But the world No.1 broke into beaming smiles once she had demolished Marie Bouzkova, eased into the last 16 of the French Open and had the Roland Garros crowd serenade her.Â
The champion had just about survived in the previous round when she was match point down to Naomi Osaka, but she made light of beating the Czech Bouzkova 6-4 6-2 before the chorus of "Happy Birthday" resounded round Court Philippe Chatrier on Friday.Â
Swiatek was worried the fickle French crowd might have turned on her after she reproached them gently following the Osaka match for their behaviour, but she need not have been concerned as they embraced her warmly following her 15th unbeaten match on clay, having also won titles in Madrid and Rome this month.
Sing along, please 😜— wta (@WTA) @iga_swiatek 🎈 #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/gc87eLyYoGMay 31, 2024
"I was waiting until after the match to feel that I have a birthday because I knew that I need to focus on my work because if I would lose, it would be a total disaster," Swiatek said.
"So I'm happy that I won - and I kind of gave myself a present.
"For sure playing on your birthday, it's not so comfortable because it's eight o'clock and I have four hours left to celebrate. But that's the work that we have to do - we can't complain."
She made it 17 wins in a row at Roland Garros with considerable efficiency, hammering 18 winners in the opening set alone before Bouzkova tested her in a brief second-set fightback before succumbing in one hour, 33 minutes.
The champ, who will next face Russia's world No.41 Anastasia Potapova, reckoned she felt "good physically" after her exertions against Osaka. "I don't feel like the match stayed with me, but we'll see at the end of the tournament."
Dayana Yastremska, the Ukrainian who put paid to the hopes of Australian comeback luminary Ajla Tomljanovic, met her match after giving Coco Gauff a test.
Yastremska, the 30th seed, outlasted Australia's former No.1 Tomljanovic in the opening round but US Open champ Gauff, unsurprisingly, proved too steely for her in a 6-2 6-4 victory that also piloted the former finalist into the fourth round.
Coco Gauff celebrates after her third-round win over Dayana Yastremska. (AP PHOTO)
Gauff, who hasn't won a tournament on clay for three years, had little problem wrapping up the first set but was given an examination in the second by Yastremska, the Australian Open qualifier who caused a sensation in Melbourne by reaching the semi-finals.
Gauff set up a clash with Italy's world No.51 Elisabetta Cocciaretto, and still looks to be one of three players, along with Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, most likely to upset Swiatek.
Ons Jabeur still believes she could be the one to upset the odds and finally win that elusive first slam as she negotiated a tough encounter with Leylah Fernandez 6-4 7-6 (7-5).
"I believe that anything is possible," said the Tunisian, three times a losing slam finalist. "I started this tournament playing match-by-match because I do not want to start thinking of the final.
"I just want to see how things go, but I'm a dreamer. I've always said it. I am a dreamer. I'm a believer," added the 29-year-old Jabeur, who next tackles Dane Clara Touson, a 6-2 7-5 victor over former Australian Open champ Sofia Kenin.
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