- Svitolina rallies from 5-3 deficit in second set
- Paolini squanders 3 match points in Roland-Garros rematch
- American Tommy Paul reaches first French Open quarterfinal since 2003
In a heart-stopping 3-hour battle on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, Elina Svitolina demonstrated why clay remains her strongest surface. The 13th-seeded Ukrainian overturned a 5-3 second-set deficit against last year's finalist, saving three match points across two critical games. This marks Svitolina's 16th clay-court victory in 2024 – the highest tally among WTA Tour players this season.
The match turned during a 14-stroke rally at 6-5 in the tiebreaker, where Svitolina's tactical net approach exposed Paolini's baseline vulnerabilities. Since returning from maternity leave in 2023, the Odessa native has improved her deciding-set win rate to 68% – a 22% increase from her pre-break performance.
Paolini's defeat halts her 9-match winning streak that included the Italian Open title. The fourth seed becomes the first Roland-Garros finalist since 2019 to lose before the quarterfinals the following year. Statistical analysis reveals she won just 48% of points on her typically reliable forehand during pressure moments.
In concurrent action, Tommy Paul ended America's 21-year men's quarterfinal drought at Roland-Garros. The New Jersey native's dominant straight-sets win against Popyrin highlights a resurgence in U.S. clay-court specialists – four American women also advanced to Monday's fourth round.
Svitolina now prepares for her toughest challenge yet: a potential match against world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. The Ukrainian holds a 1-4 career record against the Polish star, though their only clay meeting went to three sets. With Ukrainian flags now permitted at Roland-Garros under revised tournament policies, expect heightened crowd support for Svitolina's quarterfinal bid.
