Polish teenager Iga Swiatek booted top seed Simona Halep out of the French Open with a crushing 6-1 6-2 victory to make her maiden Grand Slam quarter-final.
Simona Halep Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Halep came into the fourth round clash on a 17-match unbeaten streak having defeated the 19-year-old Swiatek, ranked 54th in the world, 6-1 6-0 in 45 minutes at the same stage last year in the claycourt Grand Slam at Roland Garros.
"I wasn't experienced at all then. That was my first match in a big stadium," Swiatek said in her on-court interview, after wiping away tears. "I was pretty stressed.
"Since then I have made huge progress and I have played few big matches ... it helped me a lot. And right now I think I can handle the pressure."
Swiatek avenged that morale-sapping defeat and her victory under the closed roof of Court Philippe Chatrier in 68 minutes was no less impressive against the 2018 French Open champion, ranked number two in the world.
The former Wimbledon junior champion will next meet Italian qualifier Martina Trevisan, who also scripted an upset by defeating fifth-seeded Dutch Kiki Bertens 6-4 6-4.
In the men's draw German Alexander Zverev said he played with a fever and breathing difficulties during his fourth-round defeat to Italian teenager Jannik Sinner, raising questions about the Covid-19 protocols at the claycourt Grand Slam.
Zverev appeared to be in discomfort and was seen coughing on court during the match against Sinner and called for the doctor and trainer. He kept pointing at his throat and later took a pill.
The German player later said he had been ill since his third-round win against Italian Marco Cecchinato on Friday and had a body temperature of 38 degrees celsius.
As per French Open guidelines, players are regularly tested for the novel coronavirus but Zverev declined to answer when he was last tested.
Rafa Nadal blew away American qualifer Sebastian Korda 6-1 6-1 6-2 to romp into the quarter-finals and close in on a record-extending 13th title at Roland Garros.
With the sun out and the wind up on Court Philippe Chatrier it always looked like mission impossible for the 213th-ranked Korda and so it proved in a one-sided fourth round match.
Korda, son of 1992 runner-up Petr, was unable to cope with the strong breeze or Nadal's heavy spin.
Nadal has dropped only 23 games so far and is yet to face a seed. He will next face Sinner in his 42nd Grand Slam quarter-final, third on the all-time list.
-Reuters
