French Open: Swiatek and Sabalenka reach fourth round without dropping a set but Alcaraz labors

PARIS (AP) — Defending champion Iga Swiatek joined No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round of the French Open on Friday and neither player has dropped a set. Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam winner who has only once reached the semifinals at Roland-Garros, beat Olga Danilovic 6-2, 6-3 on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where the hot weather contrasted with previous days. "The ball flies much faster," Sabalenka said. "The bounces are much higher." Swiatek, who has won four of her five major titles at Roland-Garros, defeated Jaqueline Cristian 6-2, 7-5 on Court Suzanne-Lenglen to extend her French Open winning streak to 23 matches. A second set lasting 1 hour, 16 minutes, tested the Pole, who yelled in relief after winning on her second match point. Swiatek had 20 winners and 21 unforced errors. "She used her chances and just went for it," said Swiatek, who enjoyed temperatures which reached 29 degrees (84 F). "For sure I don't mind. On clay it gives the balls the extra bounce." Sabalenka and Swiatek have been in contrasting form. Sabalenka has reached six singles finals this year, the most for a woman entering Roland-Garros since Serena Williams in 2013. But Swiatek is looking to reach her first final anywhere since winning her third straight French Open title, and fourth overall, a year ago. No woman has won four straight French Opens in the Open era. Asked who was under the most pressure to win this year — her or Swiatek — Sabalenka said, jokingly: "Let's just leave it on Iga since she won it, what, three times in a row?" Defending men's champion Carlos Alcaraz labored to a 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win against Damir Dzumhur, meaning the four-time major winner has dropped two sets so far. What else happened at the French Open on Friday? No. 4-seeded Jasmine Paolini, last year's runner-up, beat Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-4, 6-1, and No. 12 Elena Rybakina won against 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko. Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen beat 18-year-old qualifier Victoria Mboko 6-3, 6-4, while No. 16 Amanda Anisimova and Liudmila Samsonova also advanced. In men's third-round play, No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy beat Mariano Navone, No. 10 Holger Rune of Denmark beat Frenchman Quentin Halys in five sets, and 12th-seeded American Tommy Paul did the same against No. 24 Karen Khachanov. No. 15 Frances Tiafoe beat No. 23 Sebastian Korda 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-4 in an all-American matchup, joining Paul and No. 13 Ben Shelton to give the U.S. three men in the French Open fourth round for the first time since 1995. If qualifier Ethan Quinn wins on Saturday, there would be four American men in Week 2 in Paris for the first time since 1991. Shelton won against Matteo Gigante 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. No. 25 Alexei Popyrin of Australia also advanced. Who is on the schedule at Roland-Garros on Saturday? Novak Djokovic plays in the night session on Saturday much to his frustration as he hoped to play earlier so he could watch the Champions League final in Germany between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan on TV. The 24-time major winner, who recently won his 100th career title, faces qualifier Filip Misolic. If Djokovic wins quickly, though, he may be able to catch the end of the soccer final, which starts at 1900 GMT (3 p.m. EDT). Or possibly extra time. In remaining third-round men's play, Alexander Zverev — last year's runner-up — takes on Flavio Cobolli on Court Philippe-Chatrier, while No. 1 Jannik Sinner — who beat Zverev in this year's Australian Open final — faces Jiri Lehecka on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Over on Court Simonne-Mathieu, British hope Jack Draper plays 18-year-old rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca. They are followed by Cameron Norrie vs. Jacob Fearnley, guaranteeing a British player in the fourth round. In remaining third-round women's play, former U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff faces Marie Bouzkova on Court Philippe-Chatrier, and No. 3 Jessica Pegula, the runner-up at last year's U.S. Open, plays former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova earlier on the same court. There is an all-American contest on Court Suzanne-Lenglen between current Australian Open champion Madison Keys and former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, who won that major in 2020, the year she went on to lose in the French Open final to Swiatek.