Halep through but ankle trouble persists

Simona Halep is not yet pain free despite cruising through the opening week of the French Open without dropping a set.

Halep arrived at the clay-court grand slam as a doubt after damaging ligaments in her right ankle during the Internazionali BNL d'Italia final against Elina Svitolina on May 21.

A scan showed a tear in the ligament but Halep was able to recover sufficiently to take her place in the draw, and she has seen off Jana Cepelova, Tatjana Maria and Daria Kasatkina with ease.

However, speaking after her 6-0 7-5 win over Kasatkina the Romanian admitted there was still pain there but she was doing her best to not let it affect her game.

"Today I felt it a little bit at one backhand, because I turned too much," she told a media conference. 

"When I turned with the right leg in front of me I felt it. But it doesn't bother me much. 

"I can run, I can slide, so I have nothing in my mind about the injury anymore."

Third seed Halep remains the favourite to lift the title at Roland Garros next weekend, but insists she is only focused on her next opponent - Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro.

"I'm not feeling the pressure and I'm not feeling that I'm favourite," she added.

"I am just confident that I have my chance. I have the game to play till the end. 

"But you never know in tennis. I will take it match by match, and if I am in the last match, then I will be very happy."