Defending Champion Iga Swiatek Races Through Roland Garros Quarterfinals, Coco Gauff Also Cruises

Paris, May 28th – The 2023 French Open witnessed a series of swift victories on the women’s side, as defending champion Iga Swiatek and US Open champion Coco Gauff both secured their spots in the quarterfinals with dominant performances.

Swiatek Dominates Potapova

Swiatek, the world number one, swept past Anastasia Potapova in a crushing 6-0, 6-0 win that lasted just 40 minutes on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Polish star’s clinical display resulted in a lopsided 48-10 points advantage over her opponent.

“I was just really focused and in the zone,” Swiatek said after the match. “It went pretty quickly, pretty weird.”

Gauff Cruises Past Cocciaretto

Meanwhile, the 20-year-old American Gauff needed only 60 minutes to rout unseeded Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto, winning 6-1, 6-2. Gauff was on the verge of an even quicker victory, leading 5-0, but Cocciaretto fought back to win one game, drawing a hearty cheer from the crowd.

The contrasting quick finishes came just hours after the late-night conclusion of the men’s defending champion Novak Djokovic’s marathon five-set victory over Lorenzo Musetti, which ended after 3 a.m. and marked the latest finish in tournament history.

Players Raise Concerns About Late-Finishing Matches

Swiatek expressed concerns about the impact of such late-finishing matches, saying, “Usually it takes us, like, four hours to even chill, and you need to do recovery, media. It’s not like the work ends with the match point.”

Gauff also acknowledged the issue, stating, “It’s a complicated thing, but I definitely think for the health and safety of the players it would be in the sport’s best interest to try to avoid those matches finishing, or starting, after a certain time.”

Swiatek remains on course for her third consecutive French Open title, facing Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the quarterfinals. Gauff, meanwhile, will take on eighth-seeded Tunisian Ons Jabeur.

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