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ICYMI at French Open: A big win and a scoop of ice cream for Sloane Stephens

PARIS -- The thing about ice cream is that it's not just for the ordinary person. It's for Sloane Stephens, too.

The No. 10 seed, who won a terrific 4-6, 6-1, 8-6 match Saturday against Camila Giorgi to reach the fourth round of the French Open, unabashedly digs this sweet frozen snack when she's not ripping forehands and backhands on the tennis court.

Stephens has been spotted walking down the Champs-Elysees with a cone in hand (and mouth). Even as an elite athlete competing for prestigious championships, Stephens doesn't shy away from indulging herself with a scoop. Make that "three scoops if you're feeling like you have exercised lately," she said in press Saturday.

But we have to ask, cone or dish?

"Cone, duh."

But while it seems as though ice cream is a ubiquitous luxury, it's not quite as easy to appease Stephens as you'd think.

The Haagen-Dazs on the Champs had the audacity to close -- and for a Five Guys, of all places. "So disrespectful," Stephens lamented. "But I have found one in a mall across the street, so I have been able to regroup with that."

Now, should we talk about her match? Twice Giorgi served for a spot in the final 16, but both times Stephens was able to break back before pulling out the win.

"I mean, obviously going out there, I knew it was going to be a battle," Stephens said. "[Giorgi] plays kind of crazy, but in a good way. She makes a lot of -- she hits a lot of winners and plays very unpredictable, so it's hard to get a rhythm."

Not that we want to get too far ahead of ourselves, but ... someone has a bold prediction.

Take that, Sharapova. And Serena. And Halep.


Rafa's rally of the day

Back and forth they went, grinding forehands and backhands until, mercifully, Nadal scrambled to net, a strategy too intimidating for young Leo, a lucky ball boy who got his shot to rally with Rafa on Saturday afternoon in Paris.

Not to be mean-spirited or anything, but that was pretty much the most compelling part of Nadal's afternoon. A few moments earlier, he had finished off Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in a match as sleep-inducing as the score suggests.

Through three rounds, Nadal has dropped a mere 24 games, which if you're doing the math, is eight per match or less than three per set.

Make that 34 completed winning sets in a row for Nadal, seven behind Borg's Open era record of 41.

Consistency, consistency

It's safe to say Garbine Muguruza loves the French Open. The Spaniard, who lifted the Roland Garros title in 2016, cruised into the final 16 of this year's tournament after she dispatched Australian Samantha Stosur 6-0, 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier on Saturday.

According to our Stats & Information team, Muguruza's latest triumph means she is the only woman to reach the second week at this event in each of the past five years.

"I believe I can hold a trophy not only here; I believe I can do it in every tournament I play," Muguruza said in press after her victory. "Of course, here it's so many matches. It's a very long tournament. I'm pleased with my performance today. I think it was never easy match against a Grand Slam champion. I'm pleased because I felt in control in the match."

Muguruza faces Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko for a place in the quarterfinals.

--Rob Bartlett


Au revoir, home favorites

Plenty of sunshine in Paris on Day 7, but little of it shone on the home contingent. French No. 1 Lucas Pouille, No. 27 seed Richard Gasquet, No. 32 seed Gael Monfils and Pierre-Hugues Herbert all crashed out in the third round. Monfils, in particular, appeared out on his feet after a tough five-set loss to David Goffin.

"I'm first to be disappointed for myself, disappointed for my team, my family, my friends, and for the public, of course," Monfils said in press.

A huge crowd gathered around Gael Monfils as he talked to the media outside Court Philippe Chatrier. It's not been a good day for France's male contingent at Roland Garros, with Monfils, Lucas Pouille and Richard Gasquet all losing their respective third round matches.

Rob Bartlett, ESPN UK Associate Editor6y ago

However, No. 7 seed Caroline Garcia kept the French Tricolore flying in the women's draw after a 6-1, 6-3 triumph over Irina-Camelia Begu earned her a place in the last 16.

"I don't think it's going to put much pressure on me to be the last French player in the tournament," Garcia said after her win. "It's a Grand Slam match, so you can be more or less successful. Maybe it will be my last match tomorrow, but what I try is to take advantage of the fact that I'm in the French Open and see where I get."

--Rob Bartlett

Oops

Sadly for Edmund, that was the least of his issues Saturday. The Brit could not escape The Fabulous One, Fabio Fognini.

It took 3 hours, 34 minutes, but Fognini finally outlasted Edmund 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

And how about this doozy of a stat:

With Marco Cecchinato also through, Fabio Fognini’s victory over Kyle Edmund Saturday means Italy has two players in the last 16 of the French Open for the first time since 1976, when Corrado Barazzutti and Adriano Panatta survived that far.

Rob Bartlett, ESPN UK Associate Editor6y ago

More racket slammin'

Welp, you know what they say about all good things.

Petra Kvitova's 13-match winning streak came to an end Saturday, as she fell in the third round to Estonia's Anett Kontaveit.