Last Australian knocked out of French Open as Gauff's title defence ended

Aryna Sabalenka beat Daria Kasatkina for her 100th victory as world number one. (Getty Images: Robert Prange)

World number one Aryna Sabalenka has beaten Daria Kasatkina in the French Open third round, knocking the last Australian out of the singles draw.

Defending champion Coco Gauff was beaten by Anastasia Potapova, joining the early exodus of big names from the clay-court slam.

Sabalenka will meet former world number one Naomi Osaka in a blockbuster fourth round.

Defending champion Coco Gauff has been dramatically dethroned at the French Open by Anastasia Potapova, while world number one Aryna Sabalenka cut through the chaos to dismiss Daria Kasatkina and end the Australian campaign in the third round.

After ​a brutal two days for fancied players at the clay-court grand slam, during which Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic crashed out, Gauff was unable to find her best level and lost 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 to fall by the wayside.

"Just trying to capitalise more on these good points that I was hitting and not quite finishing … that was the difference, she was able to finish points and I wasn't.

All the key favourites are now out of the men's draw at the French Open, but then again, this tournament has always been just a little bit different.

"It's one thing to lose, but today I ​competed, I fought my hardest, but I don't think I ‌played the way I wanted to in the crucial moments."

Gauff's premature exit leaves four-time champion Iga Świątek and Sabalenka as the top contenders to win the Suzanne Lenglen Cup, while Potapova will be viewed as the dark horse having dished out a massive upset.

"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," Potapova said in her on-court interview as she ‌clutched her right arm after two hours and 37 minutes of big hitting.

"The fight we could show … Coco's such a champion and I respect her so much. I'm unbelievably proud of myself, that ⁠I stayed there, and that I was fighting until the last point."

Coco Gauff joined the likes of Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic making surprisingly early exits. (Getty Images: Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images)

Sabalenka earlier beat Kasatkina 6-0, 7-5 on a sun-drenched ‌Court Suzanne Lenglen for her 100th win as the top-ranked woman, making her only ​the ninth player to achieve the feat since the inception ‌of the WTA rankings.

She joined Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Chris Evert, Serena Williams, Martina Hingis, Monica Seles, Justine Henin and Swiatek in the honours list.

"I've got goosebumps," said Sabalenka, who struggl