Staff Reporter.
Serena Williams remains the highest seed in her half of the French Open draw after a dominant third-round victory against Danielle Collins.
The American seventh seed beat compatriot Collins 6-4 6-4 and will face Kazakhstan’s 21st seed Elena Rybakina next.
Williams, 39, is one of just four top 10 seeds left in the women’s draw after Aryna Sabalenka lost earlier on Friday.
The Belarusian third seed was beaten 6-4 2-6 6-0 by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Williams is bidding to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam triumphs, but has not made it past the fourth round at Roland Garros since 2016.
Not since 2001 have so few top-10 seeds reached the women’s third round at Roland Garros, although there are varying reasons behind the absence of so many top stars heading into the second week.
In addition to the high-profile withdrawals of Ashleigh Barty and reigning US and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka, for injury and mental health reasons respectively, world number three Simona Halep pulled out pre-tournament with a calf problem.
On court, Sabalenka joined a casualty list featuring Karolina Pliskova, Bianca Andreescu and Belinda Bencic that, in addition to an injury for 11th seed Petra Kvitova, has opened the draw up considerably.
An unseeded quarter-finalist is guaranteed in the bottom half of the draw with Tamara Zidansek – who beat Katerina Siniakova 0-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 – set to meet Romania’s Sorana Cirstea in the last 16.
While that should aid Williams in her efforts to make Grand Slam history, the American is also arguably housed in the most difficult quarter of the draw.
Should she negotiate her way past Rybakina, the 39-year-old would then face two-time Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka or Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals.
Azarenka, the 15th seed, dominated Madison Keys 6-2 6-2 to reach the last 16.
Meanwhile German number six seed Alexander Zverev reached the fourth round of the French Open by beating Serbia’s Laslo Djere 6-2 7-5 6-2.
He will face Japan’s Kei Nishikori, who is unseeded, in the fourth round.
Zverev, the 2020 US Open finalist, has reached the quarter-finals twice at Roland Garros, in 2018 and 2019.
The German started strongly but the second set started to slip away as Djere served for the set three times at 5-3 before being broken.
Zverev won seven games in a row to take the second set and break immediately at the start of the third.
He broke the Serb twice before serving for the match, reaching the fourth round for a third successive year.
“Obviously this is the main goal of my tennis career, to win Grand Slams, reach the top of the rankings,” Zverev said. “I feel the last year and a half I’m going the right way and hopefully I will continue that.”