PARIS :Four-times champion Iga Swiatek clawed her way back from the brink to qualify for the French Open quarter-finals as she beat her clay court nemesis Elena Rybakina after a high-octane decider on Sunday.
The fifth-seeded Pole looked out of sorts as she trailed 6-1 2-0 on Court Philippe Chatrier, leaving the crowd stunned, but Swiatek found her groove and some grit to prevail 1-6 6-3 7-5.
Her final opponent from last year, Jasmine Paolini, was on the wrong end of another dramatic last-16 clash against 13th seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine as the Italian wasted three match points in a 4-6 7-6(6) 6-1 defeat.
Svitolina will provide the next test for Swiatek, who continues her quest to become the first female player since tennis turned professional to claim the singles’ title four times in a row at Roland Garros.
