SLOVAKIAN junior star Renata Jamrichova is through to the Roland Garros Round of 16 after a strong straight sets win over Czech Lucie Urbanova overnight. Though the world number one junior dropped her opening match first set, she has since won four on the trot to move into the third round.

In her win over the unseeded Urbanova, Jamrichova won 6-3 6-2 in just 59 minutes on court as she won an elite 79 per cent (23/29) of her first serve points, while the Czech could only manage 50 per cent (13/26). She also converted six of eight break point opportunities, while only being broken twice in the match.

The tournament favourite now comes up against 16th seeded Teodora Kostovic who had to battle through three sets against Poland’s Monika Stankiewicz 6-2 3-6 6-2 to reach the third round. Kostovic won 65 and 51 per cent of her first and second serve points, though will want to improve on her first serve efficiency of 53 per cent against the world number one.

Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Australian hope and second seed Emerson Jones bowed out in a disappointing first round loss, with the Melbourne Park finalist unable to replicate that form on the French clay. However third seed and second favourite for the title, Laura Samsonova is into the third round without dropping a set and racing through her first two matches.

Sixth seed Japanese hope Wakana Sonobe is also into the third round, set to take on Czech 12th seed Tereza Valentova in one of the matches of the day. Another player to watch is dangerous American Kaitlyn Rolls who is in the open part of the draw following losses to both Jones and talented fifth seed Brit, Hannah Klugman leaving the Florida-based Rolls as the only seed left in her quarter.

Rolls is one of four Americans remaining in the Roland Garros junior girls singles, highlighted by fourth seed Tyra Caterina Grant. The 2008-born Grant is already a Grand Slam champion in doubles, winning at last year’s French Open, and this year’s Australian Open.

Belgian’s Jeline Vandromme – ranked 19th in the world – looms as the most dangerous unseeded player remaining in the draw. Vandromme has won two J300 titles this season, including one on clay, and could face Grant in the quarter finals.

WOMEN’S SINGLES

Meanwhile in the women’s singles, the first two quarter finals were completed at Roland Garros, with top seed Iga Swiatek and third seed Coco Gauff making the final four. Both did so in very different fashions, as Swiatek won her third consecutive bagel set this tournament, against former Roland Garros finalist Marketa Vondrousova before finishing her off in 62 minutes, 6-0 6-2.

Gauff on the other hand came back from a set down against Tunisian Ons Jabeur to win in just under two hours on court, 4-6 6-2 6-3. In that match, Gauff won 70 and 54 per cent of her first and second serve points, and breaking four times from five chances. She hit nine less winners (21-30) but also had 10 less unforced errors (28-38) in the victory.

“I was definitely trying to be more aggressive,” Gauff said post-match. “She was playing really well the whole match and she was hitting a lot of winners on me, which is something I’m not used to against anybody, so today I was just trying to be aggressive towards the end. I got a little bit tight on the last couple of match points but I think I did what I needed to do to win the match.” 

Swiatek had no such worries, dominating on serve to only drop three points off her first serve, and 10 points off her serve in total, breaking five times to nil during the match. She smashed her way to 25 winners for only 10 unforced errors, while Vondrousova was not bad with 12 and 15 respectively, but unable to even get a look in against the red-hot Pole.