Rafael Nadal Beats Diego Schwartzman to Advance to 2021 French Open Semifinals
Jun 9, 2021
Spain's Rafael Nadal serves the ball to Argentina's Diego Schwartzman during their men's singles quarter-final tennis match on Day 11 of The Roland Garros 2021 French Open tennis tournament in Paris on June 9, 2021. (Photo by MARTIN BUREAU / AFP) (Photo by MARTIN BUREAU/AFP via Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal advanced to the 2021
French Open semifinals with a four-set victory over No. 10 seed Diego
Schwartzman on Wednesday at Stade Roland-Garros in Paris.
Nadal, a 13-time French Open champion
who's captured the title each of the last four years, has never
failed to win the championship at Roland-Garros when he's reached the
semis. He recorded 35 winners and seven breaks of serve in the
quarterfinal win (6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0) over Schwartzman.
The No. 3 seed moves through to face
either top-seeded Novak Djokovic or ninth-seeded Matteo Berrettini in
the clay-court Grand Slam's penultimate round.
Neither Nadal nor Schwartzman had
dropped a set through the tournament's first four rounds, but both
those streaks came to a swift end Wednesday as they split the first
two sets.
The key game came deep in the third
set, with Schwartzman serving at 4-4. He'd dropped just three points
on serve all set prior to that point, but Nadal won the first two
points and went on to score the break before taking the set in the
next game.
In all, the 35-year-old Spanish
superstar won nine straight games to finish the match.
"I started badly in the second
set, then I was able to come back," Nadal said in his post-match
interview. " ... I needed to play more
aggressively, and I did so throughout the rest of the match."
It was another efficient all-around
performance from the King of Clay, who won 71 percent of points on
serve, 46 percent on return and converted seven of his 14 break
chances. He also struck six aces.
Schwartzman kept pace until deep in the
third set, but his play dropped off significantly after that critical
Nadal break. He finished with far more unforced errors (39) than
winners (26) and didn't generate any break opportunities over the
final two sets.
Looking ahead, Nadal will likely face off with Djokovic in the semifinals in what would be their 58th career
ATP Tour meeting. Djokovic holds a slight 29-28 advantage in the
prior matchups.
If Berrettini pulls off the upset,
it'll set up just his second meeting with Nadal, who won their first
encounter at the 2019 U.S. Open in straight sets.
French Open 2021: Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek Upsets Highlight Wednesday's Results
Jun 9, 2021
Maria Sakkari of Greece clenches her fist after defeating Poland's Iga Swiątek during their quarterfinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium Wednesday, June 9, 2021 in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Big names continue to fall at the 2021 French Open as the top competitors battle for spots in the semifinals Wednesday.
Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek were eliminated in the quarterfinal after each looked invincible in earlier rounds. It leaves only two seeded players in the women's semifinals, and neither of them is ranked in the top 10.
In the men's draw, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic survived tough competition on Day 11 at Roland Garros.
The women's draw was wide open after both No. 1 Ashleigh Barty and No. 2 Naomi Osaka dropped out of the competition. Barty retired from her second-round match with an injury, while Osaka withdrew for personal reasons.
It created a wild tournament that now has four semifinalists that have never reached this stage before.
Maria Sakkari is seemingly now the favorite as the No. 17 seed after her upset win over defending champion Iga Swiatek.
Swiatek hadn't even lost a set in 22 tries, but Sakkari showed no fear in the quarterfinal battle, earning two breaks in the first to gain the early edge.
Sakkari advances to the semifinal to face Barbora Krejcikova, who surprised many by defeating the red-hot Coco Gauff Wednesday.
Gauff was competing in her first quarterfinal and is still just 17 years old, but the American hadn't lost a set during the tournament and was coming off a clay-court event win in Parma, Italy. It made her a legitimate contender to win it all.
Her progress was halted by her own sloppiness, as she racked up 41 unforced errors compared to 25 winners. She also had seven double faults and went only 3-of-10 on break opportunities.
Krejcikova took advantage, winning the key points on her way to a straight-set victory.
Done, dusted, and into the semifinal. ➡️
Barbora Krejcikova slips by Gauff in straight sets 7-6(6), 6-3 to reach the final four at a major for the first time.#RolandGarrospic.twitter.com/p7I4u6rnu1
The matchup between the two tennis legends has been extraordinarily close, with Djokovic holding a narrow 29-28 lead. It hasn't been so even at Roland Garros, however, where Nadal holds a dominant 7-1 advantage in the rivalry. Three of those wins came in the semifinals, while another three came in the finals.
Djokovic's only win over Nadal in the French Open came in the 2015 quarters.
It's the matchup that tennis fans have wanted to see. That it's coming in the semifinals and not the finals won't take away from the hype or anticipation. When Djokovic and Nadal face each other at a Grand Slam, it's must-see TV.
The other men's semifinal will see No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas face No. 6 Alexander Zverev.
French Open 2021: Wednesday Roland Garros Schedule and Bracket Predictions
Jun 8, 2021
Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a return to Italy's Lorenzo Musetti during their fourth round match on day 9, of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, Monday, June 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are each one win away from a semifinal showdown at the 2021 French Open.
The play of the two players at Roland Garros suggests that matchup will likely happen. Djokovic is the only one of the pair to drop sets, both of which were in the fourth round.
Djokovic's response to falling two sets behind Lorenzo Musetti showed us once again that he can respond to his opponents' best tennis.
Nadal has been on cruise control, as he typically is on the Paris clay. He has not dropped a set at Roland Garros since the 2019 final, and he faces an opponent he bested in three sets in last year's semifinals.
The two women's singles quarterfinals that start the day on Court Philippe-Chatrier could set up a big-time semifinal match.
American teenager Coco Gauff is coming off her best performance in Paris, while reigning champion Iga Swiatek has been near impossible to beat.
Wednesday's full schedule at Roland Garros can be found here on the tournament's official website.
Predictions
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal Set Up Semifinal Clash
One of the easiest predictions to make over the last week-and-a-half has been for Djokovic and Nadal to advance with ease.
The only time that was threatened came in the fourth round, when Djokovic fell in the first two sets to Musetti.
The Italian teenager played perfect tennis, but then the No. 1 seed countered with his version of immaculate play and lost a single game in three sets before Musetti retired.
Djokovic takes on another Italian on Wednesday in No. 9 seed Matteo Berrettini, who is making his second-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance.
Berrettini played Djokovic once at the 2019 ATP Tour finals and managed to earn three games off the Serbian.
The No. 9 seed had the best possible situation play out in his favor, as he avoided Roger Federer in the round of 16 after the No. 8 seed withdrew from the tournament.
Berrettini has an extra two days off, and that may matter in the first set, but if he fails to challenge Djokovic early, he could be in a world of trouble.
Djokovic should come out with an extra dose of motivation to erase the poor start that plagued him Monday.
On paper, Nadal faces the more difficult matchup since Diego Schwartzman rolled through each of his four opponents in straight sets.
The 10th-seeded Argentine has three quarterfinal appearances at the last four French Opens, but he has a horrid record against Nadal.
The reigning champion at Roland Garros is 10-1 all-time against Schwartzman, and he rolled through him in straight sets in the final four last year.
Nadal should breeze through Schwartzman in straight sets to set up an epic clash with Djokovic that we typically see in a Grand Slam final.
Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek Move On to Women's Semifinals
Swiatek is playing at a Nadal-like level on the clay right now.
The reigning women's champion has four straight-set victories on her tournament resume this year and seems poised to make a repeat attempt Saturday.
Maria Sakkari's fourth-round win over Sofia Kenin marked a breakthrough for the Greek in her career. She is appearing in her first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Similar to Schwartzman in the men's draw, Sakkari may not stand much of a chance against an unstoppable force on the clay.
Sakkari has never played Swiatek head-to-head, so she does not have an advantage in trying to pick apart any weaknesses she may have.
Swiatek faced some challenges in previous sets in Paris, but she answered every one of them, and until someone proves she can be broken, it is incredibly hard to pick against her.
On Monday, Gauff looked more ruthless than Swiatek, as she breezed past Ons Jabeur in less than an hour.
The American teenager has the most favorable final eight matchup of any seeded player, as she takes on Barbora Krejcikova.
Both players will be playing their first singles Grand Slam quarterfinal matches. They both have advanced far in doubles competitions.
Gauff and Krejcikova have not played each other before, and the 17-year-old needs to beware of the threat posed by the Czech woman.
Krejcikova owns straight-set wins over Elina Svitolina, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Sloane Stephens. She lost two games in her last victory against Stephens.
Gauff is in the best overall form of the two. Each player won the last tournament they entered before Paris, but the American was more consistent during the clay-court season.
Gauff went 12-3 in four clay-court tournaments, with her only losses coming to three seeded players: Swiatek, Jabeur and Karolina Pliskova.
If Gauff continues to play with confidence Wednesday, she should grab hold of the edge in the match and set up a second match with Swiatek in the last month. Swiatek defeated Gauff in the Rome semifinals.
French Open 2021: Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff Wins Highlight Monday's Results
Jun 7, 2021
PARIS, FRANCE June 7. Novak Djokovic of Serbia slips at the start of the fifth set against Lorenzo Musetti of Italy on Court Philippe-Chatrier during the fourth round of the singles competition at the 2021 French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros on June 7th 2021 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
The French Open marches closer to crowning a men's and women's champion.
The fourth round was held on Monday, with a number of huge names, including Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, in action.
Below, we'll break down the day's results and recap the top moments.
(10) Diego Schwartzman def. Jan-Lennard Struff, 7-6 (11-9), 6-4, 7-5
(3) Rafael Nadal def. (18) Jannik Sinner, 7-5, 6-3, 6-0
Women's Scores
Barbora Krejcikova def. Sloane Stephens, 6-2, 6-0
(24) Coco Gauff def. (25) Ons Jabeur, 6-3, 6-1
(17) Maria Sakkari def. (4) Sofia Kenin, 6-1, 6-3
(8) Iga Swiatek def. Marta Kostyuk, 6-3, 6-4
Recap
Djokovic had quite the day.
The top seed dropped the first two sets to the 19-year-old Musetti in tiebreakers, leaving the 2016 Roland Garros victor in danger of a surprisingly early exit. But he rallied in a big way, pulling off the reverse sweep, with Musetti retiring in the fifth set due to cramps and lower back pain.
Two things were certain after the match: Musetti's potential is immense, but if you come at the king, you best not miss.
"I was saying before that I like to play young guys in best-of-five, because I feel even if they are leading a set or two sets to Love as was the case today, I still like my chances," Djokovic told reporters after the match. "I feel like I'm physically fit and I know how to wear my opponent down, you know, in the best-of-five match. And I've won most of the five-setters I have played in this tournament and in my career, so I think that experience helps."
Djokovic wasn't above poking fun at himself after the match, though:
Another 19-year-old, Sinner, made Nadal sweat a bit in the first round, though the King of the Clay quickly recovered to dispose of his young counterpart.
No surprises there—Nadal hasn't won a staggering 13 French Opens by losing to young up-and-comers.
"I'm excited to play against him, because it's a huge test, you know, on what you would like to win in one way," Sinner told reporters. "But in the other way, you know, like today, it gives me the answer that I already said it before, that the way is very long still."
On the women's side, Gauff dominated Jabeur after fellow countrywoman Stephens failed to get past Krejcikova.
Gauff has yet to drop a set in Paris, which is all the more impressive considering she's just 17.
"I feel like this has been the most consistent tennis I have played at this level," she told reporters. "Hopefully I can keep that going."
One player who won't be continuing on is the 4-seed Kenin, who was dispatched fairly easily by Sakkari. She was the highest-seeded player remaining after a number of upsets rocked the women's draw, including Serena Williams bowing out early.
Upset ahead? 🔭
No.17 seed Sakkari secures the first set 6-1 over No.4 seed Kenin in just 27 minutes.
That has left open the door for red-hot players like Gauff to break through and potentially earn a first Grand Slam. As it stands, Gauff's place in the quarterfinals is already a Grand Slam best.
French Open 2021 Results: Monday Winners, Scores, Stats and Singles Draw Update
Jun 7, 2021
United States's Coco Gauff plays a return to Tunisia's Ons Jabeur during their fourth round match on day 9, of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, Monday, June 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Coco Gauff is the final American standing at the 2021 French Open.
The 17-year-old turned in a masterful performance on Monday to eliminate Ons Jabeur in straight sets.
Gauff became the last American man or woman in the singles fields after Sofia Kenin and Sloane Stephens were knocked out in straight sets.
Gauff still has a tough road to get to the final that likely features a semifinal showdown with reigning champion Iga Swiatek. The Pole once again looked in control of her match on the Paris clay and has yet to drop a set in four matches.
The same can be said about Rafael Nadal, who cruised past Jannik Sinner in three sets during the afternoon session.
Novak Djokovic was not as successful at the start of his showdown with Lorenzo Musetti. The top seed did not take control until the third set of the contest.
Only three men's singles matches took place Monday after the withdrawal of Roger Federer. That allowed Matteo Berrettini to take a spot in the final eight.
Djokovic's position in the tournament came under threat in an unexpected manner in the first two sets against Musetti.
The Italian pushed the No. 1 seed to a pair of tiebreaks in the first and second sets. Musetti closed those sets to continue his perfect record in tiebreaks on the ATP Tour level.
However, Musetti never had a chance to close out Djokovic because the Serb found another gear once the third set began.
The young Italian won a single game in the third, fourth and fifth sets before retiring at 0-4 in the last set. Djokovic won all nine of the break points he forced and produced 22 more winners than his unseeded foe.
Nadal experienced a much more routine victory, as he gave Jannik Sinner no chance to get into the contest.
The third-seeded Spaniard only lost eight games over three sets and finished the victory off in style with a third-set shutout. Nadal also won nine break points and outclassed his young Italian opponent with 20 more winners.
Diego Schwartzman joined Djokovic and Nadal in the final eight with an impressive three-set win over Jan-Lennard Struff.
The 10th seed has qualified for the quarterfinals in three of the last four French Opens. He advanced to the semifinals last year, when he lost to Nadal, his next opponent.
Women's Singles
No. 17 Maria Sakkari def. No. 4 Sofia Kenin, 6-1, 6-3
Kenin suffered a similar fate as Stephens in her straight-set loss to Maria Sakkari. The 2020 French Open runner-up committed 32 unforced errors and had a rough time on her second serve. The No. 4 seed won nine of the 30 points on her second serve.
Swiatek lost the most games of any of Monday's winners in the women's draw, but she is still the favorite to repeat.
The No. 8 seed was pushed in both sets by Marta Kostyuk, but she earned a few key service breaks to finish the match in straight sets. Swiatek broke Kostyuk at 4-3 in the first set and 3-3 in the second set to take the decisive advantages in each set.
Swiatek's title defense continues on Wednesday against Sakkari. The two players are the highest-seeded women left in the tournament.
Rafael Nadal Advances to French Open Quarters After Dominant Win vs. Jannik Sinner
Jun 7, 2021
Spain's Rafael Nadal plays a return to Italy's Jannik Sinner during their fourth round match on day 9, of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, Monday, June 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Rafael Nadal remains nearly unstoppable at Roland Garros, advancing to the French Open quarterfinals after a 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 win over Jannik Sinner.
The 13-time winner of this event has now won 35 straight sets in Paris and hasn't lost a match since 2015.
Nadal had a relatively slow start Monday on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but he eventually took control and finished strong with a third-set bagel, his second of the tournament. He was especially impressive in the return game, winning 59 percent of receiving points in the match.
It sets up a quarterfinal battle against Diego Schwartzman, who has also won all 12 of his sets through his first four wins.
Finding any success against Nadal on clay is usually a fool's errand, but Sinner was not intimidated in the early going. The 19-year-old earned two breaks in the first set to get a 5-3 lead.
Nadal kept the momentum to build a 4-0 lead in the second set, eventually going on to win 6-3. It still wasn't always easy, as Sinner earned two more breaks in the set while showcasing excellent coverage.
The Italian worked hard to stay in the match, but he couldn't get enough shots past his opponent.
Sinner finished with 40 unforced errors and just 11 winners, which isn't a likely path to victory against anyone. His four double-faults with zero aces were also problematic against the No. 3 seed.
Nadal was much sharper, picking his moments to attack and succeeding.
34 sets won in Paris, and still counting.
35 and he's into the quarterfinal. 👀@RafaelNadal takes the second, 6-3.
He finished 12-of-13 on net points and consistently converted his break opportunities. It led to a straight-sets victory that was closer than the final score indicated.
The 35-year-old avoided a setback in a tough matchup and remains a favorite to win the tournament. He is seemingly on a collision course to face Novak Djokovic, and they will meet in the semifinal if both players win their next match.
Sinner was seeking his second straight trip to the quarterfinals at this event but will have to hope for an easier path next time around.
French Open 2021: Monday Roland Garros Schedule and Bracket Predictions
Jun 6, 2021
Spain's Rafael Nadal returns the ball to Italy's Jannik Sinner at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome, Wednesday, May 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
The most successful men's clay-court player in history faces one of the sport's rising stars for the second consecutive year at Roland Garros on Monday.
Rafael Nadal is blazing another clear path to the men's singles final and he will have to go through 19-year-old Jannik Sinner yet again.
Nadal has not dropped a set at the French Open since the 2019 men's singles final and he beat Sinner in straight sets in last year's quarterfinals.
Since then, Sinner surged up the rankings and earned the No. 18 seed for his second main-draw entry in Paris.
The Nadal-Sinner match is the only contest between seeded players in the men's draw on Monday after Roger Federer withdrew from the tournament on Sunday. That allowed Matteo Berretini to move into the final eight.
There will be two seeded showdowns on the women's side on Monday. Both of them feature American players. Coco Gauff takes on Ons Jabeur, while Sofia Kenin faces Maria Sakkari. Sloane Stephens will play in an unseeded match versus Barbora Krejcikova.
The full order of play for Monday's matches at Roland Garros can be found here on the tournament's official website.
Predictions
Jannik Sinner Gives Rafael Nadal His Toughest Test Of Tournament
Nadal has a trio of straight-set wins at the 2021 French Open, but he has been tested throughout the process.
Alexei Popyrin pushed Nadal to a third-set tiebreak in the first round and Cameron Norrie earned a few breaks off the Spaniard.
Popyrin and Norrie were not able to finish off any of their sets against Nadal because of his terrific shot-making and some unforced errors of their own.
Sinner is more equipped to challenge Nadal because of his stature on the ATP Tour circuit. That does not mean he will upset the No. 3 seed, but he has a chance to end his set winning streak.
The Italian enters Monday's match off his best performance yet in Paris. He swept Mikael Ymer in straight sets and he won two of the sets by three games or more.
Sinner pushed Nadal to a first-set tiebreak in their final eight clash a year ago. That tournament served as Sinner's coming out party on the Grand Slam stage.
The 19-year-old lost to Nadal in Rome in May, but there was only a four-game differential over two sets.
Sinner produced a trio of victories over top 20 players from the clay-court buildup to Paris, so he should come in with a good amount of confidence.
Nadal should win the match, but his consecutive set streak will likely be under threat from one of the rising stars of the men's game.
Sofia Kenin Battles Through Showdown With Maria Sakkari
Each of the three singles matches between Kenin and Sakkari went three sets.
Even the doubles match they played against each other in Abu Dhabi earlier this season was a marathon that ended with a 10-7 third set in favor Kenin and Alja Tomljanovic.
Both of Kenin's head-to-head wins over the Greek occurred at the early stages of the U.S. Open and Wimbledon in 2018. Sakkari got the best of Kenin in the singles portion of the Abu Dhabi tournament.
Kenin owns the edge in experience over Sakkari. She won the 2020 Australian Open and reached the final of last year's French Open.
The fourth-seeded American is battle tested in a handful of ways. She got through a pair of three-set matches to reach the fourth round and knows what it takes to reach the final stages of a Grand Slam.
Sakkari previously reached the fourth round at the Australian and U.S. Opens last season, but she fell in both of those matches.
The fourth-round contests against Serena Williams and Petra Kvitova both went the distance, but Sakkari only won five games in the third sets. Sakkari needs to prove she can finish a match against one of the top competitors in the field.
Until Sakkari shows she can do that, Kenin has to be viewed as the favorite to advance. If the American wins, she will set up a 2020 final rematch in the quarterfinals against Iga Swiatek.
French Open 2021 Results: Winners, Scores, Stats from Saturday's Singles Bracket
Jun 5, 2021
Switzerland's Roger Federer celebrates after defeating Germany's Dominik Koepfer in their third round match on day 7, of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, Saturday, June 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Roger Federer survived his toughest test yet at the 2021 French Open on Saturday.
The 39-year-old was pushed to four sets by Dominik Koepfer, who was playing in the first Grand Slam third-round match of his career.
Federer's win completed another good day for the Big Three of men's singles. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal ran away with straight-set wins at Roland Garros.
Over in the women's bracket, three American women moved on to the final 16. Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff and Sloane Stephens will fight for quarterfinal spots in different matches.
Stephens once again turned in the most surprising result of the group, as she pulled off her second straight upset. She has the clearest path to the final eight after No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina was eliminated.
No. 10 Diego Schwartzman def. Philipp Kohlschreiber, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1
No. 18 Jannik Sinner def. Mikael Ymer, 6-1, 7-5, 6-3
Lorenzo Musetti def. Marco Cecchinato, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Jan-Lennard Struff def. Carlos Alcaraz, 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-2
Federer was tested in every set by Koepfer.
The unseeded German pushed Federer to three tiebreaks and made it hard for the Swiss to finish off the match in the fourth set.
Federer conceded four break points to Koepfer, and he was not efficient enough on his opponent's serve. Federer won five of the 14 break-point opportunities he forced.
Federer earned the decisive break on the penultimate game of the match. He scored four straight points at 5-5 in the fourth set to earn the chance to win on his own serve.
While Federer struggled at points, Djokovic and Nadal played well enough to ease into the fourth round through straight-set wins.
Djokovic gave Ricardas Berankis no chance of springing an upset, as he held the Lithuanian to six game victories.
Nadal faced a tough test from Cameron Norrie, but the British player could not hold on to advantages he earned through break points.
The reigning men's champion had an answer for everything Norrie threw at him and finished him off in straight sets.
Both Djokovic and Nadal will take on rising Italian stars in the next round. Djokovic daces Lorenzo Musetti, and Nadal takes on Jannik Sinner.
The 18th-seeded Sinner is the more notable star of the two players. He broke out on the major stage with a quarterfinal berth at the 2020 French Open.
The victor of the Nadal-Sinner match will likely face 10th-seeded Diego Schwartzman, who won his third consecutive straight-set match in Paris.
Schwartzman reached the French Open quarterfinals in 2018 and the semifinals in 2020. He should get past Jan-Lennard Struff to book his third spot in the final eight.
No. 25 Ons Jabeur def. Magda Linette, 3-6, 6-0, 6-1
Marta Kostyuk def. Varvara Gracheva, 6-1, 6-2
Kenin was pushed to three sets by Jessica Pegula, but she eventually prevailed in her chase to get back to the French Open women's final.
The fourth-seeded American gained momentum in the match by taking the second set 6-1 and earning two service breaks at the start of the third set.
Kenin's path to the final does not get any easier with Maria Sakkari next on the docket. The 17th-seeded Greek won the match of the day in three sets over No. 14 Elise Mertens.
Sakkari fell in the second-set tiebreak but rebounded better than Kenin did in her match by taking out Mertens 6-2 in the final set.
If Kenin gets past Sakkari, she would likely take on Iga Swiatek in a 2020 final rematch. Swiatek was tested for the first time in the tournament, as Anett Kontaveit won five games off her in the first set.
Swiatek was able to close out the first set and then slammed the door shut on the 30th seed with a second-set shutout.
Swiatek will face Marta Kostyuk in the fourth round. Kostyuk was one of three unseeded women to win on Saturday. Stephens was the most notable member of the trio.
The 2018 French Open finalist is on a five-set winning streak in Paris with two-set triumphs over Muchova and Karolina Pliskova.
After Barbora Krejcikova's upset win over Svitolina, Stephens could now be viewed as the favorite to advance to the semifinals from the top two sections of the women's draw.
Coco Gauff got past Jennifer Brady because of an injury retirement, and Ons Jabeur struggled in the first set with Magda Linette before nearly sweeping the next two sets.
If Stephens continues to be consistent on the clay, she may make a surprise run to the championship match.
French Open 2021: Djokovic, Nadal, Federer Wins Highlight Saturday Results
Jun 5, 2021
Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates after defeating Britain's Cameron Norrie during their third round match on day 7, of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, Saturday, June 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer all breezed through to Round 4 at the 2021 French Open as play continued Saturday.
None of the three legends had issues moving through, each scoring victories on a day without major upsets in the men's bracket. Barbora Krejcikova upset fifth-seeded Elina Svitolina, and Sloane Stephens continued her stellar run at Roland Garros with a win over Karolina Muchova in the biggest upsets of the women's side.
Saturday French Open Results
Men
(1) Novak Djokovic def. Ricardas Berankis 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 (3) Rafael Nadal def. Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 (8) Roger Federer def. Dominik Koepfer 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 7-5 (9) Matteo Berrettini def. Soonwoo Kwon 7-6 (6), 6-3, 6-4 (10) Diego Schwartzman def. Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 (18) Jannik Sinner def. Mikael Ymer 6-1, 7-5, 6-3
Djokovic's breezy three-set victory over Ricardas Berankis allowed him to advance to the fourth round of the French Open for the 12th consecutive year, setting an all-time record. He previously shared the mark with Nadal and Federer. Rising 19-year-old Lorenzo Musetti awaits Djokovic in Round 4. Musetti opened his tournament with a shocking upset of David Goffin.
“He is a young player who plays with a lot of spin, speed,” Djokovic told reporters. “He has nothing to lose, so I need to be ready for this challenge.”
Nadal will likewise face a challenge from a rising upstart with 19-year-old Jannik Sinner awaiting. Sinner, who came back from being down two sets to one in his opening match against Pierre-Hugues Herbert, seemed to right his ship in a straight-sets romp over Mikael Ymer.
"I need to be solid. I need to be aggressive too, because if not it's very difficult. I need to make him play from tough positions, and I can't make a lot of mistakes," Nadal told reporters of his matchup with Sinner.
Nadal showed no signs of slowing down in his defeat of Cameron Norrie, which moved his record at Roland Garros to an astounding 103-2. The Spaniard hit a series of well-placed returns to give himself 12 break-point chances and only surrendered three such opportunities to Norrie.
Federer had far more difficulty than Djokovic or Nadal, with Dominik Koepfer pushing him in a tough four-set match. The 20-time Grand Slam champion survived thanks in large part due to errors made by Koepfer that opened the door in a close match. Federer had 14 different break point chances, converting five, while only allowing six chances to Koepfer.
The women's side of the bracket was a little more chaotic, with Krejcikova's win over Svitolina ranking among the biggest upsets of the tournament thus far.
Four American women will be moving into Round 4 after Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff and Sloane Stephens all advanced. Kenin overcame an ugly 10 double-faults in her three-set win over Jessica Pegula, as she looks to reach the French finals for a second straight year.
“This whole year hasn’t been so great in terms of my tennis,” Kenin told reporters. “I've had some early round exits. I'm just happy that I'm finally finding my rhythm and playing some good tennis again.”
Gauff advanced over fellow American Jennifer Brady in a walkover, with the 17-year-old moving into Round 4 for the first time at Roland Garros.
Stephens continued her shocking rebound to form as well in an impressive straight-sets win over Muchova. Once viewed as the next great American tennis player, Stephens has struggled in recent seasons and is currently No. 59 in the world.
Stephens, who has dealt with mental health issues, spoke out in favor of more players voicing their mental health concerns following Saturday's match.
"I feel like a lot of players on our tour suffer in silence. I think that is not cool and not fair and we should definitely approach it differently," Stephens told reporters. "The more support, the better. I think not only for us girls supporting each other but for the tour to be able to support us in different ways is super helpful."
The mental health of athletes has been at the forefront of discussion throughout the event, since Naomi Osaka withdrew after Roland Garros fined her $15,000 for refusing to speak with reporters. Osaka said she suffers from "huge waves of anxiety" before media appearances.
Rafael Nadal Defeats Cameron Norrie to Advance to 2021 French Open 4th Round
Jun 5, 2021
Spain's Rafael Nadal serves to Britain's Cameron Norrie during their third round match on day 7, of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, Saturday, June 5, 2021. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Rafael Nadal continued his path to a 14th French Open title with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win over Cameron Norrie in Round 3.
The 35-year-old hasn't lost a match at Roland Garros since 2016 and has now won 32 straight sets at this event, including a perfect 9-0 start to the 2021 campaign.
Saturday's win represents Nadal's third victory over Norrie already this year after straight-set victories at the Australian Open in February and the Barcelona Open in April.
The third-round battle on Court Suzanne-Lenglen featured more quality play from Nadal.
The Spanish star excelled in the first set, avoiding any break opportunities while showcasing great coverage on his way to a 6-3 win.
There was more drama in the second set, as two breaks helped Norrie take a 3-1 advantage. Had he held some of his service games, he could have accomplished the rare feat of taking a set from Nadal.
This plan didn't work, as the No. 3 seed won five straight games to win the second set.
Norrie performed well with limited mistakes in the match; he just struggled to get winners past Nadal, who is the best clay-court player ever. He ended up winning just 52 percent of his service points and was broken six times.
It allowed Nadal to advance to the fourth round for a match against Jannik Sinner.
