Mumbai: A few days ago, Iga Swiatek quipped during her final press conference that she lacks a poker face. She demonstrated it on Sunday.

Tranquility, rage, anxiety, relief, and finally, happiness. As she took on the world, she revealed everything. In the fourth round of the French Open, Elena Rybakina, the former Wimbledon winner and ranked No. 11. Swiatek ultimately won the match with a score of 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the quarterfinal after a two-hour and thirty-minute roller coaster of emotions on Court Philippe Chatrier.

On match point, Swiatek screamed, pumped her fists, and pounded her chest as she blasted a forehand cross-court winner. The defending champion was seeking her fifth crown this soon in the competition, making this a unique occasion. However, it demonstrated how hard she had to work to win.

In the courtside interview, Swiatek told ex-world No. 1 Mats Wilander, "She really pushed me and I needed to do something to get back in the game." "With (Rybakina) playing like that, I didn't have a lot of hope but I just kept fighting and I'm happy I did that." I felt that I could relax more after each game, and by the conclusion, I was able to play my game.

The finish was undoubtedly far superior to the beginning.

Rybakina got off to a fast start, hitting the ball with close to flawless precision. Swiatek had trouble with her serve and was unable to match the Kazakh's raw power. The Pole, the former world No. 1, would have handled it on any other day. However, the first set revealed indicators of the flaws that have been appearing in Swiatek's game since the end of the previous year.

Swiatek was given a one-month ban in November as a result of a failed doping test conducted in August. She had received preferential treatment from her classmates. However, she experienced a lot of anxiety throughout the incident. This began to manifest in her games.

She hasn't had her finest season by a long shot. Currently, she is ranked among the best in the world. No, she is ranked fifth overall, and before the French Open, she had advanced to three quarterfinals and four semifinals, but she had not won a championship this year. For the majority, those figures are enviable, but not for the 24-year-old "perfectionist."

The previous ten months haven't been great, and that seems to have upset her more than anything else.

Justine Henin, the former world No. 1 and seven-time Grand Slam champion, told Eurosport France last month, "She's been going through complicated things for a while." "I believe one of the bases is her very perfectionist side. She wants to do things in a certain way."

She was worn out by the protracted argument following the positive drug test. She posted a message on social media in March, reminiscing about a period when she "three weeks crying daily, and (not) want to step on the court".

Despite the five-time slam champion having struggled to attain perfection in recent years. However, she has managed to accomplish something unique in spite of the three double faults and unforced mistakes in the fifth game of the second set ("I don't think I've double-faulted three times in one game," she said on court).

If all else fails, win ugly. Most importantly, prevail.

As Rybakina gained a 2-0 advantage in the second set, Swiatek began to use more topspin in her strokes, extending rallies and gradually regaining her rhythm. She forced the decider by winning the second set 6-3 after taking six of the next seven matches.

As the decider went, they exchanged breaks. Swiatek earned the break at 5-5, and at 30 she served out for the victory, which was not flawless but sufficient.

She will need even more of that tenacity as she prepares to face a difficult opponent in the quarterfinal: Elena Svitolina.

Earlier in the day, world No. 14 Svitolina pulled off a remarkable comeback victory over Italy's Jasmine Paolini, who finished second in the 2024 French Open, to advance to her fifth French Open quarterfinal.

The Ukrainian has demonstrated that she is a formidable competitor in big tournaments and may be difficult for Swiatek to handle. However, she has won more French Open singles championships on the legendary Parisian clay than any other active tennis player, including Novak Djokovic. Swiatek is currently on a 25-match winning streak at Roland Garros.

She's not giving up in Paris, whether or not it's bad form.

The Indian challenge is over.

India's predicament came to an end on Sunday when Rohan Bopanna and Yuki Bhambri each lost their respective men's doubles matches.

In the third round, Bhambri and Robert Galloway were defeated by the American team of Evan King and Christian Harrison by a score of 4-6, 4-6, while Bopanna and Czech Adam Pavlasek were defeated by the second seeds, Henry Patten (GB) and Harri Heliovaara (Finland), by a score of 2-6, 6-7(5).

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