French Open: Ana Ivanovic, History-Maker Elina Svitolina Reach Quarters
Ana Ivanovic defeated Russian ninth seed Ekaterina Makarova, a semi-finalist at the Australian Open in January, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 to book her eighth career Grand Slam quarter-final.
Ana Ivanovic made the French Open quarter-finals for the first time since her 2008 title run Sunday where she'll face Elina Svitolina, the first Ukrainian to make the last eight.
Seventh-seeded Serb Ivanovic defeated Russian ninth seed Ekaterina Makarova, a semi-finalist at the Australian Open in January, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 to book her eighth career Grand Slam quarter-final. (Victoria Azarenka calls for review system in French Open)
Watched again by German World Cup winning football star Bastian Schweinsteiger, the 27-year-old Ivanovic shrugged off a two and a half hour rain stoppage to secure her third three-set win in four rounds in Paris. (Somebody will beat my record: Nadal)
The 20-year-old Svitolina beat fellow former Roland Garros junior champion Alize Cornet on a windy, chilly Court Philippe Chatrier 6-2, 7-6 (11/9). (Family life dramas inspire Jack Sock)
Svitolina, seeded 19, is only the second Ukrainian woman to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final after Kateryna Bondarenko made the last eight at the 2009 US Open. (Sparks fly as Williams upends rivals)
It was Svitolina's first win over Cornet in three meetings and the result ended French hopes in the women's singles for another year.
She displayed nerves of steel to achieve victory, failing to serve out the tie in the 10th game of the second set and then allowing five match points to slip through her fingers.
However, she secured victory on her sixth match point when Cornet went long with a backhand, her 42nd unforced error of the tie.
Later Sunday, defending champion Maria Sharapova, also the winner in 2012 and runner-up in 2013, faces Czech 13th seed Lucie Safarova.
Sharapova, who has been battling a cold throughout the first week, has a 4-1 record over the 28-year-old left-handed Czech whose only win came in the pair's first meeting in Madrid five years ago.
The winner of that clash will meet either 33-year-old Italian Flavia Pennetta, who has never played in the French Open quarter-finals, or Garbine Muguruza, the Spanish 21st seed.
Muguruza, the 2010 junior champion, had a breakthrough Roland Garros in 2014 when she defeated Serena Williams on her way to the last-eight.