In the kind of testing conditions that make Roland Garros unique among the majors, Elina Svitolina charted a course through wind, rain and swirling red dust to subdue a spirited challenge from local favourite Alizé Cornet and reach the first grand slam quarter-final of her career 6-2, 7-6 (11-9).
Svitolina, at 20 the youngest woman left in the women’s draw, showed courage, maturity and no little skill to see off Cornet, a Frenchwoman who won the junior title in 2007 and has been the darling of the Bois de Boulogne ever since she graced the front cover of L’Equipe as a teenager.