Paris, May 28 (IANS) China’s Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen defeated Emiliana Arango of Colombia in a won a tough two-setter in a women’s singles clash at the French Open, joining No. 4 and last year’s finalist Jasmine Paolini of Italy in the third round on Wednesday.

The No. 8 seed overcame the challenge of Arango 6-2, 6-3 in a 1-hour, 37-minute contest that was a good deal tougher than the scoreline suggested. Arango was one of nine players making her Grand Slam debut in this year’s main draw, and Zheng will next face another — the surging 18-year-old qualifier Victoria Mboko, who advanced 6-4, 6-4 over Eva Lys.

Zheng’s win over Arango is the 22-year-old’s eighth consecutive victory on the clay courts of Roland Garros since the Paris Olympic Games last year.

Zheng, the 2024 Australian Open finalist, advanced to the third round after converting her third match point and letting off a roar to indicate the bruising, physical exchanges she’d had to endure to quell the World No. 85 Arango, particularly in a second set They frequently exchanged gruelling rallies in which both players threw both heavy topspin and biting slices at each other — 15 of which were won by Arango.

Zheng will face a player who’s been putting together a spectacular run at the ITF level. Mboko has travelled to the Caribbean, the United States, the United Kingdom and Portugal to rack up five titles this year, as well as reaching her first WTA 125 final in Parma.

Against Lys, No. 120-ranked Mboko excelled in all areas of the game. She claimed an opening break with a booming backhand winner, and though Lys pegged her back, struck again at 4-4 with a pair of superb forehands down the line. The teenager delivered a perfect drop-shot lob combination en route to serving out the first set and converted her first match point with her second ace of the day.

Zheng was joined by another top 10 seed, No. 4 Jasmine Paolini, who came through 6-3, 6-3 over Ajla Tomljanovic on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The Rome champion extended her winning streak to eight matches for the season.

The Italian fell before the third round in her first 16 Grand Slam main draws. Now, she has reached that stage for the sixth major in a row. Last year’s finalist was in control for the majority of her first encounter with Tomljanovic, striking 24 winners and capturing nine out of 11 points at the net.

Paolini, who also finished runner-up at Wimbledon 2024, will next face lucky loser Yuliia Starodubtseva, who made it into the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time by defeating Anastasia Potapova 7-6(4), 6-2. The Ukrainian saved one set point as Potapova served for the first set at 6-5. Paolini and Starodubtseva have not previously faced each other.

–IANS

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