Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic cannot play in Sunday's upcoming final, but they can play in Friday's semifinals.
Rafael Nadal entered the quarterfinals of the French Open after beating Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 6-2, 6-2, while Novak Djokovic also became an 11-time quarter-finalist as he beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, 6-3, in another match.
The 14-time major victor is yet to drop a set, conceding just six games in the last two rounds as he strives to become the first man to win 10 titles at a single grand slam.
After completing a career Grand Slam past year, defeating Andy Murray in the final, Djokovic is now looking to become the first man in the Open Era and just the third man in history to win each of the four Grand Slam titles twice, behind Rod Laver and Roy Emerson.
The title favourite maintained his record of never having lost to another Spaniard at Roland Garros with a 6-1 6-2 6-2 victory over 17th seed Roberto Bautista Agut.
This was Muguruza's first attempt at defending a Grand Slam championship, and she ran into a determined Mladenovic, who was backed by a vocal crowd of countrymen who chanted her nickname, Kiki, throughout the match. It appeared the favored Djokovic was perhaps in for a long day, but he responded to the battle of attrition in the first set by steamrolling Ramos-Vinolas in the second.
In other matches, Kei Nishikori beat Korean Chung Hyeon 7-5 6-4 6-7 (4) 0-6 6-4 in a rain-delayed tie. I'm very happy to be in the quarters of the French once again.
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The eighth-seeded Nishikori was leading 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 0-3 when rain stopped play as the 21-year-old Chung rallied.
"It's a very painful defeat here in the French Open", said a tearful Muguruza. It's a rematch of their semifinal previous year, when Djokovic defeated Thiem in straight sets.
Gael Monfils also advanced in Paris when his compatriot Richard Gasquet retired midway through the third set.
After losing the Australian Open final to Federer in a five-set thriller - and then twice more to Federer on hardcourts - Nadal has been in fine form on clay, winning titles at Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid. "That is the only important thing for me", said Nadal, whose last grand slam success was the 2014 French Open.
Venus Williams has lost in the fourth round of the French Open to 30th-seeded Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland, meaning the tournament will produce a first-time Grand Slam champion.
Pliskova, the Czech, beat Carina Witthoft of Germany 7-5 6-1, while Svitolina of Ukraine overcame Poland's Magda Linette 6-4 7-5. "I can't play properly'".





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