Holder Gauff joins big-name exodus, Sabalenka solid at French Open

PARIS, May 30 : Defending champion Coco Gauff was dramatically dethroned at the French Open by Anastasia Potapova, while world number one Aryna Sabalenka cut through the chaos to dismiss Daria Kasatkina and reach the Roland Garros fourth round on Saturday.

After a brutal two days for fancied players at the claycourt Grand Slam during which Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic crashed out, Gauff was unable to find her best level and lost 4-6 7-6(1) 6-4 to fall by the wayside.

"I don't know, I had chances," Gauff said.

"Just trying to capitalise more on these good points that I was hitting and not quite finishing ... that was the difference, she was able to finish points and I wasn't.

"It's one thing to lose, but today I competed, I fought my hardest, but I don't think I played the way I wanted to in the crucial moments."

Gauff's premature exit leaves four-times champion Iga Swiatek and Sabalenka as the top contenders to win the Suzanne Lenglen Cup, while Potapova will be viewed as the dark horse having dished out a massive upset.

"I'm cramping a little bit, but it's OK, it's all good. I don't have any words now, I'm extremely happy," Potapova said in her on-court interview as she clutched her right arm after two hours and 37 minutes of big hitting.

"The fight we could show ... Coco's such a champion and I respect her so much. I'm unbelievably proud of myself, that I stayed there, and that I was fighting until the last point."

Sabalenka earlier beat Kasatkina 6-0 7-5 on a sun-drenched Court Suzanne Lenglen for her 100th win as the top-ranked woman, making her only the ninth player to achieve the feat since the inception of the WTA rankings.

She joined Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Chris Evert, Serena Williams, Martina Hingis,