PARIS (AP) — Second-ranked Elena Rybakina was beaten by 55th-ranked Ukrainian opponent Yuliia Starodubtseva 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4) in the second round of the French Open on Wednesday.
Rybakina started the year by winning the Australian Open.
On a big day for Ukraine, also advancing were Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk, who are coming off trophies at the Madrid Open and Italian Open, respectively.
The seventh-seeded Svitolina beat Kaitlin Quevedo 6-0, 6-4
to extend her winning streak to eight matches. The 15th-seeded Kostyuk beat Katie Volynets 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3 to extend her winning streak to 13 matches.
Four-time champion Iga Swiatek improved her career record at Roland Garros to 42-3 by eliminating 35th-ranked Sara Bejlek 6-2, 6-3.
Swiatek won Roland Garros in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Swiatek next faces Magda Linette in the first all-Polish meeting at Roland Garros in the professional era (since 1968). Linette eliminated 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
Also, 11th-seeded Belinda Bencic beat American opponent Caty McNally 6-4, 6-0.
Later, 39-year-old Novak Djokovic faced 74th-ranked French player Valentin Royer, while second-seeded Alexander Zverev was playing Tomas Machac in the night session on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
