Defending champion Coco Gauff and sixth-seeded Amanda Anisimova on Saturday became the latest high-seeded players to bow out of the 2026 French Open.
No. 28-seeded Anastasia Potapova overcame a first-set setback and eight double faults to notch a 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-4 win over the fourth-seeded Gauff at Roland Garros in Paris.
“Coco is such a champion, I respect her so much” said Potapova, who was born in Russia but now represents Austria. “I am also a little bit proud of myself that I stayed here fighting to the last point. And I’m here.”
Buoyed by the support of the home crowd, unseeded Frenchwoman Diane Parry posted a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (3) victory over Anisimova.
Gauff and Anisimova joined fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula in earning early exits from the tournament. Kimberly Birrell recorded her first-ever French Open victory on Tuesday with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Pegula.
Gauff looked poised to take control of her match while up 40-15 with Potapova serving at 3-3 in the third set. However, she failed to convert either break point before Potapova rallied to end the match and reach the Round of 16 at a Grand Slam for the second time in her career.
Anisimova held a 5-4 lead in the final set with the chance to break the 23-year-old Parry but was unsuccessful in her bid to end the match, The two were tied at 3-3 in the tiebreaker before Parry rattled off seven consecutive points to pick up the win in 2 hours and 44 minutes.
“It was really tough for me, because it was really hot, and I’m not feeling my best physically,” Anisimova said. “Didn’t train yesterday, so I was dealing with something. I tried to do my best until the last moment, but I feel like it just was getting worse and worse for me through the match.
“A lot of mistakes. It was just really disappointing for me, but I get it. At the same time, she was playing well, she stayed calm, and she did all the right things. All can I really do is accept that that’s the way it was.”
Parry advanced to the fourth round of a major for the first time in her career. She will face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska, who posted a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Maria Sakkari of Greece.
“We expect, usually, that far in a tournament to play a girl I think maybe in the top 20, so I think it’s a big opportunity for both of us,” Parry said. “I will try to prepare the match and recovery really well to be at 100% for the next match and to be able to take this opportunity and go further in the tournament.”
Also on Saturday, top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus breezed to a 6-0, 7-5 victory over Daria Kasatkina of Australia, while 25th-seeded Diana Shnaider of Russia battled through a tough first set before securing a 7-5, 6-1 win over Oleksandra Oliynykova of the Ukraine.
Sixteenth-seeded Naomi Osaka notched a 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-4 triumph over No. 17 Iva Jovic, while 22nd-seeded Anna Kalinskaya of Russia also needed three sets for a 6-3, 0-6, 6-2 win over Camila Osorio of Colombia.
–Field Level Media
