Italy’s Jannik Sinner plays a return to Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka.
Paris: World number one Jannik Sinner powered into the French Open last 16 yesterday alongside last year’s runner-up Alexander Zverev as Madison Keys survived three match points to advance with fellow US women Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Hailey Baptiste.
Also yesterday, Novak Djokovic was in a hurry as the 24-time Grand Slam winner dismissed world number 153 Filip Misolic 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 to book his place spot in the last 16 at Roland Garros.
The three-time French Open champion needed just over two hours to beat his Austrian opponent in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier.
But Sinner eased through 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 against outclassed world number 34 Jiri Lehecka hours before the kick-off between Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain for European club football’s biggest prize.
“I think in early stages of Grand Slams it’s good that you don’t spend so much time, if you have the chance, on court,” said the top seeded Italian.
Three-time Grand Slam winner Sinner next meets Russia’s Andrey Rublev, who advanced after France’s Arthur Fils withdrew injured on Friday.
Sinner has been finding his feet since his comeback from a three-month doping ban, reaching the Italian Open final where he lost to reigning Roland Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz.
And the 23-year-old has continued his fine form on the clay in Paris where he has not dropped a set, extending his winning streak at Grand Slam events to 17 matches after titles at the 2024 US Open and Australian Open this January.
British fifth seed Jack Draper proved too strong for Brazilian teenage sensation Joao Fonseca, winning 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 to progress through to the fourth round, where he will meet Alexander Bublik.
German third seed Zverev, who lost last year’s final to Alcaraz, won 6-2, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 on Court Philippe Chatrier against Hamburg champion Flavio Cobolli.
In the women’s tournament, seventh seed Keys edged compatriot Sofia Kenin 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Keys will again face another countrywomen in the next round after Baptiste downed Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 earlier in the day.
Keys and Kenin shared breaks early in the decider, before the reigning Australian Open champion broke the 31st seed at 5-5 and then held serve to see out the match.
Former Australian Open champion and Roland Garros runner-up Kenin had led 3-0 in the third set and held three match points over Keys, before the world number eight turned the match round to book her place in the last 16. World number two Gauff booked her ticket to the same stage with a straight-sets win over Czech Marie Bouzkova.
The 21-year-old won through 6-1, 7-6 (7/3) against the world number 47 and next plays Ekaterina Alexandrova, the 20th seed, who beat fellow Russian Veronika Kudermetova 6-2, 6-2.
Third seed Pegula joined her fellow Americans with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Czech Marketa Vondrousova
