- Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova knocked down Elise Mertens
Opening the round of 16 of the French Open on Sunday June 4, Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (333e) managed to get rid of the Belgian Elise Mertens (28e) in three sets (3-6, 7-6 [7-3], 6-3). Roland-Garros finalist in 2021 (beaten by the Czech Barbora Krejcikova), the native of Samara reached the quarter-finals of the Porte d’Auteuil tournament for the third time in her career (2011, 2021, 2023).
Although she is the lowest ranked player in the remaining women’s table, it is difficult to attach the term “outsider” to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who will present herself as a certain threat to her next opponent: the Czech Karolina Muchova (43e) or compatriot Elina Avanesyan (134e).
- Karen Khachanov and discouraged Lorenzo Sonego
Lorenzo Sonego (48e), confident, thought he had the upper hand over Karen Khachanov (11e), at the end of the third set. At one set everywhere, the Italian led the decisive game from four points to nothing, before losing his means.
Yet far from being infallible, it was enough for the Russian to consolidate his game and his mind, a winning recipe, which allowed him to pocket the third set, then to overthrow his opponent of the day without a hitch (1-6, 6-4, 7-6 [9-7]6-1).
Quarter-finalist for the second time in his career at Roland-Garros, the Russian could chain a third consecutive semi-final in Grand Slam, if he manages to get rid of his next opponent, to be determined between the Serbian Novak Djokovic (3e) and the Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas (94e).