Two-time Italian Open champion Iga Swiatek advanced to the quarter-finals of this year's tournament with an impressive 7-5 6-3 win over Angelique Kerber on Monday.
Three-time grand slam winner Kerber provided Swiatek with a real step up after routine victories over Bernarda Pera and Yulia Putintseva in the first two rounds on the clay in Rome.
Kerber responded to Swiatek's first break – which came in the eighth game – with one of her own, but the world number one then recaptured her composure to force a series of break points in Kerber's next two service games, finally converting at the eighth attempt to take the opener.
Kerber refused to go away, breaking straight back in the first game of the second set, but Swiatek upped her game to take the contest away from the 36-year-old.
Swiatek dropped just three further points on her own serve from there, adding three breaks of her own to set up a last-eight meeting with Madison Keys for Tuesday.
Data Debrief: Swiatek unmatched on clay
While Kerber rolled back the years to trouble Swiatek early on, she lacked the staying power to live with the world number one in longer rallies on a surface where she is truly unmatched.
Her win ratio at clay-court events at WTA 1000-level now stands at 88.2 per cent (30 wins, four defeats), the best of any player to have played a minimum of five matches since the format's 2009 introduction, ahead of Serena Williams at 88 per cent.
Errani hopes to help Paolini ahead of Swiatek final
Sara Errani will prioritise helping doubles partner Jasmine Paolini ahead of her French Open final against Iga Swiatek this Saturday.
The Italian duo beat Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse 1-6 6-4 6-1 on Friday to book their place in the women's doubles final, where they will face Coco Gauff and Katerina Siniakova.
Paolini has been partners with compatriot and five-time grand slam doubles champion Errani since the start of 2024, and the pair have quickly created a special partnership, having triumphed at the Linz Open and the Italian Open.
The world number 15 will play in her first grand slam singles final one day before her doubles fixture but faces a sizeable task in stopping Swiatek from claiming a third straight title in Paris.
However, she has the backing of her doubles partner, with Errani hoping the 28-year-old can enjoy the occasion this weekend.
"It's a special moment. Of course, being in a slam final is amazing. For sure, I will speak with Jasmine. If I can help a little bit, for me it would be amazing. I don't really know what to say," Errani said.
"I hope she enjoys it. I hope she believes. I believe in her. It's a really tough match, but I think she's an amazing player."
It proved to be a difficult opening set for the Italian pairing, but they were able to recover from that slow start.
"Today was a really tough match," Paolini said. "The first set, I mean, we didn't see any ball. They were just passing, and we were there and trying to fight.
"Then we said, okay, this cannot go worse. We managed to come back. It was a really tough match, but we are happy to be in the final."
Zverev reaches French Open final as illness affects Ruud
Alexander Zverev roared into his second grand slam final by beating Casper Ruud 2-6 6-2 6-4 6-2 at the French Open, the Norwegian affected by illness as he wilted on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Ruud entered Friday's semi-final rested after benefitting from Novak Djokovic's withdrawal in the last eight, and he controlled the baseline rallies with confidence as he took the opener.
However, a long forehand gifted Zverev a break in the opening game of the second set and the German did not look back from there, winning 92 per cent of points behind his first serve as he levelled things up.
More mistakes crept into Ruud's game and he told the umpire he was feeling unwell three games into the third, when Zverev continued to press home his physical advantage.
Ruud left the court after going 2-1 down in a bid to recompose himself, but Zverev set the tone for another dominant set by crashing home a big forehand winner for an opening-game break, and Ruud never looked like hitting back as the big-serving German advanced.
Data Debrief: Zverev's clay form rewarded
Zverev has become increasingly comfortable on the clay this year, winning the Italian Open and reaching his first final at Roland Garros.
He is just the fifth player in the last two decades to reach the men's singles final at both events in the same year, after Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
He will take on Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday's showpiece match, having won five of his nine tour-level meetings with the Spaniard.
Alcaraz labels Sinner win one of the toughest of his career
Carlos Alcaraz described his five-set French Open semi-final triumph over Jannik Sinner as one of the toughest matches of his career.
The Spaniard overcame the soon-to-be world number one 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Court Philippe-Chatrier to become just the fifth player in the last 30 years to make the men's singles final at Roland Garros before the age of 22.
It marks the first time the 21-year-old has reached the final of the competition, also making him the fifth-youngest player to get his fifth win against a top-five opponent in grand slam events since the ATP Rankings were first published in 1973.
Speaking shortly after his win, Alcaraz acknowledged the magnitude of the result but pointed out that he had to suffer to emerge victorious in Paris.
"You have to find the joy in suffering, that is the key," he said.
"Here on clay at Roland Garros, long rallies, four-hour matches and five sets, you have to suffer, but I was told by my team many times that you have to enjoy suffering."
The pair have enjoyed thrilling encounters in previous meetings, and despite the latest instalment of their flourishing rivalry lasting four hours and 10 minutes, it was not the longest time they have spent together on court, having played for five hours and 15 minutes at the US Open in 2022.
Alcaraz prevailed in that encounter to reach his maiden major semi-final, going on to win the tournament. He ranks his latest meeting with the Italian among the toughest matches of his career.
"The toughest matches I have played in my short career have been against Jannik," he said.
"There was the US Open in 2022, this one. That shows the great player that Jannik is, the team that he has as well, and the great work he puts in every day.
"I hope to play many, many more matches like this one against Jannik, but it was definitely one of the toughest matches I have played in, for sure."
Alcaraz will face either Casper Ruud or Alexander Zverev in the final on Sunday.
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