Angelique Kerber , Garbine Muguruza enter French open quarters

Angelique Kerber ended the French presence in the singles’ draws at Roland Garros when she saw off seventh seed Caroline Garcia 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth round on Monday.

The German former world number one, seeded 12th, played from the back of the court throughout the match, making it impossible for her 24-year-old opponent to develop her attacking game.

Double Grand Slam champion Kerber will next face world number one Simona Halep after the Romanian demolished Belgian Elise Mertens 6-2 6-1.

Kerber only hit 11 winners but Garcia made 36 unforced errors, meaning the German was never under too much pressure.

Garcia had reached two semi-finals in top-tier events on clay this season, but in front of her home fans on Court Suzanne Lenglen she was unable to produce her best tennis.

The Frenchwoman briefly threatened a comeback when she pulled a break back for 5-3 after saving four match points, but then sent a routine forehand wide on the fifth match point in the following game.

“I’m happy to be through, she has played really well in the last few months,” Kerber said of Garcia, who had reached the quarter-finals last year.

All of the French players in the men’s singles draw were knocked out of the tournament before reaching the fourth round.

Muguruza enters quarters

Spain’s Garbine Muguruza reached the quarter-finals of the French Open without raising a sweat when her Ukrainian opponent Lesia Tsurenko retired after just two games on Monday.

The third seed, bidding for a second title in Paris after her 2016 triumph, was 2-0 ahead when Tsurenko pulled out with an injury.

She will face two-times champion Maria Sharapova for a place in the semis after Sharapova’s opponent, Serena Williams, pulled out before the start of their eagerly-awaited duel.