Paris, 3 June 2018 | AAP / Tennis Australia

Daria Gavrilova was beaten by 16th seed Elise Mertens in the third round to end Australian interest in the French Open singles.

The Australian number two, seeded 24th, was outplayed by the Belgian, who won 6-3 6-1 in 62 minutes on court seven.

Sam Stosur had earlier lost 6-0 6-2 to Spanish third seed and former champion Garbine Muguruza on Court Philippe Chatrier.

After saving a match point in the previous round, having battled back from a set and a service break down in her opener, Gavrilova was unable to reproduce such heroics against Mertens, one of the dark horses for the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen.

REPORT: Stosur falls to Muguruza in Paris

As well as her charge to the last four in Melbourne, where she also beat Gavrilova, the Belgian has already won three titles in 2018 and chalked up 12 straight victories on clay this season.

The 16th seed needed barely an hour to dispatch Gavrilova for the second year in a row and end Australia’s hopes of a first champion in Paris since Margaret Court reigned for a fifth and final time in 1973.

Australian hopes remain alive in the men’s doubles, where John Peers and Finland’s Henri Kontinen beat Italy’s Daniele Bracciali and Andreas Seppi 7-6(2) 6-4 in round three.

They go on to face Spanish 12th seeds Feliciano Lopez and Marc Granollers.