Title contender Rybakina stays on track

Fourth seed Elena Rybakina booked her third round spot with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over rising Czech teenager Linda Noskova yesterday, confirming her status as one of the front-runners for the title.

The Wimbledon champion, who also reached this year’s Australian Open final, did not take long to pull away with a break in the third game when Noskova, ranked 50th, fired a backhand into the net.

But the 18-year-old, no stranger to the Paris clay after winning the French Open junior title two years, refused to go down without a fight but paid the price for some risky plays and a double fault on her serve at 40-40 and 5-3 down.

Rybakina, a member of the new ‘Big Three’ along with fellow title contenders, world No.1 Iga Swiatek and second seed Aryna Sabalenka, struggled with Noskova’s powerful serve and thundering forehand.

It was instead Noskova who carved out two break points at 3-3 but Rybakina, who won the title at Indian Wells and Rome this season while also reaching the final at the Miami Open, saved them both.

She responded in kind at the very next game to break Noskova and go 5-3 up before clinching the match with an ace on her fourth match point.

Novak Djokovic brushed aside the furore surrounding his recent comments about clashes in Kosovo by easing into the third round on Wednesday, then saying they reflected what he “stands for”.

Djokovic, who is chasing a men’s record 23rd Grand Slam singles title at Roland Garros, came through a marathon first set against Hungarian Marton Fucsovics before prevailing 7-6 (7/2), 6-0, 6-3 in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier.

He had scrawled the message “Kosovo is the heart of Serbia. Stop the violence” on a camera following his first-round match on Monday.

“I would say it again, but I don’t need to because you have my quotes,” said Djokovic on Wednesday.

“I’m aware that a lot of people would disagree, but it is what it is. It’s something that I stand for. So that’s all.”

The two-time champion will next face Spanish 29th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for a fourth-round place today.

ALCARAZ THROUGH

World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz overcame a second-set blip to blow away Japan’s Taro Daniel 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 and set up a tie with Canadian 26th seed Denis Shapovalov.

Seventh seed Andrey Rublev battled past Frenchman Corentin Moutet, winning 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

Thanasi Kokkinakis ended 38-yearold former champion Stan Wawrinka’s tournament with a dramatic 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 triumph.

The Australian will next take on Russian Karen Khachanov after the 11th seed’s 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 success against Radu Albot.

In women’s event, world No.2 Aryna Sabalenka cruised through with a 7-5, 6-2 win over fellow Belarusian Iryna Shymanovich.