Defending champion Iga Swiatek is into the last 16 in Paris after beating Anett Kontaveit 7-6(4) 6-0.
The Pole overcame an early barrage of Kontaveit winners as she tactically worked her way into the match and sealed a spot in the second week.
Next up for Swiatek will be Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine.
It was not the best of starts for the defending champion as she was overpowered by Kontaveit in the early stages.
The confident Estonian drilled her backhand past the Pole as she took an early break lead.
Serving with pin-point accuracy and constructing winners from all over the court, Kontaveit had Swiatek reeling.
A crucial opening service game helped the Pole settle into the match as she was in unfamiliar territory having cruised through her opening two rounds.
However as the set progressed, the 20 year-old started to tactically figure her way into the match as she started to target Kontaveit’s forehands and attack the backhand with depth and power.
Eventually the sustained pressure got its rewards as she sealed the break back for 4-4 as the momentum was with Swiatek.
Now she was feeling her game with a good mix of variety, pace and placement as she held comfortably the next game and was rising to the occasion.
But Kontaveit didn’t back down as some clutch serves and confident shot-making of her own saw her match Swiatek’s level of play.
A high-level opening set produced a tiebreak that it deserved with Swiatek dominating the crucial points with some good wide angles off the forehand.
The defending champion won her 19th consecutive set to take the tiebreak 7-4 as a huge roar appeared from the Pole.
Hitting 23 winners and only 11 unforced errors yet losing the opening set was always going to hurt the Estonian and that told at the start of the second set.
Kontaveit couldn’t sustain the same intensity and aggression as Swiatek continued the momentum by breaking in the first game.
That break was followed up by a tough service hold as Kontaveit’s sustained pressure on return was getting no rewards at the moment with the pole able to move her around the court.
Swiatek had taken a complicated match and turned into her favour dictating the match to her style. Two more breaks were secured as the Pole was getting to every shot and neutralising most of the points.
An amazing turnaround was complete as she served out the match to seal her spot in the last 16.
A mature, tactically-sound performance from the defending champion who overcame a barrage of early Kontaveit’s winners.
Next up for Swiatek is Marta Kostyuk who thrashed Varvara Gracheva 6-2 6-1 in over an hour.
