Defending French Open champion Coco Gauff suffers shock defeat in third round

Potapova took a 4-2 lead in the first set only to crumble to a 6-4 defeat, suggesting Gauff was on her way to the straight-sets victory but the Austrian rallied, winning the second set 7-6 before taking the match in the third.

It was a marathon match that took 2 hours and 37 minutes on Chatrier and Potapova was battling with cramp even in the post-match interview.

"I'm cramping a little bit but it's OK, it's all good. I don't have any words now, I'm extremely happy.

"The fight we could show, both of us - Coco is such a champion and I respect her so much.

"I'm unbelievably proud of myself that I stayed there, that I was fighting until the last point."

"It's up there in the top three [of my biggest wins] for sure."

The result means Gauff will fall out of the top five in the rankings. Potapova paid tribute to the dethroned champion.

"Wow, I don't have any words now," she said. "I'm extremely happy, and the fight that we could show, both of us.

"I mean, Coco is such a champion. I respect her so much, and I'm unbelievably proud of myself as well, that I stayed there, that I've been fighting for the last point and here I am."

Next up for Potapova is a match against 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya for a place in her maiden Roland Garros quarterfinal.

Elsewhere, Aryna Sabalenka eased to a straight-set victory over Daria Kasatkina, making her just the ninth player to secure 100 victories as World No 1.

"It has definitely been a great week," Sabalenka said in her on-court interview afterwards. "I'm happy to be through to the second week, happy with my level, and to be able to handle the fight that she brought and get a straight-sets win."

"I've got goosebumps. It means the world to me and I'm just happy that in the tough moments I stayed tough. I was fighting and never gave up and that is what it has brought me.

"I'm super proud of myself and my team. We've reached an amazing level that felt impossible."

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