DAY 8 of the Roland Garros women’s draw saw upsets aplenty as all four Round of 16 encounters went the way of the underdog, setting up two intriguing quarter finals clashes.

Doubles partners Elena Rybakina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova have set up a huge match next round following respective wins over Grand Slam champions Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka.

“When I was small, of course I was watching her (Williams’) matches on TV, so many Grand Slams,” Rybakina said. “It’s difficult to expect anything, because you watch on TV and it’s completely different when you come on court and you feel the power and everything.

“I knew that the serve was going to be difficult for me to return. She’s powerful, but I was ready.”

The 21st seed Rybakina claimed the quickest win of the day, disposing of Williams in 77 minutes and stopping the American champion in her tracks, still searching for that elusive 24th Grand Slam title to match that of Margaret Court. The Kazakh talent got off to a huge start, leading 4-1 before Williams could break back, and eventually claiming the 6-3 7-5 victory, hitting more winners (21-15) and making less unforced errors (13-19).

“The end goal is always to win the tournaments and dream and go of course to win the Grand Slam. So every time I step in on court I try not to think against who I play,” Rybakina said. “Just try to do my work, follow the plan which we have. If it works well, I’m winning, and if it’s not, I’m just learning from the matches. It’s all like experience for me.”

Pavlyuchenkova may have dropped the first set to Azarenka, but the Russian did not let that stop her as she cleaned up in the remaining two sets to claim a 5-7 6-3 6-2 win, her first major quarter final at Paris in 10 years.

“Tough to remember what I felt 10 years ago. I’d say completely different. I’m very happy also now. I think I feel a little different. I feel like more mature. It’s a good moment, I’m enjoying it, but I’ve got work to do next matches,” Pavlyuchenkova said.

Like Rybakina, Pavlyuchenkova’s winner and unforced error counts were in her favour (45-31 winners, 27-30 unforced errors), winning marginally more points off the back of her first serve (63 per cent off a 71 per cent clip), and also converting eight of 15 break points and saving six of Azarenka’s 12 attempts.

“I’m kind of in the present, where before I was like, ‘Oh, my God, quarterfinal. Oh, what’s happening?’ When I was actually playing quarterfinal, I was so emotional.”

“[Pavlyuchenkova and I] also play doubles together,” Rybakina said. “We are a good team, good atmosphere. But for the [singles] match after [doubles] tomorrow, we come on court to work, and I’m gonna discuss again the tactics and everything with my coach.

“For sure, I have to serve well again because it’s my advantage, and then we’ll see how it goes.”

Meanwhile, maiden quarter-finalists Paula Badosa and Tamara Zidansek headline the second match following respective Round of 16 wins, with the latter the first Slovenian to reach the last eight of a grand slam. 33rd seed Badosa claimed a 6-4 3-6 6-2 victory over Czech 20th seed Marketa Vondrousova in one hour and 50 minutes, overcoming a second set blip to head into the next round.

“I don’t think I envision all these kind of things,” Badosa said. “I wanted to do a good clay court season. I was feeling good. I was working hard. I think my game suits quite good on clay. I was wanting it so, so much. I was working hard for it. It’s coming. I didn’t expect doing all these results. I was expecting doing it quite good, but not like this.”

“I always thought that tennis is 80% mental,” she said. “I think when you’re in these rounds, of course the racquet is important, how you play, it’s very important. I think it’s a little bit more important how you manage all the nerves in the important moments. I think when you’re here, the mental thing, it’s a little bit the key.”

For Zidansek, a tight start and resulting first set tiebreaker against Romanian Sorana Cirstea could have been the end, however the Slovenian rallied to claim the 7-6(4) first set, before firing on all cylinders in the second to claim the 7-6 6-1 encounter in just under 90 minutes.

“I think that we both went into the match a little bit nervous, which is I guess normal,” Zidansek said. “A big opportunity for the both of us. It took me a couple of games to settle down. It was good that I got that first game on the scoreboard.

“I started serving better and better towards the end of the first set, which also helped me to save that break point, which was also a set point. From then on it was just in the tiebreak fighting for every point,” she said. “Once I managed to get the tiebreak, I started feeling more comfortable out there. I started feeling more comfortable about going after my shots. That showed well in the second set.”

“I’m getting a lot of messages that everyone is watching,” said Zidansek. “It means a lot to me that I’m able to get across to the message to young people and everyone in Slovenia that we can do it. We’re a small country, we don’t have that many players, but we have good players.”

ROLAND GARROS ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:

[21] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) defeated [7] Serena Williams (USA) 6-3 7-5
[31] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) defeated [15] Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 5-7 6-3 6-2
[33] Paula Badosa (ESP) defeated [20] Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) 6-4 3-6 6-2
Tamara Zidansek (SLO) defeated Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 7-6 6-1

Picture credit: WTA/Jimmie48