PARIS: Naomi Osaka dazzled with an all-gold outfit but had to dig deep for a hard-fought 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 6-4 victory over American teenager Iva Jovic on Saturday to reach her first-ever French Open fourth round.
Playing in a gold sequined top and skirt - her latest fashion statement in Paris - Osaka found it hard going from the start, with the American teenager dulling her opponent's sparkle in her first Grand Slam third-round appearance.
The 18-year-old Jovic may have found herself in unknown tournament territory but looked completely at ease on Court Suzanne Lenglen as she pushed the former world number one to a first-set tiebreak.
Osaka, seeded 16th, had wasted two set points at 6-5 and needed three more before subduing the American 7-5 in the tiebreak.
It was a similar story in the second set, with a break apiece and Jovic winning the second tiebreak to level.
The third set was again on a razor's edge, with Jovic refusing to buckle and matching Osaka's power blow for blow. But the Japanese carved out a match point at 5-4 on the American's serve and converted it to move into the next round.
Aryna Sabalenka cut through the French Open chaos as the world number one beat Australia's Daria Kasatkina 6-0, 7-5 to seal her place in the fourth round after seismic upsets in the previous two days at Roland Garros.
With top seed Jannik Sinner and 24-times Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic exiting in the last 48 hours, Sabalenka restored order with a commanding display to book a tantalising meeting with Japan's Naomi Osaka.
Sabalenka wasted little time to get going on a sun-drenched Court Suzanne Lenglen, winning the opening five games with a mix of power from the baseline and precision at the net, before she fought from 15-40 down in the next to secure a bagel.
Russian-born Kasatkina, who began representing her adopted country last year, broke and held against the run of play in the second set to draw chants of "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" and those voices soon became a lot quieter.
An unforced error from Kasatkina allowed Sabalenka to draw level at 2-2, and the four-times Grand Slam champion stayed in touch before dialling up the intensity late on to complete her eighth victory in 10 meetings between the pair.
Diane Parry, the last Frenchwoman standing in the French Open women’s draw, pulled off a stunning 6-3 4-6 7-6(3) victory over American Amanda Anisimova, advancing to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.
The 23-year-old, ranked 92nd in the world, delighted the home crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier as she eliminated Anisimova, the sixth seed and a two-time major finalist at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2025, as well as a Roland Garros semi-finalist in 2019.
She will face Poland’s Maja Chwalinska, ranked 114th in the world, in the fourth round. Chwalinska, on her maiden appearance at the French Open, has been the surprise package of the tournament with a remarkable run to the last 16. She stunned Maria Sakkari 1-6 6-3 6-2.
Italian Flavio Cobolli dismantled American Learner Tien 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the fourth round in commanding fashion.
The 10th seed reached a Grand Slam fourth round for only the second time with Tien looking sluggish throughout after needing five sets in the previous round to beat Facundo Diaz Acosta.
Cobolli, who is ranked 14th in the world and is now the fourth highest ranked player left in the men's tournament, quickly took a 3-0 lead in the first set with Tien unable to put up any resistance.
The American 18th seed went into the match on a six-match winning streak after capturing his first clay title in Geneva last week, conceded the first set and by the time he trailed 4-1 in the second, it was clear his winning run was about to come to an end.
A Cobolli ace and a backhand error from Tien handed his opponent the second set, and the Italian kept up the pressure to move 3-1 up in the third, courtesy of another early break.
With several top favourites, including world number one, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic already eliminated, the French Open is guaranteed a new Grand Slam champion, with Cobolli's name among potential winners.
The 24-year-old will next play American Zachary Svajda who beat Francisco Cerundolo 6-3 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3.
Moreover, the 2nd seed Alexander Zverev beat Quentin Halys 6-4 6-3 5-7 6-2 to reach the fourth round while Matteo Berrettini beat Francisco Comesana 7-6 5-7 6-7 6-4 7-6.
In women’s section, Anna Kalinskaya beat Camila Osorio 6-3 0-6 6-2, Diana Shnaider beat Oleksandra Oliynykova 7-5 6-1, Belinda Bencic beat Peyton Stearns 6-3 6-3. Agencies
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