French Open 2023: Aryna Sabalenka 'one of three top favourites', says Barbara Rittner as Belarussian progresses

Aryna Sabalenka will be a tough proposition for anyone at the French Open if the current warm conditions continue, reckons Barbara Rittner. World No. 2 Sabalenka spent just one hour and 11 minutes on court as she saw off Marta Kostyuk, and appeared to be in fine fettle despite her recent first-round loss at the Italian Open in the lead-up to Roland-Garros.

Ad The 25-year-old is seeking to go beyond the third round of the French Open for the very first time and has a favourable-looking draw ahead of her, with the unseeded Iryna Shymanovich up next. Roland-GarrosSabalenka storms past Kostyuk, boos follow with no handshake9 HOURS AGO If she wins through to the third round, then another unseeded opponent will await in the form of either Magdalena Frech or Kamilla Rakhimova. «My gut feeling about her [Sabalenka] is very good,» Rittner told Eurosport.

«The weather is good, which means the conditions are livelier, the balls are faster. That suits her powerful game incredibly well. She dominates the rallies with her serve and her returns.

The conditions are very good. »She won in Madrid and beat Iga Swiatek there. Her self-confidence is good.

«She trains very well in Paris, very concentrated. She works incredibly hard, always has things she really works on meticulously and wants to improve. »For me, she is one of three top favourites who can play well here." Fellow Eurosport analyst Mats Wilander was another to salute Sabalenka, in particular her movement and much-discussed, now much-improved serve.