Aryna Sabalenka highlighted her consistency as key after reaching her ninth career grand slam quarter-final with a dominant victory over Emma Navarro at the French Open.

The world number two became the youngest woman to make seven grand slam quarter-finals in a row since Venus Williams 20 years ago with a comfortable 6-2 6-3 win over the American. 

The last major where Sabalenka was not involved in the last eight was the 2022 edition of Wimbledon, when Russian and Belarusian players were banned due to the war in Ukraine.

The two-time Australian Open champion is attempting to become the first woman to win the season's first two majors since Serena Williams in 2015. 

After gaining revenge over an opponent who beat her at Indian Wells three months ago, Sabalenka said of her run of quarter-finals: "It sounds crazy to me, to be honest.

"I'm super happy that I was able to bring this consistency at the grand slams. It's motivating me a lot to keep pushing myself a lot and to see where the limit is.

"With the sun out it is definitely more positive. We had a difficult few days last week with the weather, but now the roof is open with beautiful conditions. It was a little windy, but I was myself and tried to do my best.

"It was a tough battle. I went into it wanting to fight for every point. I expected long rallies. I had to fight to get the win.

"She is a tough opponent, but I am happy to get through the match."

Sabalenka faces either 17-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva or French favourite Varvara Gracheva in the next round. 

Justin Jefferson has put up record-setting numbers on the football field.

He now has a record-setting contract to go with it.

Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings agreed Monday to a four-year extension that will reportedly make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

The deal includes $88million at signing, $110million in guaranteed money and is worth as much as $140million.

"Justin is an exceptionally talented player and an incredible person that I am honored to coach and have as a team captain," Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said in a statement. "His positive energy and love for the game shows up every single day as he works to be the best at his craft. As coaches, we will do our part in helping him maximize his ability."

 

Since being drafted 22nd overall in the 2020 draft, Jefferson has been the NFL's most productive receiver.

His 5,899 receiving yards are the most in league history through a player's first four seasons, and his average of 98.3 receiving yards per game are the most in the NFL since 2020.

Over the last four seasons, his 66 receptions of 25 or more yards are nine more than Tyreek Hill for the most in the NFL, and he also has 30 touchdown receptions.

The 2022 AP NFL Offensive Player of the year managed to compile these impressive stats despite missing seven games last season because of a hamstring injury.

Although he sat out nearly half of the 2023 season, he still reached 1,074 receiving yards.

"Over the first four seasons of his career, Justin entrenched himself as the best wide receiver and one of the most electric players in the NFL," Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said in a statement. "He is a special talent, a committed teammate and an excellent representative of the Vikings. Justin has earned this contract, and we are thrilled he will remain a Minnesota Viking for a very long time."

A three-time Pro Bowler, the 25-year-old Jefferson will now be paired with a new quarterback after Kirk Cousins signed with the Atlanta Falcons in the off-season.

The Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy 10th overall in this year's draft and also signed former No. 3 pick Sam Darnold in March.

Alex de Minaur is through to the French Open quarter-finals for the first time after coming from behind to upset Daniil Medvedev on Monday.

Despite losing the first set, De Minaur turned on the style to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 in two hours and 49 minutes on the court.

Medvedev made a confident start but only just won the first set as the Australian hit the net in the final game to give away the victory.

After that, Medvedev required treatment on his foot, and when he came back out, he had few answers to a dominant De Minaur.

The number 11 seed was resolute in defence and raced through the second and third sets before reeling off four games in a row to take the victory and set up a meeting with Alexander Zverev or Holger Rune in the next round. 

Data Debrief: De Minaur makes strides

De Minaur has reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam event for just the second time in his career, and the first time since 2020, when he reached the same stage in the US Open.

He has also become the first Australian to reach the men's singles quarter-finals at Roland Garros since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004, 20 years ago.

Aryna Sabalenka crushed Emma Navarro in straight sets to advance to the French Open quarter-finals, requiring just 71 minutes to clinch a 6-2 6-3 victory.

World number two Sabalenka had reached the last 16 without dropping a single set, only losing more than two games in one of six sets of tennis at this year's tournament.

It was more of the same on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Monday, the two-time grand slam winner's power and poise giving world number 22 Navarro few chances to make it a contest.

Sabalenka set the tone by breaking in the very first service game and was a set up within 32 minutes, winning 13 of 14 points behind her first serve in the opener. 

Another quick break meant the second set followed a similar pattern, and though Navarro came through a couple of tough service games, she only delayed the inevitable as Sabalenka teed up a last-eight clash with either Varvara Gracheva or Mirra Andreeva.

Data Debrief: No denying Sabalenka

Sabalenka was beaten in her only previous meeting with Navarro at Indian Wells earlier this year, but she gave the American little hope of a repeat on Monday.

The victory made her just the seventh woman to make seven consecutive grand slam quarter-finals this century, after Jennifer Capriati, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams and Serena Williams.

The last major where Sabalenka was not involved in the last eight was the 2022 edition of Wimbledon, when Russian and Belarusian players were banned due to the war in Ukraine.

Esteban Ocon will leave Alpine at the end of the 2024 Formula One season, the French manufacturer has confirmed.

Ocon joined Alpine in 2020 and achieved the team's first race victory at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, but he finished 12th in the drivers' championship last year after managing an eighth-place finish in 2022.

He is currently languishing in 16th position and there has even been talk of him being replaced for this week's Canadian Grand Prix following a collision with team-mate Pierre Gasly at the recent Monaco Grand Prix.

Ocon released a statement condemning the "abuse and negativity" he was subjected to after the crash, and he has been linked with a move to Haas with the 2025 driver market wide open.

Alpine team principal Bruno Famin said: "We would like to firstly thank Esteban for his commitment to the team for the past five years. 

"During his time, we have celebrated some fantastic moments together, the best of which coming at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix with a memorable race win.

"We still have 16 races to complete in 2024 together with a clear objective: to continue to work tirelessly as a team to push for the best on-track results. We wish Esteban the very best for the next chapter of his driving career when that moment comes."

In a social media post, Ocon said: "The Enstone-Viry family has played a significant part in my life, dating back to my Lotus junior programme days. 

"I feel incredibly lucky and privileged to have achieved the things I did with this team, from my first podium to my first win. These achievements truly were dreams come true.  

"Like many drivers this season, a lot has been said about my future beyond 2024. News will be announced in due course."

Elena Rybakina cruised past Elina Svitolina in just 69 minutes to reach the French Open quarter-finals on Monday.

Rybakina was hardly troubled as she reached the fifth grand slam quarter-final of her career with a 6-4 6-3 success, maintaining her record of not dropping a set at Roland Garros this year.

The world number four relied on her strong serve – winning 77 per cent of points behind her first serve – and quick movement to the net as she broke in the opening game of both sets.

Svitolina managed to break back on both occasions, only for Rybakina to find an extra gear and pull away in relative comfort, teeing up a last-eight clash with either Jasmine Paolini or Elina Avanesyan.

Data Debrief: Rybakina enjoying best year yet

Rybakina is into her ninth WTA-level quarter-final of 2024, which is already a career high for a single year and is also more than any other player on the tour this term (Iga Swiatek is second with eight).

The Kazakhstani is also just the second woman from an Asian nation to reach multiple grand slam quarter-finals on both clay and grass in the Open Era, after Kazuko Sawamatsu.

Stuart Skinner made first-period goals from Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman stand up by making 34 saves, and the Edmonton Oilers advanced to their first Stanley Cup Final in 18 years with Sunday's 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars to win the Western Conference.

McDavid added an assist on Hyman's league-leading 14th goal of this year's post-season, while Evan Bouchard assisted on both Edmonton scores to help the Oilers oust Dallas in six games in the best-of-seven series and capture the Clarence Campbell Trophy for the first time since 2006.

Edmonton will meet the Florida Panthers in the Final, with Game 1 to take place Saturday in Florida. The Panthers won their second straight Eastern Conference title with Saturday's 2-1 win over the New York Rangers to also take that series in six games.

The Oilers have not hoisted the Stanley Cup since winning five titles in a seven-year span from 1984-90. The Panthers have never won the Cup since entering the NHL as an expansion franchise in 1993-94.

Dallas, meanwhile, lost in the West Final for the second consecutive year after falling to the eventual Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights in six games last season. The Stars had a decisive 35-10 shot advantage in Game 6, but were kept off the scoreboard until Mason Marchment's goal midway through the third period.

The Stars outshot Edmonton by a 12-3 margin in the first period, but quickly fell behind shortly after defenseman Chris Tanev was called for a tripping penalty 3:35 in.

Edmonton needed just 42 seconds on the resulting power play to move ahead. McDavid skated deep into the Dallas zone, faked out a defender and lifted a backhand over the shoulder of Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger with 4:17 elapsed in the contest.

The Oilers converted another power-play chance awarded to them when Dallas defenseman Ryan Suter was called for slashing with 5:37 left in the first. McDavid found Hyman open in the slot and the standout sniper beat Oettinger stick-side with a wrist shot to extend the lead to 2-0 with 4:18 remaining in the period.

Skinner made nine more saves during a scoreless second period, but was unable to stop Marchment's close-range shot off a behind-the-net feed from Tyler Seguin that gave the Stars renewed life with 10:42 left to play.

Dallas pulled Oettinger with under 2 1/2 minutes left but was only able to get two shots on Skinner with the extra skater.

Oettinger recorded just eight saves and the Stars went 0 for 3 on the power play, while Edmonton converted both of its 5-on-4 attempts.

Juan Soto hit two home runs, including a go-ahead shot during a four-run ninth inning that lifted the American League-leading New York Yankees to a series-sweeping 7-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.

Soto's two-run blast off Camilo Doval with one out in the top of the ninth staked New York to a 6-5 lead. The star slugger had a solo homer in the first inning and finished 3 for 5 with three runs scored in the Yankees' fifth consecutive win, which included all three matchups of this series.

Doval was called on to protect a 5-3 lead entering the ninth and was greeted by a single from Gleyber Torres, who was erased on a fielder's choice grounder. Anthony Volpe then delivered a run-scoring triple to right in front of Soto's go-ahead drive into the right field seats.

The Yankees tacked on another run when Doval walked Aaron Judge, who stole second and scored on Giancarlo Stanton's ground-rule double. Clay Holmes then set the Giants down in order in the bottom of the ninth to earn his 17th save.

San Francisco had taken a 5-3 advantage in the sixth inning on Heliot Ramos' bases-loaded single that plated Jorge Soler and Luis Matos, both of whom had reached on singles.

Ramos homered earlier in the game, a solo shot off New York starter Nestor Cortes that snapped a 1-1 tie in the third inning. Cortes also served up a solo homer to Casey Schmitt in the fourth that extended the Giants' lead to 3-1.

The Yankees countered with two runs charged to San Francisco starter Blake Snell in the fifth. Volpe and Soto reached via singles and Stanton drew a walk to load the bases for Alex Verdugo, who knocked in two runners with a double off reliever Erik Miller.

Snell was removed with a groin strain after walking Stanton with two out in the fifth. The 2023 National League Cy Young winner was charged with three runs and registered seven strikeouts.

After Soto's first homer of the game gave the Yankees an early edge, the Giants answered in the second when Soler doubled and scored on Schmitt's single.

 

White Sox's skid hits 11 games as Brewers finish sweep

Jackson Chourio's three-run homer in the second inning helped send the hapless Chicago White Sox to an 11th straight loss, a 6-3 defeat to Milwaukee that completed a three-game sweep by the Brewers. 

Gary Sanchez added a two-run single and Freddy Peralta struck out seven over five innings as the NL Central-leading Brewers extended their winning streak to five games.

Paul DeJong had a homer and drove in two runs for the downtrodden White Sox, who have now dropped 15 of 16 and own the majors' worst record at 15-45.

Chicago did start out strong, as Nicky Lopez and Corey Julks recorded one-out singles off Peralta in the first inning. Lopez was brought home by Gavin Sheets' single and DeJong plated Julks with a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

Milwaukee answered with four two-out runs off Nick Nastrini in the second, however. Joey Ortiz singled and Jake Bauers drove him in with a double to get the Brewers on the board. After Sanchez drew a walk to put two on, Chourio drove the first pitch he saw into the seats in left for a 4-2 lead. 

DeJong's homer in the fourth brought Chicago within 4-3, and the White Sox threatened in the eighth when Lopez's ground-rule double off Enoli Paredes put runners at second and third with one out.

Julks then lifted a fly ball to left field that was caught by Milwaukee's Christian Yelich, who threw out Tommy Pham at the plate to keep it a one-run game.

Sanchez extended the lead to 6-3 with a bases-loaded, two-out single in the bottom of the eighth that brought in two runs.

Peralta (4-3) allowed three runs and four hits over five innings, while Paredes threw two scoreless innings to earn his first career save.

Nastrini (0-5) lasted just four innings and surrendered four runs while walking three.

 

Irvin, Nationals halt Guardians' nine-game home winning streak

Jake Irvin tossed six solid innings and Lane Thomas and Joey Meneses each knocked in a pair of runs for the Washington Nationals, who ended the Cleveland Guardians' nine-game home winning streak with a 5-2 victory.

Meneses' two-run double off Carlos Carrasco highlighted a four-run fourth inning that helped the Nationals avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the AL Central leaders, who were dealt their first home defeat since May 7.

Carrasco (2-5), activated from the injured list prior to the game, ran into early trouble when Keibert Ruiz led off the second inning with a single and Eddie Rosario doubled two batters later to put two runners aboard. Meneses then drove home both with a deep drive to center that rolled to the wall for a double.

Meneses would score on Ildemaro Vargas' single for a 3-0 lead before Thomas capped the big inning with a run-scoring single.

Cleveland did answer in its half of the second on Daniel Schneemann's first major league hit, a double that plated both Will Brennan and Gabriel Arias. Brennan reached on a single and took third on Arias' double.

Irvin (3-5) kept the Guardians off the board for the remainder of his outing as he allowed just five total hits and struck out six. Robert Garcia and Hunter Harvey followed with a scoreless inning each before Kyle Finnegan worked the ninth for his 16th save.

The Nationals tacked on another run in the fourth when Joey Gallo drew a walk, advanced to third on Vargas' single and scored on Thomas' sacrifice fly.

Carrasco was tagged for five runs and seven hits while fanning five over four innings.

 

 

Stuart Skinner made first-period goals from Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman stand up by making 34 saves, and the Edmonton Oilers advanced to their first Stanley Cup Final in 18 years with Sunday's 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars to win the Western Conference.

McDavid added an assist on Hyman's league-leading 14th goal of this year's post-season, while Evan Bouchard assisted on both Edmonton scores to help the Oilers oust Dallas in six games in the best-of-seven series and capture the Clarence Campbell Trophy for the first time since 2006.

Edmonton will meet the Florida Panthers in the Final, with Game 1 to take place Saturday in Florida. The Panthers won their second straight Eastern Conference title with Saturday's 2-1 win over the New York Rangers to also take that series in six games.

The Oilers have not hoisted the Stanley Cup since winning five titles in a seven-year span from 1984-90. The Panthers have never won the Cup since entering the NHL as an expansion franchise in 1993-94.

Dallas, meanwhile, lost in the West Final for the second consecutive year after falling to the eventual Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights in six games last season. The Stars had a decisive 35-10 shot advantage in Game 6, but were kept off the scoreboard until Mason Marchment's goal midway through the third period.

The Stars outshot Edmonton by a 12-3 margin in the first period, but quickly fell behind shortly after defenseman Chris Tanev was called for a tripping penalty 3:35 in.

Edmonton needed just 42 seconds on the resulting power play to move ahead. McDavid skated deep into the Dallas zone, faked out a defender and lifted a backhand over the shoulder of Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger with 4:17 elapsed in the contest.

The Oilers converted another power-play chance awarded to them when Dallas defenseman Ryan Suter was called for slashing with 5:37 left in the first. McDavid found Hyman open in the slot and the standout sniper beat Oettinger stick-side with a wrist shot to extend the lead to 2-0 with 4:18 remaining in the period.

Skinner made nine more saves during a scoreless second period, but was unable to stop Marchment's close-range shot off a behind-the-net feed from Tyler Seguin that gave the Stars renewed life with 10:42 left to play.

Dallas pulled Oettinger with under 2 1/2 minutes left but was only able to get two shots on Skinner with the extra skater.

Oettinger recorded just eight saves and the Stars went 0 for 3 on the power play, while Edmonton converted both of its 5-on-4 attempts.

 

 

Jannik Sinner recovered from one set down to reach the French Open quarter-finals on Sunday, putting away home favourite Corentin Moutet with a classy display.

A huge upset looked possible when Moutet took the first set and broke early in the second, but Sinner fought back to post a deeply impressive 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-1 victory.   

Sinner seemed to be caught off-guard by Moutet in the opener, the French showman sinking a series of delicious drop shots with the world number two on his heels.

Moutet carried that momentum into the second set, breaking straight away with his first four winners all being drop shots, yet Sinner soon learned, getting to the net well as he immediately broke back.

That was a theme of the contest from then on, with Sinner making few mistakes with his approach play and dispatching a series of volleys at the net as he took the second set.

Early in the third, it was the Italian pulling out the party tricks as he broke twice more en route to going a set up, much to the annoyance of a raucous crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Moutet threw his racket down after seeing his serve broken again in the first game of the fourth set, and then attempted – in vain – to snap his racket when Sinner converted at the end of a long rally to make it a double break, his outing ending in frustration. 

Data Debrief: All-rounder Sinner in great company

Sinner has become just the third male player since the year 2000 to reach multiple grand slam quarter-finals on every surface before turning 23, after Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

He will face Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals after the 10th seed overcame world number eight Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets on Sunday.

Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 21st home run to continue a superb stretch and Giancarlo Stanton added a two-run shot as the New York Yankees won their fourth straight game, 7-3 over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. 

Judge capped a stellar May with two home runs in Friday’s win and was back at it on the first day of June with a two-run, 464-foot shot in the first inning. 

Since the start of May, Judge is batting .370 with 15 home runs, 29 RBIs and 30 runs in 29 games. He has reached base safely in 28 straight games. 

Cody Poteet allowed three runs – two earned – and three hits over five innings in his first start since April 13. He took the rotation spot of Clarke Schmidt, who is out indefinitely with a right lat strain.

Four relievers kept the Giants scoreless the rest of the way as New York won for the 15th time in 19 games. 

The Giants pulled to within 4-3 with a run in the fifth, but the Yankees scored three times in the eighth after reliever Ryan Walker opened the inning with strikeouts of Anthony Volpe and Juan Soto. 

Judge hit an infield single and scored on Alex Verdugo’s triple before Stanton connected for his 14th homer of the season. 

Guardians extend home streak

Rookie Kyle Manzardo delivered a bloop two-run single in the first inning and the Cleveland Guardians won their ninth straight home game, 3-2 over the Washington Nationals.

Ben Lively limited the Nationals to two runs and five hits over 5 2/3 innings to win his career-best fourth consecutive start. He is 3-0 with a 1.90 ERA in four home starts this season. 

Cleveland’s bullpen allowed one hit over 3 1/3 scoreless innings with Emmanuel Clase pitching the ninth for his AL-best 18th save. 

The AL Central-leading Guardians are an MLB-best 20-6 at home and their nine-game run at Progressive Field is their longest since 2017. It was also their 12th win in 15 games overall. 

Cleveland’s David Fry extended his on-base streak to 19 straight games with a double, walk and hit by pitch.

Mountcastle’s homers power Orioles

Ryan Mountcastle homered twice, and Anthony Santander and Jordan Westburg also went deep to lift the surging Baltimore Orioles to a 9-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Mountcastle hit a two-run shot in the first inning and Santander made it back-to-back shots to give the Orioles a 3-0 lead. Mountcastle delivered another two-run blast in the fourth to make it 9-5.

He is 17 for 37 (.459) with seven extra-base hits in his last 10 games. 

After Kyle Bradish lasted just 2 2/3 innings, Baltimore’s bullpen pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings to seal the Orioles’ 19th consecutive series without a loss against AL East opponents.

Baltimore (37-18) have won three straight and eight of nine to move a season-best 18 games over .500.

Sergei Bobrovsky had a shutout until the final minutes and the Florida Panthers held on for a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers to reserve a spot in the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight season on Saturday.

Sam Bennett scored in the first period and Vladimir Tarasenko tallied in the third for the Panthers, who will face either Edmonton or Dallas for the Cup, with that series set to start on June 8.

Bobrovsky finished with 23 saves and turned away 69 of 74 shots over the final three games – all wins for Florida.

Florida will play for the Cup for the third time after it was swept by Colorado in 1996 and lost 4-1 to Vegas last season.

If Edmonton advances, Game 1 of the title round will be on Florida’s ice. If Dallas wins the West, the Stars will have home-ice advantage for the series.

The Rangers were held scoreless until Artemi Panarin scored with 1:40 remaining but were unable to find the equalizer.

New York had a 2-1 lead in the series before losing three straight games, meaning for the 11th consecutive year the team that finished with the NHL’s best regular season record won’t go on to win the Stanley Cup.

Carlos Alcaraz insisted believing in himself is more important than match sharpness, after booking his place in the French Open quarter-finals.

The 21-year-old is through to the last eight at Roland-Garros for the third year running - the youngest player to achieve the feat since Novak Djokovic (2006 to 2008) - after a dominant 6-3 6-3 6-1 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Although one of the favourites to go all the way in Paris, Alcaraz's preparations for the clay-court major were hampered by an injury to his right forearm.

The Spaniard was forced to withdraw from the Barcelona Open and Italian Open, while his fitness struggles were evident when Andrey Rublev beat him in the Madrid Open quarter-finals.

But Alcaraz, who continues to wear a supportive grip on his right arm, has not appeared too affected so far this fortnight, and seems to be going from strength to strength.

"The most important thing is to believe in myself," he said after beating Auger-Aliassime. "It doesn't matter that I don't have too many matches on my back and that I didn't come with a lot of rhythm.

"After every practice and every match, I was getting better and better and that was easy for me. On Phillipe Chatrier, it is easy for me to play.

"I had to put as much effort in as I could. I felt strong in the rallies, and I was going to have my chances to break his serve and the good intensity in the match helped a lot. If I made him feel in trouble on his serve, I knew I was going to have a lot of chances.

"I'm really happy with my performance today. I played a really high level of tennis. I know that Felix [Auger-Aliassime] is a great player. We were both playing great tennis today, but really happy to get that win in the end."

Next up is a mouth-watering quarter-final showdown with 2021 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas for a second straight year at Roland-Garros, with Alcaraz eyeing his sixth victory from six meetings between the players.

"I love this challenge and these kinds of matches," he added. "I have seen a lot Stefanos' matches lately. He has a lot of confidence right now and is playing great tennis.

"I think I have the key against him, so I will try to make him in trouble. I will try to show my best and, hopefully, the crowd will enjoy as much as me."

Coco Gauff warned tennis must do more to protect player welfare after Novak Djokovic's remarkable late finish at the French Open on Saturday.

Djokovic edged a five-set thriller with Lorenzo Musetti, battling into the early hours of Sunday in Paris at Roland-Garros.

The third-round marathon finished at 3:08 a.m. local time in the French capital, shattering the tournament's previous latest finish of 1:25 a.m.

After overcoming Elisabetta Cocciaretto to reach the quarter-finals, Gauff lamented the late start times and the problems it could cause for both men and women's players.

"I feel like a lot of times people think you're done, but really at 3 a.m. [you're] probably not going to bed until 5 a.m. at the earliest, maybe 6 a.m. or 7 a.m.," said 2023 US Open women's champion Gauff.

"I definitely think it's not healthy.

"For the health and safety of the players, it would be in the sport's best interest to try to avoid those matches finishing or starting after a certain time."

The ATP and WTA tours brought a new ruling in January that matches cannot start after 11 pm local time.

That legislation does not apply to the four majors, though, and hits harder for the men playing best-of-five encounters.

World number one Iga Swiatek, who overcame Anastasi Potapova on Sunday, echoed Gauff's sentiment.

"It's not easy to play and it's not like we're going to fall asleep one hour after the match," said Swiatek.

"[Change] is not up to us. We need to accept anything that is going to come to us."

Carlos Alcaraz advanced to his third successive French Open quarter-final, after a commanding straight-sets victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The Spaniard, who has dropped just a single set across his four matches so far, wrapped up a dominant 6-3 6-3 6-1 success in two hours and 20 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Auger-Aliassime, appearing in round four for the second time in three years at Roland-Garros, was affected by a groin issue during the second set, but the 21st seed was no match for an inspired Alcaraz.

After the pair exchanged breaks early in the opening set, the third seed broke in game eight on the way to drawing first blood.

Alcaraz then stole the advantage in the second set when he broke to 15 in game five, and followed suit in the ninth to double his lead.

The reigning Wimbledon champion was going from strength to strength, and raced into a 4-0 lead in set three, before wrapping up another dominant win that sets up a mouth-watering quarter-final clash with 2021 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Data Debrief: Three in a row for Carlitos

Aged 21 years and 28 days old, Alcaraz is the youngest player to reach the French Open quarter-finals in three consecutive years since Novak Djokovic (2006 to 2008).

The Spaniard has now won each of the last 36 matches he has played at grand slams against players ranked outside the ATP's top 20.

Stefanos Tsitsipas set up a French Open quarter-final clash with Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday, recovering to beat Matteo Arnaldi in four sets after losing the opening set.

Tsitsipas – a beaten finalist at Roland Garros in 2021 – looked to be in a hole when Arnaldi took the opener within a comfortable 36 minutes, the Italian then racing into a 5-3 second-set lead.

However, the ninth seed saved three set points before flipping the momentum of the match with a crucial break, eventually closing out a 74-minute set in a tie-break.

The Greek produced a composed performance from there as he powered to a 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-2 victory, with Arnaldi's intensity dropping after he had dictated proceedings with some pinpoint groundstrokes early in the encounter.

Tsitsipas could now reach the French Open semi-finals for just the third time, though he will face a daunting task on Tuesday against Alcaraz, after the Wimbledon champion breezed past Felix Auger Aliassime in straight sets.

Data Debrief: Best clay season yet for Tsitsipas  

Tsitsipas entered the French Open in good form, having claimed the Monte-Carlo Masters title before falling just short in the final at Barcelona.

This is now his joint-best start to a clay-court season, having won 17 of his first 20 matches on the surface in 2024, a feat he has only previously achieved in 2021 and 2022. Only in 2021 (23) has he won more matches on clay in a single season overall. 

Coca Gauff showed no signs of slowing down after easing into the French Open quarter-finals for a fourth consecutive year with a straight-sets victory over Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

Iga Swiatek blitzed past Anastasia Potapova in just over 40 minutes earlier on Sunday, and a wind-swept Court Philippe-Chatrier watched a similar demolition shortly after.

Gauff dropped just five points on service in a dominant first set, brushing the world number 51 to one side in a routine 25-minute opener.

Italy's Cocciaretto responded by holding her serve in the second set but had no match for the athletic Gauff, who secured another break early on to go 2-1 up.

The world number three resumed her usual domination from there on, with Cocciaretto struggling to thwart Gauff's resounding power and eventually falling to a 6-1 6-2 defeat in just over an hour.

Gauff, the US Open champion in 2023, is still yet to lose a set in Paris this year as she prepares for a last-eight meeting with Clara Tauson or Ons Jabuer.

Data Debrief: In-form Gauff on song

Cocciaretto had defeated 2023 French Open semi-finalist Beatriz Haddad Maia and big-hitting 17th-seed Liudmila Samsonova to reach this stage, with the 23-year-old impressing in the French capital.

Yet Gauff, three years younger than the Italian, could not be stopped on Philliper-Chatrier. She now has 19 wins at Roland-Garros, two more than Chris Evert managed before turning 21.

 

Iga Swiatek continues to dominate at the French Open, but the world number one is still learning to adapt to testing Roland-Garros conditions.

The four-time major winner coasted into the quarter-finals in Paris, hammering Anastasia Potapova 6-0 6-0 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Swiatek is only the third player in the Open Era to claim 6-0 6-0 victories at Roland-Garros in consecutive years, after Gabriela Sabatini (1992-93) and Mary Pierce (1993-94)

The triumph against world number 41 Potapova lasted just over 40 minutes, with Swiatek completely "in the zone" but perplexed by challenging conditions in the French capital.

"It felt the same but I was really focused and in the zone," she said on court. "I wasn't looking at the score so I continued working on my game.

"It was pretty weird, because of the fact we played really early, we felt the temperature would be similar.

"It doesn't feel like summer in Europe. We'll see what the weather is going to be like. The forecast is not precise. We'll see and we're good at adjusting."

Swiatek remains on course for her third consecutive French Open title and fourth in five years.

She won 48 of 58 points on Sunday, and is the first woman to record victory in 18 straight matches at a major since Serena Williams won the 2014 US Open.

After taking the titles in Madrid and Rome, Swiatek also has 16 consecutive wins overall – yet she is still seeking improvements.

"I'll use my coach's experience," she added. "He's more confident than me with my strings.

"The wind bounces, I have got used to it. I have a person who was a sailor in my team so we're good with that."

Iga Swiatek cruised into the French Open quarter-finals after thrashing Anastasia Potapova in a straight-sets victory on Sunday.

The world number one survived a third-round scare in a three-set thriller with Naomi Osaka, but had little trouble in making the last eight at Roland-Garros.

Swiatek did not drop a game en route to her fourth-round demolition of world number 41 Potapova on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

An expectant Paris crowd was treated to one-way traffic as Swiatek claimed the first set in 20 minutes, condemning Potapova to the dreaded bagel.

Further pain followed for Potapova as Swiatek wrapped up a 6-0 6-0 victory in just 41 minutes after a clay-court hammering.

Swiatek's victory sets up a quarter-final meeting with either Olga Danilovic or Marketa Vondrousova, the latter the fifth seed in the French capital.

Data Debrief: Swiatek on fire

Swiatek is now only the third player in the Open Era to claim 6-0 6-0 victories at Roland-Garros in consecutive years, after Gabriela Sabatini (1992-93) and Mary Pierce (1993-94).

The Pole has also claimed 13.6 per cent of her total sets played on clay at WTA level by a score of 6-0. Among players with 10+ 6-0 sets on the surface since 2000, that is the highest rate of any player in completed matches.

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