SportMuguruza, Stephens Move Into Third Round at Roland Garros With Straight-Set Wins

© Getty Images Former champion Garbine Muguruza and last year's runner-up Sloane Stephens both posted straight-set wins Wednesday to reach the third round of the French Open.

On a sunny morning in the French capital, Muguruza beat Johanna Larsson 6-4, 6-1 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Seeded 19th this year, Muguruza won the title at Roland Garros in 2016 when she upset Serena Williams in the final.

The Spanish player is expected to face tougher opposition in her next match against ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina, who progressed to the third round without hitting a shot.

Svitolina was set to play 67th-ranked Kateryna Kozlova but organizers said the Ukrainian player withdrew with ''intercostal pain.'' She twice reached the quarterfinals in Paris.

Tsitsipas beats tricky Bolivian Dellien to reach third round

Tsitsipas beats tricky Bolivian Dellien to reach third round

2018 Roland - Garros runner-up, gradually eased into impregnable form and sailed 6-4, 6-3 into a season, Stephens has become famous for vaulting off a third - round victory into a deep run. against Muguruza , Stephens simply absorbed everything the 2016 Roland - Garros champion threw at her

Sloane Stephens vs Garbiñe Muguruza - Round 4 Preview | Roland - Garros 2019. Watch the preview of the match that will oppose Sloane Stephens and Garbiñe

Stephens, who lost to Simona Halep in last year's final, needed a bit more time to prevail 6-1, 7-6 (3) against the gritty but error-prone Sara Sorribes Tormo.

© Reuters Spain's Garbine Muguruza In a match that featured 11 breaks of serve, Stephens could not hold on to a 3-0 lead in the second set and Sorribes Tormo twice had the opportunity to level at 1-set apiece on her serve.

A turning point came in the 11th game when the 22-year-old Spaniard hit two consecutive double-faults to drop serve.

The seventh-seeded Stephens hit a series of winners in the tiebreaker and sealed the match with a backhand down the line.

''Just decided to keep it exciting, to play a bit longer on that court,'' Stephens joked. ''I missed it from last year.''

Pictures: Best of the French Open

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Sloane Stephens saw off Garbine Muguruza in straight sets to set up a French Open quarter-final against British number one Johanna Konta. Stephens , runner-up at Roland Garros last year, beat the 2016 champion 6-4 6- 3 in one hour 40 minutes in Paris.

Stephens , who won her maiden Slam title in New York last year, defeated fellow American and close friend Madison Keys 6-4, 6-4 having previously It was the first set that the Wimbledon champion had dropped at Roland Garros this year. She also failed to win a single service game in the opener.