French Open 2023 results: Elina Svitolina beats Daria Kasatkina to reach quarter-finals

In the lack of a handshake, Kasatkina gave Svitolina a thumbs-up astatine the extremity of the match

Ukraine's Elina Svitolina reached the French Open quarter-finals arsenic her archetypal Grand Slam since becoming a parent continued successful imagination fashion.

The brace did not shingle hands but Kasatkina gave a thumbs-up to Svitolina, who had called her "brave" for criticising the Russian invasion.

"To get to the quarter-final is special," Svitolina said connected court.

"I didn't imagination astir this erstwhile I was giving commencement successful October past year.

"It's unbelievable for maine to beryllium capable to vie here... Hopefully I tin propulsion further - I'm truly motivated to springiness my everything for the adjacent matches."

Svitolina, who is chasing a archetypal Grand Slam title, volition adjacent look 2nd effect Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, oregon American erstwhile US Open champion Sloane Stephens, who play successful Sunday's nighttime session.

The 28-year-old Ukrainian raced to a 4-1 pb to instrumentality aboriginal power against Kasatkina and, adjacent though the Russian got 1 of the breaks back, Svitolina served retired the opening set.

A semi-finalist successful Paris past year, 26-year-old Kasatkina broke archetypal successful the 2nd acceptable but Svitolina fought backmost to pb 5-4 but past failed to service retired the match.

The players traded breaks to unit a tie-break, with Svitolina coming retired connected apical to assertion her eighth triumph successful a enactment arsenic she reached the quarter-finals successful Paris for a 4th time.

Earlier connected Sunday, Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a runner-up astatine the 2021 French Open, fought backmost from a acceptable down to bushed Belgian 28th effect Elise Mertens 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.

Pavlyuchenkova, who has slipped to 333rd successful the satellite rankings aft a genu wounded kept her retired for 5 months past year, volition play Karolina Muchova successful the quarter-finals.

The Czech, who had ne'er got further than the 3rd circular astatine Roland Garros, claimed a 6-4 6-3 triumph implicit Russian fortunate loser Elina Avanesyan connected Court Suzanne-Lenglen.

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