Elena Rybakina, seeded fourth, advances to Roland Garros quarterfinals after defeating Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-3 in 69 minutes. Next, she faces Jasmine Paolini, seeded twelfth, who reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal with a 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 win over Elina Avanesyan.
The latest match between the two players was at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics bronze medal play-off, where Svitolina narrowly won with a score of 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4. They also met in the 2020 Strasbourg final, which Svitolina won 6-4, 1-6, 6-2. However, Rybakina had previously beaten Svitolina at Eastbourne 2021, resulting in a tied head-to-head record of two wins each.
The Match Winner
Both players followed similar paths: Rybakina took an early lead, Svitolina caught up, but Rybakina surged ahead again to clinch the victory. Rybakina’s strong groundstrokes and powerful serve were crucial to her win, as she hit 26 winners, including five aces.
However, her diverse playing style allowed her to elevate her performance when necessary. In the beginning, Rybakina frequently used drop shots to challenge Svitolina’s movement, which proved successful.
In the second set, the former Wimbledon champion capitalized on her advantage at the net, winning 12 out of 18 points overall.
