Halep sweeps past Mertens to enter French Open quarter-finals

In just 59 minutes, the two-time French Open finalist easily overcame 16th-seed Mertens in their second career match, winning 63 percent of her first serves and 78 percent of her second, reported Efe.

Mertens was out of step throughout much of the match, and despite a small rally at the end, she gave Halep the win on a double fault - her fourth of the match.

Halep, in her bid for a first Grand Slam title, is set to take on either seventh-seeded Caroline Garcia of France or 12th-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany.

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.