Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina celebrates after beating Ukraine’s Elena Svitolina at the French Open. (AP pic)
PARIS: World number four Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan eased to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Ukraine’s Elena Svitolina today to reach her second French Open quarterfinal.
After a sluggish start with both players dropping serve, Russian-born Rybakina upped her level up and cruised through the first set.
In the second set, the 29-year-old Svitolina was no match again for Rybakina as the 19th-ranked Ukrainian showed signs of fatigue from the start and lacked precision throughout.
Odessa-born Svitolina had reached the quarterfinals four times before, including 2023, but was unable to trouble the former Wimbledon champion.
Rybakina, who made the last eight for the first time since 2021, faces the winner of the match between 70th-ranked Russian Elina Avanesyan and 15th-ranked Italian Jasmine Paolini.
