PARIS: World No 1 Iga Swiatek racked up her 31st straight win to reach the French Open last 16 today but only after being tested by Danka Kovinic of Montenegro.
Swiatek, the 2020 champion in Paris, dropped serve three times against her 95th-ranked opponent before sealing a 6-3, 7-5 victory.
Kovinic recovered from 1-4 down in the second set to lead 5-4 but Swiatek steadied the ship with a hold and a break before serving out for victory.
Swiatek will face either Chinese teenager Zheng Qinwen or France’s Alize Cornet for a place in the quarterfinals.
Her winning streak is the best on tour since Serena Williams’s run of 34 successive wins in 2013.
