French Open 2023 Tennis: Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek advanced to the women's singles third round

Defending champion Iga Swiatek and Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina underlined their title credentials with straight-set wins at the French Open 2023 tennis tournament to reach the third round on Thursday.

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Elena Rybakina's comfort on clay improved as she defeated another Czech Republic teenager. The No. 4 seeded Wimbledon champion defeated 18-year-old Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-3 on Court Suzanne-Lenglen at Roland Garros. At the same time, Polish world number one Swiatek, defeated American Claire Liu 6-4 6-0 to reach the third round. Swaitek will play next against China's Wang Xiyu in the third round. While The 23-year-old fourth seed Rybakina will play Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo in the last 32.

Rybakina, who lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open final in January, showed with the win against Noskova she looks capable of going far at Roland Garros. Her best performance came in 2021 when she reached the quarter-finals.

Swiatek and Rybakina are part of the emerging 'big three' on the WTA Tour, alongside Belarusian world number two Aryna Sabalenka, with the trio having won the past four Grand Slam titles between them. They are the leading players on the WTA Tour this season. Although Rybakina is still fourth in the 52-week rankings, behind American Jessica Pegula, after not receiving points for winning Wimbledon last year.

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Meanwhile, Swiatek, who also won last year's US Open, made it back-to-back straight-set wins in Paris. Just as she did against Spain's Cristina Bucsa, sealed victory in style. Swiatek won every game in a dominant second-set display against her 102nd-ranked opponent.

On the other hand, Aryna Sabalenka, 25, is already through to the French Open 2023 Tennis third round. She earned another straight-set win when she beat compatriot Iryna Shymanovich on Wednesday. There were also straight-set victories for American sixth seed Coco Gauff and Tunisian seventh seed Ons Jabeur on Thursday. Gauff, 19, overcame Austrian world number 61 Julia Grabher 6-2 6-3 and will meet 16-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva next. Up next for Jabeur following the 2022 Wimbledon and US Open runner-up's 6-2 6-3 win over France's Oceane Dodin is Serbia's 22-year-old qualifier Olga Danilovic.