Second seed Karolina Pliskova survived a long battle with the unheralded Veronica Cepede Royg. The Czech player eventually won 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Things had looked bleak for the highest seed left in Women’s draw early on. Cepede Royg raced into a 4-0 lead. Pliskova won two games in the set, but failed to come back.
Pliskova did win the second set, but it was hard fought, with Cepede Royg chasing down almost everything. A single break was enough to see the match go to deciding set.
Pliskova’s relentless consistency was enough to draw another break of the Cepede Rogy serve. The Paraguayan, ranked No.97, put up a typically tenacious battle in the final game, but eventually Pliskova sealed the win.
The other ladies match today saw an all French affair between Caroline Garcia and Alize Cornet. It was the first time that two women had faced each other in the Round of 16 at this level in the Open Era. A largely commanding performance from Garcia saw her win 6-2, 6-4.
Garcia was the player who seized the initiative. She won ten of the first thirteen games for a 6-2, 4-1 lead. Cornet fought hard and held before nerves caught up with Garcia. She lost her serve to allow Cornet to get on serve again in the second at 4-3. Cornet promptly lost the break again to Garcia’s superior ground stroke play.
Garcia, this time leading 5-3, attempted to serve out the match. Again she struggled badly with a pair of double fault handing the break back again, the second a particularly poor effort of a serve.
Cornet returned the favour with a pair herself handing Garcia three break (and match) points Garcia played conservatively on the first, but managed to take control and finally won. The two embraced at the net, seemingly putting aside any differences that had emerged through Fed Cup relations this year.
The win for Garcia ensures that France have two players in the quarter-finals. She joins thirteenth seed Kristina Mladenovic in the last eight. Mladenovic had knocked out the defending champion Garbine Murguruza in the last round.
Home interest in the Men’s Singles waned after the last standing Frenchman, Gael Monfils, was defeated in straight sets by 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka.
Garcia and Pliskova will meet in the quarter-finals, with the winner due to face either Elina Svitolina or Simona Halep in the semis.
