PARIS, MAY 29 (IANS): The wave of upsets at Roland Garros 2026 continued as Belgium’s Raphael Collignon shocked fifth seed Ben Shelton in straight sets to advance to the third round. On the same day that World No.1 Jannik Sinner was eliminated in a five-set thriller, Collignon delivered a commanding 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 victory over the American.
The 24-year-old, ranked 62nd, dominated with his serve, winning 43 of 49 first-serve points and never facing a break point in the two-hour, three-minute contest. The win marked the first time a Belgian had defeated a top-five seed at a Grand Slam since his coach Steve Darcis stunned Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2013.
Collignon, who had previously beaten Alex de Minaur in Belgium’s Davis Cup upset of Australia, now faces Italian Matteo Arnaldi, who overcame 2021 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in four sets. Shelton, meanwhile, fell short of his bid for a third consecutive third-round appearance in Paris despite entering the tournament on the back of his Munich title.
Elsewhere in the men’s draw, fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime battled past Roman Andres Burruchaga 4-6, 6-0, 7-5, 6-1, while Flavio Cobolli defeated Wu Yibing in straight sets. Former quarter-finalist Matteo Berrettini ousted French seed Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, and American Brandon Nakashima edged Luca Van Assche in five sets.
Kostyuk sets up Swiatek rematch
Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk extended her winning streak on clay to 15 matches with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic, booking her place in the fourth round of Roland Garros for the second time.
The 15th seed has been in scintillating form, arriving in Paris with back-to-back titles in Rouen and Madrid. Her aggressive baseline play and composure have made her one of the standout performers of the clay season. Kostyuk’s latest triumph sets up a highly anticipated clash against four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek, rekindling their rivalry from 2021 when Swiatek won in straight sets. Swiatek herself advanced comfortably, defeating compatriot Magda Linette 6-4, 6-4 in an all-Polish encounter.
Elsewhere, Chinese qualifier Wang Xiyu continued her fine run, defeating Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-3, 7-5 to reach the last 16 without dropping a set.
The men’s draw also saw Novak Djokovic scheduled to face Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, while second seed Alexander Zverev prepared to meet French wildcard Quentin Halys. Andrey Rublev was set to take on Nuno Borges as the battle for second-week berths intensified.
With Sinner’s shock exit and Shelton’s defeat, the top half of the men’s singles has been thrown wide open, leaving Felix Auger-Aliassime as the only top-eight seed remaining.