Iga Swiatek became the latest former title holder to crash out of the French Open on Sunday after losing in straight sets to Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, meaning there are no former champions left at Roland Garros in either the men's or the women's draws. Kostyuk, who remains unbeaten on clay this season, will take on compatriot Elina Svitolina for a place in the semis.
Four-time former champion Iga Swiatek endured a miserable birthday as she was eliminated from the French Open fourth round on Sunday by Marta Kostyuk.
The Polish third seed went down 7-5, 6-1 to the 15th seed from Ukraine, adding to a chaotic spell that has seen the men's world number one Jannik Sinner, 24-times Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic and defending women's champion Coco Gauff all exit the tournament in the last three days.
Kostyuk, the Madrid Open winner, moved into the quarter-finals at Roland Garros for the first time in her career.
"I'm still in shock to beat such an unbelievable player who won four times here and I lost four times to her before this, I never took a set off her," 23-year-old Kostyuk said.
Swiatek will now go another year without the title she first won in 2020 and then three times consecutively between 2022 and 2024.
Read moreTearful Kostyuk speaks of Ukraine missile attack after 'most difficult' French Open win
With her fourth-round exit, it was the joint worst performance at Roland Garros for the 25-year-old, equal with the last-16 departure she suffered on her debut in Paris seven years ago.
The first set went on serve until the seventh game when Swiatek pounced on Kostyuk's service to move in front.
From there, the Pole's own delivery deserted her as the world number 15 hit back to level before the pair again exchanged another pair of breaks.
Kostyuk then dug in to hold and force the former world number one to try and serve to stay in the set.
Two Swiatek double faults gave Kostyuk the chance to claim the opener and she did with a low cross-court backhand that whizzed past her opponent at the net.
Swiatek swiftly departed the court at the interval in a bid to regroup.
She came back out firing as she immediately nosed ahead with a break to 15.
But Kostyuk was not to be denied as she sealed a three-game streak with a bruising forehand winner past a stranded Swiatek to lead 3-1.
Read moreA rich man’s game? How Roland Garros host France turned its back on clay
A stunning rally concluded with a reflex volley at the net that Swiatek could not equal. In the next game a dominant Kostyuk held to love to move Swiatek to the brink.
The match was up for the six-time major winner as Kostyuk consistently pinned the Pole back with her powerful groundstrokes to win the final two games.
Svitolina downs Bencic
Kostyuk will now face compatriot Elina Svitolina, who fought back from a set down to beat Belinda Bencic later on Sunday.
The seventh-seeded Ukrainian saw off the Swiss 11th seed 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 on Court Philippe Chatrier to advance to the last eight for the sixth time at Roland Garros.
Bencic got ahead in the first frame with back-to-back breaks in the fifth and seventh games before holding off a resurgent Svitolina to claim the opener.
In the second set, the roles were reversed as Svitolina got a break ahead before almost being reeled back in by her opponent.
But after failing to serve out to force a decider, she got across the line at the next time of asking, pouncing on Bencic's delivery to 15.
The Italian Open winner never looked back then as she raced through the third set.
"She's paved the way for a lot of Ukrainian girls and boys, and she's doing great," Kostyuk said about Svitolina shortly after the match.
"And especially this year, she's doing unbelievable. I'm so excited for this match. I've played with her two years ago, and I know a little bit what to expect," Kostyuk added. "It's going to be a good match."
Read more‘Last French player standing’: Roland Garros crowd adopts Ukraine’s Svitolina
Zverev sets up Jodar clash
In the men's draw, rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar clinched yet another five-set win, this time over fellow countryman Pablo Carreno Busta.
Jodar, 19, battled back from two sets down to beat the 34-year-old 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 and progress to the last eight.
His next opponent is the highest-ranked man left in the draw and the prime contender to claim a maiden Grand Slam crown, German second seed Zverev.
The 29-year-old three-time major finalist eased through the fourth round with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-1 win over 106th-ranked Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong.
Despite only dropping a set so far en route to an eighth quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros, Zverev refused to be drawn on the question of finally breaking his Grand Slam duck.
"I will focus on the matches that are ahead of me. This is the only thing that I can control," he insisted.
"I focused on De Jong, I played a good match. I won. I'm going to focus on Jodar next and hopefully play a good match. That's the only thing that is in my concern.
"I feel like I'm handling the situations quite well, and I will do everything possible to continue doing that."
Later, two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud will face Novak Djokovic's teenage conqueror, Joao Fonseca, in the night session and Jakub Mensik takes on Andrey Rublev.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
