Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina reach 4th round at French Open - ESPN

PARIS — Second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka temporarily put her friendship with Spaniard Paula Badosa on the back burner to secure a hard-fought 7-5, 6-1 third-round victory at the French Open on Saturday and keep alive her hopes of a maiden Roland Garros title.

The pair have enjoyed a strong bond since 2021, but there was no quarter given in a seesawing first set as they swapped early breaks before Badosa attacked Sabalenka's powerful serve in the sixth game, edging ahead with a return that hit the net cord.

«It's tough to play your best friend. She's an incredible player coming back after injury, and I'm pretty sure she's going to be back on top very soon,» said Sabalenka, who improved her head-to-head record with Badosa to 5-2.

«On court we're opponents, I'm trying not to watch on the other side, just trying to focus on myself and just bring my best game, but anyway they're tough matches against her.»

Spurred into action, the powerful Australian Open champion broke back, and let out a scream that was met with cheers from fans on Philippe Chatrier court, before she recovered another loss of serve against her fellow 26-year-old.

Sabalenka, a semifinalist here last year, hit a monster forehand to go up 6-5 and came up with a delightful backhand slice from the deep en route to closing out the opening set, as world No. 139 Badosa reflected on her missed opportunities.

Badosa, who had been ranked as high as No. 2 but has struggled with a back problem in recent years while Sabalenka captured two Grand Slam titles, got off to a disappointing start in the second set as her Belarusian opponent reeled off four games in a row.

Sabalenka produced a superb drop to set up match point, and the knockout blow came in the form of an unforced