French Open: The stage is set for Women quarter-finals
There were few problems for Simona Halep in swatting aside Carla Suarez Navarro en route to the French Open quarter-finals, while Elina Svitolina produced a stunning comeback to book a clash with the Romanian.
Pre-tournament favourite Halep has shown little evidence to suggest those predictions are wide of the mark and she was impressive again on Monday in dispatching Suarez Navarro 6-1 6-1.
Svitolina’s progress was anything but straightforward, however, as she fought from a set down and 5-2 behind in the decider to end the fairytale run of world umber 290 Petra Martic 4-6 6-3 7-5.
Second seed Karolina Pliskova also recovered from a first-set loss as she eventually prevailed 2-6 6-3 6-4 against Veronica Cepede Royg, while Caroline Garcia got the better of the all-French meeting, defeating Alize Cornet 6-2 6-4 in a match between two women who have been outspoken in their dislike of one another.
Women’s QFs set:
Ostapenko vs Wozniacki
Mladenovic vs Bacsinszky
Svitolina vs Halep
Garcia vs PliskovaPredictions? #RG17
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2017
GARCIA AND CORNET ENJOY POST-MATCH CORDIALITIES
Cornet and Garcia’s dispute dates back to the Fed Cup earlier this year, when the latter declared she did not want to be picked, before pulling out due to a back injury when she was selected.
That withdrawal prompted Cornet, Kristina Mladenovic and Pauline Parmentier to simultaneously tweet “LOL”, and relations had seemingly not improved with Garcia stating pre-match that she had no intention of making any reconciliation.
In the end, it was Garcia who had the last laugh, and the pair seemed friendly enough in shaking hands and exchanging kisses on the cheek at the net.
La balle de match de @CaroGarcia face à Alizé Cornet ! #RG17 pic.twitter.com/QRQczdpHgj
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2017
SVITOLINA BACK TO HER BEST
Fifth seed Svitolina put her poor start against Martic down to a back problem that cropped up shortly before the match.
“I was feeling fine, perfectly well, and then 20 minutes – no, 30 minutes before the match, I was just chilling. Then stood up and I felt like I had black in my eyes,” she said.
“It was so much pain, shooting pain into my back and I didn’t even warm up properly. That’s why it was a big panic with what’s going on. And then I forgot how to win, how to play. That’s why I was a bit struggling and I was not into the match 100 per cent.”
Comeback complete.
That deserves a c’mon! #RG17 pic.twitter.com/X5Cl1U7KLL
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2017
HAPPY HALEP SMILING AGAIN THANKS TO CAHILL
A poor on-court attitude has hampered Halep in the past, so much so that coach Darren Cahill initiated a split following the Romanian’s strop against Johanna Konta in Miami this year.
But the world number four has changed her outlook since then and her subsequent reunion with Cahill appears to be working wonders.
“I like him because he’s a great person, first of all. He’s a very kind person,” she said. “Second, I feel that I am a different player since I started with him. His advice fits me. I can understand everything he says about the game.
“I think that’s why he has confidence that I can do some things that he’s telling me. And I have confidence in everything he says. So I can go and just do whatever he’s telling me.”
Simona Slays
“I think I played my best match this year…I started this tournament pretty well & I am playing better day by day.” #RG17 pic.twitter.com/PGGWrCYqcT
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 5, 2017
