Swiatek gets clear path as rivals fall

PARIS • Two more obstacles in top seed Iga Swiatek's path to a second French Open title were removed yesterday as US Open champion Emma Raducanu and fourth seed Maria Sakkari both fell in the second round at Roland Garros.

British teenager and 12th seed Raducanu lost 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 to inspired Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich, while Greek Sakkari, who reached the semi-finals last year, was knocked out 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4) by Czech Karolina Muchova.

Sakkari and Raducanu are the latest big names to exit the Grand Slam after Tunisia's Ons Jabeur, Anett Kontaveit of Estonia and Czech defending champion Barbora Krejcikova were all eliminated in their openers.

Spanish third seed Paula Badosa is now the only top-six player left in the women's draw.

The path seems clear for top ranked Swiatek - the Pole will take on American Alison Riske in the second round today - to earn her second Major and cement her standing as the hottest player in the world.

The 2020 French Open champion has won her last five tournaments, including four WTA 1000 titles, and is on a tour-leading 29-match win streak.

One player hoping to take advantage of a relatively open field, aside from Swiatek, is Muchova.

Since reaching the semi-finals at last year's Australian Open, she has been hampered by injuries, dropping to world No. 81, but she hopes to draw confidence from her upset of Sakkari.

"It's very special. It was a big fight and it was a big test for me, a challenge and I'm happy I won in two sets," Muchova said.

At 25, the Czech is an experienced campaigner, unlike Raducanu, whose inexperience at this level continues to show.

Since becoming the first qualifier, man or woman, to win a Slam at Flushing Meadows last year, the 19-year-old has not been able to build on that triumph, winning just nine matches and earning no titles.

Raducanu played her first pro match on clay as recently as last month and admitted she was exposed by her opponent, saying: "I still have got quite a long way to go on this surface.

"I had a good first experience on clay and definitely can improve a lot more than I play right now.

"It just takes a lot more to win the point on this surface. For the clay season, I had no expectations. I put myself in four tournaments in a row thinking I will lose in the first round. (But) I won a few matches in each."

Despite yet another defeat, Raducanu said she would take plenty from it, heading into her home Slam of Wimbledon where she reached the last 16 last year and is set to be a crowd favourite in London next month.

"Before, I would let the losses affect me more than right now," she added. "Now, I look at everything as a lesson and know exactly where I went wrong, and where I can improve.

"I definitely look at these matches as a way to improve my own game. I am playing good tennis, training well. It might not show straight away. There is a little time lag between when they will actually produce results, you know, on a live situation."

Unlike the women's, the men's draw yesterday continued to offer no surprises, with all the favourites going to the third round.

German third seed and Olympic gold medallist Alexander Zverev was the only one to suffer a scare, but he survived from two sets down to beat Argentina's Sebastian Baez 2-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 7-5.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia eased past Slovak Alex Molcan 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), while Spanish teenage sensation and sixth seed Carlos Alcaraz was still locked in battle with compatriot Albert Ramos-Vinolas at press time.

REUTERS

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