Teen Vondrousova into French quarters without losing a set
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The next in a long line of talented left-handed players from the Czech Republic is making a run at the French Open.
Teenager Marketa Vondrousova reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal by beating 12th-seeded Anastasija Sevastova 6-2, 6-0 Sunday in just 59 minutes.
The 19-year-old Vondrousova has not dropped a set in four matches.
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"I'm just happy with my game," she said. "Yeah, really happy."
For a spot in the semifinals, Vondrousova will face 31st-seeded Petra Martic, who followed up her win over second-seeded Karolina Pliskova by rallying past Kaia Kanepi 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to reach her first quarterfinal at a major, too.
The only Grand Slam title winner left on this side of the women's draw is 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens, who eliminated Garbiñe Muguruza 6-4, 6-3 and now will meet 26th-seeded Johanna Konta for a semifinal berth. Konta defeated 23rd-seeded Donna Vekic 6-2, 6-4.
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Stephens, the runner-up to Simona Halep at Roland Garros last year, needed five match points to close out Muguruza, whose two major trophies include one at the French Open in 2016.
With 17-year-old Amanda Anisimova and 18-year-old Iga Swiatek playing on Monday, three teenagers made the last 16 in Paris for the first time since 2008.
Vondrousova grew up watching two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, a fellow Czech lefty.
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"I remember when she won Wimbledon, so I was looking up to her," Vondrousova said.
Martina Navratilova, one of the all-time greats, remains the most well-known Czech left-hander. Then there's Lucie Safarova, the 2015 runner-up at Roland Garros who retired this week.
"It's just great we have so many players," Vondrousova said.
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So whom did Vondrousova model her game after?
"No one," she said. "I was just watching Petra when she won Wimbledon, and I love Roger (Federer), but I don't have (an) idol."
The only two games that Vondrousova lost came immediately after she took a medical timeout to receive treatment for an apparent cut on a finger of her left hand — her playing hand — while leading 3-0 in the first. It looked like Vondrousova hurt herself when she slipped and fell to the clay in the previous game.
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But she quickly resumed dominating, frustrating Sevastova with a series of drop shots.
"I think I played my best tennis today," Vondrousova said.
Vondrousova improved to 25-5 since exiting the Australian Open in the second round — a stretch that includes finals in Budapest and Istanbul.
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With the temperature nearing 85 Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) degrees, both players put towels containing ice packs around their necks during the changeovers.
On such a hot day, Martic had to really sweat for her first victory in five matches in the fourth round at majors — having first reaching the last 16 at Roland Garros seven years ago.
"I waited for this moment so, so long I don't even want to know how long," the Croatian said.
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With both players trading moon balls late in the tense third set, Martic ran down a drop shot and responded with a forehand winner up the line to break for a 5-4 lead, then converted her first match point in the next game.
"It didn't look good at times," Martic said. "But thank God I stayed there and it paid off."
Against Vondrousova, Martic will have to find a solution for the Czech player's left-handed drop shots.
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"It's going to be a fun one," Martic said. "She's also got a few tricks in her game."