Czech Krejcikova swats aside Stephens to book quarter-final spot

[June 07, 2021]    PARIS (Reuters) - Big-hitting Czech Barbora Krejcikova powered past former finalist Sloane Stephens of the United States 6-2 6-0 in their matchup of unseeded players to reach the quarter-finals of the French Open on Monday.

Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova celebrates after winning her fourth round match against Sloane Stephens of the U.S. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

The 33rd-ranked Krejcikova, who won the 2018 doubles title at Roland Garros with Katerina Siniakov, has been unbeaten since a maiden title-winning run in Strasbourg ahead of the French Open and dominated the 2017 U.S. Open winner from the start on a sun-bathed Suzanne Lenglen court.

Former world number three Stephens, who reached the final in Paris in 2018, did not have any answer to Krejcikova's powerful but effortless play in their first meeting and did not help her cause by committing 26 unforced errors.

The 25-year-old Krejcikova broke the American's serve twice in the opening set and then wiped her out in the second.

The Czech converted her second matchpoint with a forehand winner, her 10th of the match, and will meet the winner of the contest between Tunisia's Ons Jabeur and American Coco Gauff for a place in the semi-finals.

(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Berhampore, India; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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