Sol Ruca is your new Women’s Intercontinental Champion and made her first appearance on RAW after winning the title at Clash in Italy 2026. She also took a huge shot at a WWE legend.
Sol Ruca overcame the odds to become the Women’s Intercontinental Champion, ending Becky Lynch’s third reign in just a little over a month after she won the title back from AJ Lee at WrestleMania 42. Things were quite interesting as they faced each other the previous week, only for things to end controversially after Becky Lynch intentionally got herself DQ’d by shoving Ruca’s legs into referee Jessika Carr. Almost immediately, Nick Aldis, who was a messenger for Adam Pearce at Saturday Night’s Main Event, told Becky that she would have to defend her title against Ruca at Clash in Italy 2026. Their SNME match wasn’t for the Intercontinental Title. And at Clash in Italy, Ruca overcame an injury, going from narrowly being medically cleared to the new Intercontinental Champion.
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On RAW in an interview with Cathy Kelley, Sol Ruca said that she proved Becky Lynch wrong, and it wasn’t just her saying it – taking a shot at the way Becky Lynch speaks. However, the WWE legend didn’t come out, and the promo was a surprisingly generic message to the Women’s division.
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Either way, the challenge has only begun for Ruca. It’s always said that it’s one thing to reach the mountaintop, and it’s a whole other thing to stay there. Every great Champion has known this to be true as they instantly become targets in a cutthroat, competitive environment.
With that said, Ruca has proven to be one of the quickest adaptors of the wrestling business that you’ll ever see. With less than half a decade in the wrestling business, she has one of the most improtant titles in the entire industry.
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Former world champion Keith Thurman has considered the impact of Errol Spence Jr’s three-year layoff ahead of his encounter with Tim Tszyu.
The pair will collide at a catchweight of 158lbs on July 25, with Spence entering his first outing since suffering a ninth-round stoppage defeat to Terence Crawford.
Their surprisingly one-sided contest saw ‘The Truth’ lose his WBC, IBF and WBA world welterweight titles, while Crawford ultimately went on to become a three-division undisputed champion.
Tszyu has also made several changes to his training team over the past year or so, most recently hiring Australian great Jeff Fenech as his head coach.
When asked by MillCity Boxing about their clash in Australia, Thurman highlighted the 31-year-old’s greater activity as a clear advantage against Spence.
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At the same time, though, ‘One Time’ recognises Spence’s pedigree as an important factor against Tszyu, even with the 36-year-old having remained out of the ring since July 2023.
“A lot of people see it as a 50/50 [fight]. Spence has [had] too big of a layoff – that’s the biggest question mark.
“When your layoff is long [and] no one’s seen you, they don’t know what version of you they’re gonna get.
“They’re going to analyse you off of your last performance – [and Spence’s] last performance was not that good.
“I think Tim Tszyu has the advantage of activity and then Spence has the advantage of pedigree. He’s been at another level; he’s achieved more [than Tszyu].
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“But it’s a solid 50/50 [fight], because they both have some questions that need answers.”
Indeed, Spence has defeated more world-class opponents, and generally competed at a higher level, than Tszyu, whose most significant win came against Brian Mendoza in 2023.
Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo, herself a former women’s world number one, had regularly pointed to the possibility of short two-set matches as the reason for often overlooking the women.
“The match-ups are always interesting for both men and women, but there are multiple factors for us to make the choice,” Mauresmo said earlier on Monday.
“As you know, the potential length of the matches is something that we are also looking at.”
On picking Sabalenka against Osaka, she added: “It was obvious that it should be a night match tonight.”
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There was a school of thought that Mauresmo might have looked elsewhere, though, had men’s world number one Jannik Sinner still been in the tournament.
Sinner would have been scheduled to play on the same day, but without him the men’s matches taking place on Monday lacked star power.
If Sabalenka against Osaka did not take place under the lights, then which women’s match would conceivably ever be picked?
With that came a sense of expectation.
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If the match ended up being a dud, then it could have been used by critics as a stick to beat the women’s game with.
That, others argue, was a situation created by the French Open’s reluctance to showcase its female stars in the first place.
Was the burden which it placed on Sabalenka and Osaka to represent the women’s game fair?
“I don’t really care. There are so many different things to put pressure on myself – that was the last thing on my mind,” said Osaka.
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“Shout out to the tournament for trusting us – I hope it was entertaining for people.”
Moving forward, the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors should pay close attention to trade rumors involving assets who would be solid additions to their respective rosters.
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Of course, trades can’t be completed until the offseason officially gets underway, but nothing is preventing them from crafting a lengthy list of summer targets. A recent New Orleans Pelicans trade rumor should undoubtedly pique the interest of Los Angeles and Golden State in early June.
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“We assume he’s (Trey Murphy) probably going to get traded over the next three weeks,” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons stated. “I think Boston (Celtics) is a possibility. We thought whoever lost this matchup (between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder) is a possibility. You have two to three weeks to trade for someone like that.”
Although Simmons didn’t name the Lakers and Warriors as potential landing spots for Murphy, it’s widely believed that both organizations are in the mix for the 25-year-old. With Simmons’ report indicating that there’s a high probability the Pelicans will soon make him available in trade talks, Los Angeles and Golden State should be licking their chops as the offseason looms closer.
Murphy is exactly the type of player the Lakers are seeking this summer, as he’s a high-level perimeter shooter who gets after it on the defensive end. The Warriors will likely be more enamored with the Virginia product’s awe-inspiring long-range production, given their playstyle. That said, it’s reasonable to assume they wouldn’t overlook his valuable defensive contributions.
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Murphy, who averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 47.0% from the field and 37.9% from three this year, should soon garner heavy interest from the two Western Conference franchises.
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr has returned to the New York Giants after signing with the NFL team where he first made his name 12 years ago.
Beckham, 33, was a free agent having not played last season, when he served a six-game suspension for failing a drugs test.
He worked out for the Giants in April and again on Monday before completing his return to the franchise.
“Nothin [sic] was ever given to me I worked for everything I have. Never give up on urself [sic]. Home Team i’m back…. Let’s get it,” Beckham said on Instagram.
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Beckham was picked by the Giants in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft and spent five seasons in New York.
He made 390 receptions for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns in 59 games for the Giants before he was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 2019.
Beckham was part of the Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl-winning team in 2022, but he tore knee ligaments during the showpiece game and has struggled for form since.
He returned to the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023 before spending the 2024 campaign with the Miami Dolphins.
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Across his NFL career, Beckham has recorded 575 receptions for 7,987 yards and 59 touchdowns. He has also rushed 23 times for 170 yards and one touchdown.
BROSSARD, Que. — The holes were gaping, and they were thoroughly exposed to everyone by the end of the Montreal Canadiens’ promising run to within three wins of the Stanley Cup Final.
But president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton and general manager Kent Hughes didn’t need to watch their team get dismantled by the Carolina Hurricanes to see them. Those two didn’t enter the playoffs under any illusions, and they certainly weren’t suffering delusions of grandeur after the Canadiens beat the Hurricanes 6-2 in Game 1 of the semis before losing the next four by a combined score of 16-5.
“Had you told us before the year that we’d get 106 points and make the Eastern Conference Final,” said Hughes, “I don’t know if I would’ve believed that.”
Not without an established second-line centre to balance Nick Suzuki’s overwhelming responsibilities while maximizing Ivan Demidov’s enormous offensive potential; not without a seasoned, high-quality, right-handed defence partner for superstar lefty Lane Hutson; not without two more big, tenacious, intimidating depth wingers; and especially not without the young players on the Canadiens having a deeper understanding of what it takes to win the Cup.
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It’s arguable the pain-hardened Hurricanes might not even know. Even if they finally got past the stage they’ve stumbled on three times in recent years.
But it sure looks like they do get it now.
The Hurricanes also don’t have a single hole left to patch.
Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis weren’t forced in the Hurricanes’ 12-1 stampede to the Cup Final to be the offensive catalysts they were in the team’s 113-point regular season because Logan Stankoven, Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake have taken on much of the burden while freeing up the bottom-six forwards to punish the opposition with their physicality and intensity. And the dynamic directly in front of goaltender Frederik Andersen is similar, with top-pairing defenders Jaccob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield buoyed by K’Andre Miller and Sean Walker, who have insulated third-pairing defenders Shayne Gostisbehere and Alexander Nikishin.
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You combine that lineup composition with the Hurricanes learning from every humbling defeat to invest like they never had before in their unique identity under coach Rod Brind’Amour and you get a game strong enough to rip through the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers before tearing apart the Canadiens.
“In all facets of that series they were better than us,” said Gorton of the team poised to give the Vegas Golden Knights all they can handle in the Final. “I think that’s what we learned is that we have to be better in a lot of areas if we want to get to that next level. I think they showed us that. After that first game, they were very impressive, and we weren’t quite up to it.”
And that’s how it was supposed to be for the youngest team in the league. Especially in a series against one of the most battle-tested teams in the league.
What made the Canadiens’ run “promising” was that they defied the odds in the first round against the championship-pedigree Tampa Bay Lightning.
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To see them follow up that seven-game win with a seven-game ousting of the up-and-coming, electrifying Buffalo Sabres was to watch them guarantee themselves the type of experience most teams their age would only gain over three playoff runs.
“I think the team learned a lot,” said Hughes, who added he knows that’ll be as beneficial to the Canadiens’ future success as any moves he and Gorton make over the coming months.
Especially if the rest of the Canadiens hold themselves to the same standard Cole Caufield holds himself to.
The 25-year-old came out after Gorton and Hughes spoke and told gathered media he “sucked” during the Canadiens’ 19-game playoff run.
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It didn’t matter to Caufield that he still posted six goals and 13 points, or that his line with Juraj Slafkovsky and Suzuki was easier to hold in check with only middle-six and bottom-six forwards outside of Demidov playing behind him. What mattered to him was that his performance fell far beneath his own bar.
Same goes for Slafkovsky (six goals, 12 points) and Suzuki (four goals, 16 points), who both said they expect more from themselves — even if neither of them said they “sucked.”
“I think more importantly for them is going through it and understanding what it’s going to take and how to manage themselves going forward to be able to get through the playoffs round after round,” said Gorton. “It’s difficult. All three of them had great years. I don’t think we can lose sight of that. They all did something that they haven’t done before, a 30-goal scorer (Slafkovsky), a 50-goal scorer (Caufield), a 100-point season (Suzuki). We can’t lose sight of that.”
And neither can Gorton and Hughes, who must build more around those three players — the oldest of which is Suzuki, who turns 27 in August.
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Armed with higher incentive than they’ve had at any other point since they stepped into their respective positions (Gorton in November 2021 and Hughes in January 2022), they can only hope the right pieces become available to them to plug as many of their holes as possible before Canadiens hockey resumes in September.
“I’ve started to make the rounds in terms of contacting the teams,” said Hughes, who added he isn’t looking to mortgage the team’s future for a player only capable of potentially helping the Canadiens win next year’s Cup.
Gorton emphasized that adding more to the Canadiens’ core is the primary objective.
“We did that we felt with (26-year-old) Noah (Dobson), with (22-year-old) Zack (Bolduc),” he said. “I think this summer we’ll go in with the same approach. We’re going to try to keep going, but we don’t know what’s next until it comes along. It’s early on, we just got eliminated, so it’s hard to say what might be available to us.”
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We do know the Canadiens will have salary-cap flexibility, though, according to PuckPedia.com.
They have close to $11 million of it right now, with at least another $6.5 million to be freed up through Brendan Gallagher’s trade to another team.
“It’s pretty clear I’ll be moving on here,” the Canadiens’ winger said before his emotions overwhelmed him.
“He’s the ultimate competitor,” said Josh Anderson. “He’s meant a lot to this organization. To play 14 years with the same team, not a lot of guys get to do that in the league. He’s a tremendous guy off the ice, a family man now, and a guy that is going to be a friend for life. He’s meant a lot to this city. He’s just an absolute warrior and a guy that every team would love to have.”
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The young players on this one benefited so much from Gallagher’s courage and mentorship that his impact on the Canadiens’ future success will go well beyond the cap savings.
Still, those savings will help, in small part because Bolduc is due to a contract extension. And if some of those savings don’t get applied to a new deal for Kirby Dach — the 25-year-old is also a restricted free agent, though with a more doubtful future than Bolduc in Montreal — then more will be available to spend to acquire pieces via trade or free agency.
Gorton and Hughes said they won’t be reckless on either front, even with the cap increasing to $104 million next season before jumping to $113.5 million for 2027-28, and even with more space to play with in the likely event they also move Samuel Montembeault and his expiring $3.15-million contract. Rookies Jakub Dobes and Demidov are both eligible to sign new deals on July 1 — a year ahead of their entry-level contracts expiring — and that must be accounted for.
Still, a big part of the promise the Canadiens hold is found in their cap structure. Seven of their core members are locked in through 2030, with none counting for more per year than Dobson’s $9.5 million.
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That’s left Gorton and Hughes plenty of maneuverability to find and add the missing pieces.
They’d like to get all of them as soon as possible, though they’ll likely have to settle for just some. And if that means blocking — or trading — a prospect who could eventually fill a void but won’t necessarily be able to in short order, so be it.
“I think that’s inevitable for us,” said Hughes. “We’re certainly closer to being in a position where we would accept that scenario than when we first got here in January or February of 2022, where we would never have accepted it.”
Part of what both he and Gorton witnessed over the last seven weeks helped change that.
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What Gorton and Hughes saw against the Hurricanes only confirmed what they already knew, though.
“We know we have plenty of work to do still to reach our ultimate objective to win the Stanley Cup,” said Hughes.
Aryna Sabalenka overpowered fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the French Open last 16 on Monday, after Matteo Berrettini reached his first major quarter-final in four years.
World number one Sabalenka was too strong for a battling Osaka, winning 7-5, 6-3 in the first women’s night-session match in three years on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The Belarusian will next face Diana Shnaider after the Russian left-hander beat former Australian Open winner Madison Keys 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.
Sabalenka is the only Grand Slam champion left in either the men’s or women’s singles draws at Roland Garros as she bids for a maiden title on the Parisian clay, and to banish the memories of her painful loss in last year’s final to Coco Gauff.
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She has reached the quarter-finals at 14 consecutive major tournaments.
“I didn’t expect I would serve that great,” said Sabalenka. “I feel like I’m getting better and better with every match I play and overall I’m super happy with how I played today.”
Osaka, again sporting the sequined gold dress she likened to the Eiffel Tower at night, had to make do with her best ever run in Paris ending in the last 16.
It was the first time that WTA players had featured in the primetime slot since Sabalenka took on Sloane Stephens in the last 16 on June 4, 2023.
“I think it was pretty obvious this should be the night’s match,” tournament director Amelie Mauresmo told reporters earlier on Monday.
Sabalenka took a tense first set that was largely dominated by serve after the players traded early breaks, courtesy of a crucial break in the 11th game.
The top seed then powered through the second set, reeling off the last four games from 3-2 down to secure a third successive victory over Osaka this year.
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Austrian 28th seed Anastasia Potapova could not back up her win over defending champion Gauff, twice failing to serve for the match in a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (10/7) defeat by Anna Kalinskaya.
The Russian will next face Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska after she continued her remarkable run by cruising past the last remaining French player, Diane Parry, 6-3, 6-2.
“She’s one of the top players in the world. No one knows me, to be honest, so definitely a very challenging one, like every match here,” said Chwalinska of facing Kalinskaya.
There was something for the Paris crowd to cheer after Parry’s defeat, though, as Paris Saint-Germain players Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Warren Zaire-Emery and Bradley Barcola paraded their two Champions League trophies on court after securing a second straight title on Saturday.
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Former Wimbledon runner-up Berrettini, who has been plagued by injuries in recent years, booked his first major quarter-final since the 2022 US Open with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (8/6) win over Jannik Sinner’s conqueror Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
The world number 105 is the lowest-ranked player to reach the Roland Garros men’s last eight since Igor Andreev in 2007.
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“This (tennis) is the love of my life, I guess, otherwise I wouldn’t keep coming back after all the setbacks, the injuries,” said the Italian, playing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2021.
“There were moments it was really tough to come back and hit a ball… But now I’m back and it’s thanks to them (his team), my character and my resilience.”
Berrettini is one of only two Grand Slam finalists left in a wide-open men’s draw, alongside Alexander Zverev, after surprise early exits for Sinner and Novak Djokovic.
The 30-year-old will next face either American 19th seed Frances Tiafoe or fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi on Wednesday.
Italian 10th seed Flavio Cobolli overcame some late nerves to beat Zachary Svajda 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/5) on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Cobolli wobbled badly from 4-0 and 5-1 up in the fourth set, before finally getting over the line in a tie-break to reach his second Grand Slam quarter-final after Wimbledon last year.
“The match is never done and today I almost shit in my pants,” said Cobolli. “I’m happy but I’m still nervous.”
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The 24-year-old will battle fourth-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime for a semi-final berth.
World number six Auger-Aliassime is the highest-ranked player left in the top half of the men’s draw and he laid down a marker with a dominant 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 success against Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Tim David has been fined 50 per cent of his match fee and suspended for one match after breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during RCB’s five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.David, who scored 24 runs off 17 balls in the final, was found guilty of violating Article 2.9 of the Code of Conduct, which relates to “throwing a ball (or any other item of cricket equipment such as a water bottle) at or near a Player, Team Official, Umpire, Match Referee or any other third person in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during a Match.”The incident took place during the 10th over of Gujarat Titans’ innings. After a wicket fell, David threw an ice bag in the direction of on-field umpire Nitin Menon. Match Referee Javagal Srinath imposed the penalty after David admitted the offence and accepted the sanction.It was David’s third Level 1 offence of the season. He had earlier received one demerit point in Match 20 and two demerit points in Match 54. The latest breach added another two demerit points, taking his total to five.Under IPL regulations, a player who accumulates five demerit points receives a one-match suspension. As a result, David will miss the opening match of IPL 2027, whether he plays for RCB or another franchise next season.The Australian batter finished IPL 2026 with 305 runs from 16 matches and was part of the RCB side that successfully defended its title.RCB’s victory over Gujarat Titans made them only the third team in IPL history to retain the trophy after Chennai Super Kings (2010 and 2011) and Mumbai Indians (2019 and 2020). The Bengaluru franchise also became the fourth team to win multiple IPL titles, joining Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, who have five titles each, and Kolkata Knight Riders, who have won three.RCB captain Rajat Patidar also entered the record books by becoming the first skipper to win the IPL in each of his first two seasons as captain. He is only the third captain to secure back-to-back IPL titles after MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.
Paris Saint-Germain have brought the Champions League trophy back to France, taking it from Paris’s Champ-de-Mars to the Parc des Princes.
Arsenal also held a victory parade in London to celebrate winning the English Premier League title. Senegal were beaten by the United States in a World Cup warm-up match. At Roland Garros, Alexander Zverev confirmed his status as the new favourite, whilst Iga Swiatek was knocked out. Racing 92 pulled off a major upset in the Top 14. Jonathan Milan won the final stage of the Giro d’Italia.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka praised the support of the crowd – and even moonwalked on court – after beating Naomi Osaka in straight sets to advance to her fourth consecutive French Open quarter-final.
The 28-year-old was playing in the first women’s singles match to be held in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier since 2023 – and only the fifth since one-match night sessions were introduced in 2021 – and was jokingly disappointed to see off the 16th seed in an hour and 26 minutes, telling the crowd she wanted to “keep going”.
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However, in a meeting between two of the heaviest baseline hitters in the women’s game, Sabalenka’s accuracy on serve and delicate drop shots proved the difference as she came through 7-5 6-3 to beat Osaka for the third time in the past three months.
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Four-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka, the only player with experience of playing in a major final left in the women’s draw, will face 25th seed Diana Shnaider in the last eight as she continues her bid for a maiden French Open title.
“It is amazing to play in the night session. I really want to keep going. Thank you for bringing such an amazing atmosphere. You guys make this place special,” Sabalenka told the crowd on court.
“I’m happy with the win, it was a very tough one. She [Osaka] is such a great player – always a tough battle against her. I am mostly happy with the way I served and that I was able to put pressure back on her.”
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When the two players met in Madrid in April, it was Osaka who won the opening set and she started quickly once again, breaking Sabalenka in her opening service game.
However, it proved to be the only moment of uncertainty on serve for the top seed, who only conceded four points across the remainder of the first set and finished the match with 12 aces to Osaka’s two – and an 83% win percentage behind her first serve.
Osaka, by contrast, invited pressure on herself, being taken to deuce after leading 40-15 in three first-set service games and landing just 53% of her first serves. Sabalenka routinely stepped inside the baseline to receive second serves and won 21 points from a possible 35.
Sabelenka’s canny shot selection also proved effective, winning 10 of her 11 points at the net and hitting five drop shots among her 39 winners as she avoided being drawn into endless baseline slog-fests.
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She made the decisive break in the 11th game of the opening set before closing it out with a hold to love, and her relentless pressure told again in the second.
Osaka saved a break point in the fifth game but was broken to 15 in her next two service games, with Sabalenka converting match point with a trademark booming forehand.
The Parisian night belonged to Aryna Sabalenka as the world number one seized a rare chance for the women’s game to shine under the lights at Roland Garros.
For the first time in three years and only the fifth time since the one-match night session was introduced in 2021, a women’s match was given centre stage, ending a sequence of 33 consecutive men’s contests.
Sabalenka’s fourth-round clash with four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka was one of the biggest matches of the tournament so far, but the Japanese star was outplayed in a 7-5 6-3 defeat lasting an hour and 27 minutes.
The victory means Sabalenka has reached at least the quarter-finals in her last 14 major tournaments and she has a first French Open title firmly in her sights.
“She’s such a great player, always tough battles against her,” said Sabalenka. “I’m mostly happy the way I served and I was able to put the pressure back on her. It’s amazing to play in the night session in front of you all.”
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Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo has repeatedly cited concerns over the length of women’s matches and giving value to ticket-holders as the primary reason for not scheduling them during the night session.
The Australian and US Opens both put two contests in their evening schedules but Roland Garros organisers do not want the sort of early morning play that often occurs at those events.
With the top half of the men’s draw devoid of its expected stars, though, not scheduling this match in prime-time would have been akin to a closed door for the women.
Speaking to reporters earlier on Monday, Mauresmo said: “I think this match is the best match of the day. Multiple grand slam winners, so it was, for us, obvious this should be the night session.”
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(AP)
Sabalenka was also involved in the last women’s night match, against Sloane Stephens in 2023 – although it was so long ago that she had forgotten the occasion.
Osaka, through to the second week here for the first time, won their first meeting back in 2018 on the way to her maiden slam title in New York but they had not met again until earlier this year, first in Indian Wells and then on clay in Madrid.
Sabalenka won both of those contests and, after a nervous start in which Osaka moved 2-0 ahead, the world number one began to assert her authority.
Osaka was outplayed in a 7-5 6-3 defeat lasting an hour and 27 minutes (Christophe Ena/AP)
Osaka is one of the biggest ball-strikers in the game but she was being out-gunned, particularly off the Sabalenka backhand, while the top seed used the drop shot intelligently to keep her opponent guessing.
Osaka hung tough until the 11th game, when a netted backhand gave Sabalenka the break and she clinched the opening set with an ace.
The full house on Court Philippe Chatrier could certainly have no complaints about the quality on display, particularly from the formidable Sabalenka, who applied relentless pressure to Osaka and reeled off four games in a row to ease into the last eight.
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(Reuters)
The 28-year-old will next face Russia’s Diana Shnaider after she reached her first grand slam quarter-final with a 6-3 3-6 6-0 victory over former Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
A surprise last-eight clash will pit another Russian, 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya, against Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska.
Kalinskaya matched her best major result by beating Coco Gauff’s conqueror Anastasia Potapova in a deciding tie-break, while Chwalinska ended French singles hopes with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Diane Parry.
Chwalinska revealed after her previous match that she was concerned about how to pay for her extended hotel stay but she is guaranteed a minimum of 470,000 euros (approximately £406,000) – almost quintupling her current career prize money.
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