s projected quarterfinal opponent, fifth seed and 2019 runner-up Marketa Vondrousova, also made light work of her opponent. The reigning Wimbledon title holder dispatched France’s Chloe Paquet, 6-1, 6-3, finishing with 18 winners to 14 unfored errors.

Vondrousova began her European clay swing with a powerful quarterfinal win over Aryna Sabalenka in Stuttgart, but arrived in Paris on a 3-4 stretch after failing to win successive matches at her next three tournaments. The Czech faces another left-hander in her next encounter with qualifier Olga Danilovic.

Twenty-four hours earlier, Danilovic stunned 11th seed Danielle Collins with a three-set comeback. Coming out flat, the Serbian lifted her spirits to once again prevail in another gripping finish, 0-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10-8) against Donna Vekic. Her emotions soon poured out after three hours and eight minutes on the court.

“Those are tears of relief and happiness,” she told press. “It just goes out, everything from you. For me was just big, big relief. Just that moment of I deserved it kind of moment for myself.”

Third seed Coco Gauff has won all six sets she’s played on her way to the second week for a fourth successive year. Unable to serve out 30th seed Dayana Yastremska the first time of asking, the 2022 finalist shut the door on her second attempt to advance, 6-2, 6-4.

Read More: Coco Gauff blends aggression with margin to defuse Dayana Yastremska at Roland Garros

“When it was time to close out and the games were getting close and tight, I was just trying to just remind myself I'm in the better position. I'm the one up a set and double break, so I was just reminding myself of that,” shared Gauff.

“I think sometimes when those moments happen and you just want to finish the match so fast, you can let things triple over.”

Gauff will be favored to make it four quarterfinals in a row here when she takes on Elisabetta Cocciaretto. The Italian achieved her best major showing when she eliminated No. 17 seed Liudmila Samsonova, 7-6 (4), 6-2. Cocciaretto had previously knocked out 13th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia, a 2023 semifinalist, in the first round.

Should Gauff move forward, No. 8 seed Ons Jabeur may await her. The three-time Grand Slam finalist held off 31st seed Leylah Fernandez, 6-4, 7-6 (5). Jabeur has now strung together three match wins at two events this season, having also defeated Fernandez on her way to the Madrid last eight.

Standing between the Tunisian and return quarterfinal trip is Clara Tauson. The Dane halted Sofia Kenin, 6-2, 7-5, to improve upon her third-round effort here a year ago. Tauson, who sent ninth seed Jelena Ostapenko packing in the second week, is seeking her third career Top 10 victory against Jabeur.

Who does the 22-year-old take after?

“I love watching Aryna, for instance. I think we have a lot of the same qualities,” believes Tauson. “Of course she's better than me, but that's kind of the level I aspire.”