PARIS, May 30 (Reuters) – The business end of the French Open begins on Sunday when four-times champion Iga Swiatek and second seed Alexander Zverev play their fourth-round matches.
Twice runner-up Casper Ruud and Italian Open champion Elina Svitolina will also be in action.
TOP MEN’S MATCH: CASPER RUUD V JOAO FONSECA
With no Grand Slam champions left in the draw, Ruud has suddenly emerged as a potential contender given his experience of playing in more Roland Garros finals than any other player left in the men’s draw.
Both Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic were knocked out in the first week, leaving the draw wide open for a new Grand Slam champion to be crowned.
“It’s such an open tournament, which is kind of refreshing for everyone, and to see that there will be a new slam champion in about a week or so. I think every player is aware of it,” Ruud said.
“I’m going to try to use the experiences that I’ve had of reaching far in Slams to my advantage and see where that takes me, but you focus one match at a time.
“I have an incredible task ahead of me with a young special talent like Joao. He has already beaten top players in his career, so he knows what it takes.”
Brazilian teen Fonseca announced himself on the grand stage when he stunned Djokovic in a five-setter, but the 19-year-old is keeping his expectations in check despite the Serbian saying he saw him as a potential champion.
“That was my first fourth-round (match) in my career. I’m just thinking about my next match,” Fonseca said.
“For me it was a great achievement just being able to play, my first time (in the) round of 16. I’m just going to enjoy the moment.”
TOP WOMEN’S MATCH: IGA SWIATEK V MARTA KOSTYUK
With two claycourt titles in the bag this season and an unbeaten run on clay, Kostyuk still considers herself the underdog against Swiatek.
Kostyuk won the Open de Rouen as well as the Madrid Open in the lead up to Roland Garros. She has remarkably maintained her composure at the claycourt major despite discovering that a Russian missile had slammed near her family home in Kyiv before her first-round match.
The 15th seed has dropped only one set but is now eyeing her first victory against Poland’s Swiatek with nothing to lose.
“I lost to her three times, one of which was during junior years. Very excited for this match. I wanted to play her in a while,” Kostyuk said.
“She loves to play here, obviously, but I have every chance. I’m an underdog in this match, for sure. I’m going to go out there and enjoy it as much as I can.
“I definitely have a different feeling going into this match, because I feel like last time that I played her in Cincinnati (in 2024), I lost this match way before it even started and I don’t feel the same this time.”
Swiatek is seeking her first claycourt title since she won the French Open in 2024 and the Polish third seed acknowledged her opponent’s impressive form this season.
“Marta is having a great season. She always had a game to play well. Did some semi-finals of big tournaments before. Now she won Madrid. So good for her,” Swiatek said.
“But I’m going to focus on myself, prepare tactically, as before any other match, and we’ll see.”
LUCKY LOSER DE JONG RELISHES ZVEREV REMATCH
Jesper de Jong stepped in as a lucky loser after Arthur Fils withdrew and the Dutchman now finds himself playing in the fourth round against second seed Alexander Zverev, who has beaten him twice — including at Roland Garros last year.
“I hope to have a good performance, prepare physically for it, because he’s a physical player,” De Jong said.
“Last year he brutally demolished me after that first set. I’m physically stronger than last year, so I’m really looking forward.”
FRENCH OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON SUNDAY (prefix number denotes seeding):
COURT PHILIPPE CHATRIER
15-Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine) v 3-Iga Swiatek (Poland)
7-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) v 11-Belinda Bencic (Switzerland)
Jesper de Jong (Netherlands) v 2-Alexander Zverev (Germany)
15-Casper Ruud (Norway) v 28-Joao Fonseca (Brazil)
COURT SUZANNE-LENGLEN
18-Sorana Cirstea (Romania) v Wang Xinyu (China)
27-Rafael Jodar (Spain) v Pablo Carreno Busta (Spain)
8-Mirra Andreeva (Russia) v Jil Teichmann (Switzerland)
26-Jakub Mensik (Czech Republic) v 11-Andrey Rublev (Russia)
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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