Svitolina Saves Match Points to Advance at French Open

PARIS — Elina Svitolina defied the odds on Sunday by saving three match points to defeat Jasmine Paolini, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, in the fourth round of the French Open. This victory marks Svitolina’s fifth quarterfinal appearance in the tournament.

The 13th-seeded Svitolina, hailing from Ukraine, expressed her motivation amid personal challenges, saying, “Last few months have been really, really tough for the Ukrainian people, and last few weeks have been awful, as well.” She added, “When I’m on the court, I’m fully focused on my job, on my tennis, and try to keep the Ukrainian flag flying for my country.”

Next, Svitolina will face three-time defending champion Iga Świątek, who battled back from a challenging start to win her match against Elena Rybakina, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5.

In another match, Aryna Sabalenka, the top seed, advanced by defeating No. 16 Madison Keys, 7-5, 6-3. Sabalenka’s impressive performance included a five-game run that propelled her to victory.

Svitolina seemed poised for defeat when Paolini, the fourth seed, put her in a tough spot, leading by a set and a break at 5-3 in the second set. However, Svitolina fought back, surviving multiple match points to claim the tiebreaker. “I try to stay strong and take my chances,” Svitolina said following her victory.

With this win, Svitolina continues her pursuit of a Grand Slam title, aiming to break her quarterfinal curse at Roland-Garros, where she has previously fallen short.

The other anticipated quarterfinal will feature top-seeded Sabalenka facing off against eighth seed Zheng Qinwen, who also advanced after a challenging match against No. 19 seed Barbora Krejcikova.

Svitolina’s determination and resilience were on full display as she rallied to win three crucial games straight in the final set. As the crowd cheered, she noted, “Every match is important, and I just want to keep going.”