Eugenie Bouchard rallies to victory in three sets over Daria Gavrilova at the French Open

 

Genie Bouchard swings big in her second round match against Daria Gavrilova at the French Open Wednesday. 

Eugenie Bouchard showed a lot of fight that carried her to another win at the French Open Wednesday. The Canadian overcame a loss of control in the first set against Daria Gavrilova, finding her moment of attack in the next two to win 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 on Court 13 at Roland Garros. It was the tenth win overall since the restart for the 28 year old, who gained another footing in the tournament. 

The pair met up for the first time in WTA action with each well aware of the other’s game. The Canadian showed major improvements that led to her victory over Kalinskaya on Sunday. With a step forward that matched her reach in 2016-17, the 26 year old had her eyes on going further with what she has offensively. The Aussie recently took down Dayana Yastremska in her opening round and would no doubt try to pull off an upset to not only her opponent but the contingency behind her. 

She opened the match with a break of Gavrilova who had the second serve in play to assist her first. Despite the loss, Gavrilova broke back but was unable to consolidate when she returned to service. Bouchard got a leg up on the 2-1 lead, holding serve in the fourth with just two points going to the Aussie. The Canadian had the triple break in hand, forcing deuce to take the first AD point. 

Just when it all looked well for the 26 year old, Gavrilova struck back in the sixth breaking Bouchard. It was the beginning of a sea change for the Australian as she held well in the seventh before scoring the double break that made it four-all. With all her ground lost, Bouchard struggled to push for the break in the ninth. She battled back Gavrilova in the tenth forcing the set deep with plenty of reaction and speed to win the break on deuce. 

With things level since the second game, the Canadian faced Gavrilova’s service that saw her gain one point and fall back to need a hold that would force a decider. She couldn’t overcome the need to hold her ground against the Australian, who forced deuce and produced break point chances. A second try against Bouchard worked out as she took the lead 59 minutes with the momentum flowing her way. 

Bouchard changed that in the second, breaking Gavrilova with a winner. The Canadian consolidated it with a hold in the second. The Australian held in the third to get on the board, but once Bouchard was back on the ball, she laid down three winners in a row to go on to take the fourth. She held on to the gap to the seventh, carrying a three game lead on her opponent. Gavrilova rallied back on deuce in the eighth, winning the third break with a winner on Bouchard for the break. She consolidated to get back within reach but the Canadian star ran the tenth, ending the set in 48 minutes. 

With her strong momentum, the former semifinalist in Paris fought Gavrilova in the first but fell on her one try for the break. Gavrilova held after the second break with a winner, making sure she set the bar first. Bouchard followed along until the fifth when she easily broke the Aussie for the 3-2 lead. A hold in the sixth opened the gap that was necessary to defend the rest of the decider. Gavrilova added another win in the seventh, but her opponent had the offense well under control, scoring a pair of winners to sit up 5-3. Three winners and an unforced error came from the Canadian but after 2 hours and 24 minutes, Bouchard had another match win under her belt.

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova upsets Victoria Azarenka at the French Open

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Anna Karolina Schmiedlova added another huge win to her tournament run at the French Open Wednesday. The Slovakian having taken out Venus Williams in the opening round had the success of defeating tenth seeded Victoria Azarenka in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 on Simonne Mathieu Court at Roland Garros. It was the biggest win for the 26-year-old who had a stumble in the second set but rallied to continue her dominance. 

This was the first meeting between the euro stars and for the Slovakian a return to improvement in Paris. Her upset win over Venus Williams for the second time this season put her against the tenth seed who lit up a fire in the cold conditions. Azarenka battled the elements but came through quickly in her match against Danka Kovinic. With the knowledge of her opponent’s gameplay, the 31-year-old would more than likely treat round two with the same focus and aggression that she would dish out. 

It was the Slovakian who made the first strike, delivering a break to her name for the lead. Azarenka tried to give it right back but found herself in a long drawn out on deuce. After nearly 11 minutes played and five breaks, Schmiedlova had the 2-0 stand with a service hold. Azarenka got on the board with a much-needed service in the third and got into her groove while Schmiedlova contained her lead. They played the next three games with the Slovakian gaining a two-game gap on the Belorussian. 

A break in the seventh gave the Slovakian a shot for the set in the seventh breaking Azarenka with a quick win on deuce. She held firm on service in the eighth, giving herself a strong win over the tenth seed that took 52 minutes. Unforced errors rattled Azarenka’s offense, giving Schmiedlova the opportunities needed to be ahead in the match. 

As the second got underway, Azarenka opened it with a hold of serve followed by Schmiedlova who showed no signs of difference from her early success. The same went for the third as a fall for the Slovakian caused her to scuff up the left knee. After a medical timeout, Schmiedlova showed no signs of pain or discomfort and continued with play. Azarenka continued to hold serve as she knew that letting up on the 26-year-old would spell trouble. 

A break she suffered in the fifth gave Schmiedlova the consolidation of a held serve, taking a 3-2 lead. The Slovakian made it three in a row against the tenth seed, who couldn’t find her way to break the 26-year-old. She suffered another chance at regaining ground in the seventh, losing an AD point that handed Schmiedlova the serve for the match in the eighth. Bringing some aggression into the game, Azarenka tried to produce breakpoints but her efforts on returning strong were not. Schmiedlova conducted her winners that got her to match point which saw Azarenka send one into the net ending the match in 1 hour and 42 minutes.

Elina Svitolina claws out of trouble late against Renata Zarzua at the French Open

Elina Svitolina in action during her second round match at the French Open Wednesday 

Elina Svitolina got out of a bunch of trouble at the French Open but managed to find control near the finish line. Renata Zaruzua took control of the match at one point, putting the third seed in serious trouble. Recovering fast, the Ukrainian won in three sets 6-3, 0-6, 6-2 on Philippe Chatrier Court at Roland Garros. 

This was a big meeting for the Mexican in the second round, facing a top-five ranked player for the first time in her career. After her win over French teenager Elsa Jacquemot, Zaruzua earned her first slam match win but faced her biggest challenge ever. Svitolina had a tough time coming out smoothly in her match with Rome going wrong for her. The dictation she found in the first round gave her another shot at doing the same against the birthday girl who would feel the nerves from the first ball toss. The Mexican won the shot at serving to the Ukrainian but easily fell into her trap, giving her breakpoints. Zaruzua saved two but couldn’t keep her back. Svitolina held firm in the second and broke the 22-year old for a terrific 3-0 start over the rookie. It was quickly 4-0 for the third seed but on serve in the fifth, Zaruzua pulled together enough focus to end the shutout and get on the board with a service hold. 

It was suddenly a match as the Mexican moved better to produce a break of the third seed, cutting the margin in half. Zaruzua consolidated a third win as she battled her service game against the Ukrainian who was on the ropes. She battled to deuce but couldn’t stop the surge that the 23-year-old produced. Putting the stress behind her, the third seed rallied to move her lead to 5-3, with Zaruzua playing to stay in the set. Unable to control with strong returns, Svitolina took the 1-0 lead in 36 minutes. She only had seven winners and unforced errors but a strong first-serve percentage. 

None of her good qualities opened the second set as Svitolina produced plenty of free points to Zaruzua. She battled back to force deuce, but she found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time, blowing her hold of serve. A game to love handed Zaruzua a 2-0 hold on the Ukrainian who probably didn’t expect to be running behind, having won two of the last seven games. The 23-year-old was up 3-0 on the third seed, who had nothing to show for it since her 4 game run early in the match. Tactics from Zaruzua continued to pay well, consolidating the double break with a second hold of the set. 

Needing a win under her belt, Svitolina fought hard to get her to serve under control. Forcing deuce in the fifth, the Ukrainian tried to get a leg up on Zaruzua but gave her time to place well on the court and be the dictator of the game. After five break-point chances, the 23-year-old watched as a ball from Svitolina landed wide of the line to sit five games down. On serve to force a decider, Zaruzua let Svitolina make her own errors that brought up set point. 

Running well for the ball near the net, the Mexican completed the shutout with a return winner. It was a 29-minute rally that pushed them to a set that wasn’t expected but in the books. Svitolina’s serve took a beating with the first serve winning 31 percent and 36 percent from the second. With 16 unforced errors and two winners, the third seed knew that more needed to be done to avoid the upset. 

She opened the third with an important hold of serve, following it up with a break of Zaruzua in the second. The Mexican broke back in the third, getting on the board with Svitolina struggling with the second serve. A hold from the Mexican consolidated the break to level the score at two-all, allowing Svitolina a point in the fourth. 

The Ukrainian wasn’t out of it by a longshot, as she proved with a hold in the fifth and tactics that produced a break to lead 4-2. Hitting the ball more accurately sent frustrations into Zaruzua who watched the third seed regain focus and ease her game through. Svitolina locked down the seventh with a crosscourt shot that came back into the net for the birthday girl who served to keep the match alive. 

Errors rattled the Mexican who gave Svitolina a double match point, bringing her tournament to a halt with a return on a winner go wide ending the match in 1 hour and 35 minutes. “I think I was just trying to get back into the match,” said Svitolina to Marion Bartoli after the match. “I just lost a little bit of the way and was making too many errors and she was quite solid from the baseline. For me, it was important to stay focused and try to come back and still keep aggressive.”

Jelena Ostapenko shines in first round victory at the French Open

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Jelena Ostapenko had plenty of double faults but took a grip of her match at the French Open Tuesday. The former singles champion easily defeated Madison Brengle on Court Nine with a solid service game, producing a 6-2, 6-1 win at Roland Garros. 

 The two hadn’t met in three years when they played all their of the matches. The Latvian took wins in Auckland and Acapulco before losing to the American in Miami. Since the shutdown, both got time to play competitive tennis with Brengle doing her best at the US Open. With no matches so far on clay, the 30-year-old had a disadvantage against the 2017 champion at Roland Garros. 

 Her actions in Rome and Strasbourg didn’t produce championships but major improvements to her serve. With coach Tomas Hogstedt in her corner, the Latvian significantly lowered the double faults. With another chance to gain at Brengle’s expense, the 23-year-old needed a big statement to come from her offense. 

 She brought it against the American’s service, scoring a break to love early. When it came to her own service game, the 23-year-old struggled with a double fault. While she did come back to force deuce, the American held serve after three breaks. Brengle consolidated her service for a 2-1 lead and fought to keep the winning going. A fourth game break was recorded by Brengle who leveled but fell at the hands of Ostapenko notching the fifth game. 

 Having played every single game to a break of serve, the Latvian wanted to change that and hold from her end once. She did just that after playing deuce twice while saving a pair of breakpoints from Brengle. She went on to break her in the seventh, taking a 5-2 lead on the American with her first chance to serve for the set. Making a comeback on serve, the Latvian forced deuce from 15-40, won the first AD point, and clinched the one-set lead in 36 minutes. The 23-year-old served 73 percent from the first serving, recording almost two-thirds for points. Despite committing six double faults, Ostapenko’s jump ahead in the match was an important point.

 Much like the start of the first set, Ostapenko came out into the second with a break to love on Brengle. She consolidated with a hold of serve, getting off to a terrific start. The 30-year-old got on the board, holding off Ostapenko but the former French Open champion returned to her dominating form. The Latvian gave up a breakpoint but saved it to force deuce. She dealt with another break for Brengle before locking up the game on the second break. With a 3-1 grip in the set, the 23-year-old went for broke, scoring two breakpoints that gave her a three-game margin from the American. 

 On serve in the sixth, Ostapenko struggled, adding another double fault that brought Brengle back into the mix. The Latvian finished her off with a lob shot for the AD point before getting into place for the line drive winner. The 30-year-old served to stay in the match but erred twice to get Ostapenko close to the finish. The Latvian notched her own match point with a return winner before getting the first round done with a winner down the line. It was a 62-minute success for Ostapenko who clinched her third win over the American and advanced to the second round.

Garbine Muguruza edges Tamara Zidansek in thriller at the French Open

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Garbine Muguruza had a long night out on court but edged her way to victory at the French Open Monday. The 11th seed Spaniard had Tamara Zidansek all over her in a three-set battle that saw her get through on Court Simon Mathieu 7-5, 4-6, 8-6. 

It was a first-time faceoff between the two players with the Spaniard looking to heat up her time on the clay courts. A run to the final in Rome ended in defeat but her surge of victories gave her experience to dictate her opponents. The Slovenian faced a second straight match in the opening round where she drew a top 20 opponent. With only three matches on clay, Zidansek had an uphill battle to deal with against the former 2016 champion. 

She held to open the match but soon faced the Spaniard who got into trouble on serve. Zidansek was with her in the second to force deuce which then led to a long stalemate. The Slovenian produced seven breakpoints with Muguruza fending off a majority of them. She was troubled with the fact that she only had one chance to hold serve on deuce. Zidansek continued to produce the opportunities and after 14 minutes, she earned the break on the 23rd point. Adding pressure to the 11th seed, she took a 3-0 lead with her service paying well. 

Muguruza ended the Slovenian’s winning streak putting together a serve to love in the fourth. The fight for her comeback was on as the 26-year-old fought tooth and nail in the fifth, threatening with a break chance. Zidansek forced deuce but faced Muguruza who produced the breakpoints. After three attempts, the Spaniard earned the break back, sitting a game down. A good old leveled the score at three-all giving Muguruza the surge required to regain control. A double break for her earned her the lead and a 5-3 hold. 

Zidansek put a stop to the four-game slide, with a service hold in the ninth, and broke the 11th seed to extend the set. Muguruza broke back to go up 6-5 with the balls in hand to serve for the first. Gaining two set points, the 26-year-old notched her sixth double fault leaving one remaining. A good forehand smash near the net put her efforts in the rally to rest, completing the comeback in 59 minutes. The unforced errors to winners ratio for Muguruza were the key to her success on serve as she recorded only eight errors and notched 13 winners at her opponent. With the first serve at 73 percent, the 11th seed had what it took to conduct a better outcome going forward. 

Zidansek opened to service in the second, needing very little time to complete the hold. She then went after Muguruza’s taking the Spaniard to deuce. The game was drawn out but after two breaks, the 11th seed managed to hold serve. Breaks of serve followed before Zidansek got back on track with hers in the fifth. Muguruza followed suit before going for a key break to take the lead in the seventh. Zidansek broke back in the eighth, giving one point to the Spaniard in response. 

Muguruza tried to lock down the hold of service in the ninth, but the attack from Zidansek was a tough one to keep back. The 22-year-old got ahead in the ninth, took the game away, and served for the set in the tenth. Having Muguruza on the ropes, the Slovenian gained set points and clinched the second to move to a decider after 50 minutes. 

The third set ran one way in favor of Zidansek who had control of the first three games with a break in hand. Muguruza had problems on the court that included a hesitation on the returns. In the fourth game, the Spaniard turned things around with a victory on serve before adding a break of Zidansek. The Slovenian fought to try and break Muguruza for the second time in the set but after three breaks, it was all tied up at three. 

The seventh was a true fight for Zidansek who got into it with Muguruza who had a shot at breakpoint but couldn’t hold the Slovenian back. They went to deuce six times only to see the Slovenian hold, sitting two games from an upset. Muguruza held serve to stay with her opponent as the finish line closed in. Zidansek set the bar in the ninth, leaving her with the first opportunity to play for the match. 

Muguruza shut it down, as she opened a gap in the tenth and watched as a drop shot attempt from Zidansek fell wide. When the serve returned to her end, the 22-year-old made sure to work every point and hold serve. A great forehand achieved the 6-5 score with Muguruza serving the 12th for a further extension. The Spaniard accomplished the game to move into extra frames of the set. 

She broke Zidansek in the 13th scoring on a crosscourt strategy that ended with a change in her groundstrokes. Serving for the match, Muguruza made every point count, scoring a winner and then an ace down the T. Zidansek answered back with a sliced winner and made it 30-all on an error from the 11th seed. The Spaniard reached match point on a shot that bounced off the net giving Zidansek very little time to return. After three hours and a minute, Muguruza had the victory on a key point that put her night to rest.

Elina Svitolina narrowly wins opening round at the French Open

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The first round of the French Open was not easy for Elina Svitolina Monday. A big challenge from Varvara Gracheva who overcame a 0-4 deficit in the first set forced a first set tiebreak but fell 7-6(2), 6-4 on Suzanne Lenglen Court at Roland Garros. 

The two met for the first time with the 20 year old Russian facing a very tough foe. Svitolina took home her 15th WTA title at Strasbourg and earned a day of rest. In her eighth entry into the main draw, the 26-year-old looked to overcome her back to back third-round exits and get a terrific start against the rookie. 

She went on the offensive as soon as the ball got across to her, setting up the breakpoints. The two-time quarterfinalist showed how well her form was and consolidated the break for a 2-0 stand. Svitolina refused to let Gracheva get a game win under her belt, anticipating the next return and placing herself on the court to knock in the winner. The Ukrainian let up a bit on serve in the fourth, allowing the Russian to force deuce. Bringing her presence near the net, Svitolina attacked with groundstrokes to maintain her dominance. 

Gracheva pulled off a serve to love in the fifth, showing better on her opponent’s return game. Problems from both sides of Svitolina’s racket allowed the Russian a break back in the sixth, sitting two games down. Gracheva worked the third seed around the court, making it difficult for her to gain control in the rallies. Getting to deuce was necessary to stop the loss of ground but continued on for the 20-year-old. 

Gracheva completed the comeback to sit four-all with Svitolina who was figured out on the court and being threatened with going a set down. On serve in the eighth and a double break up, Gracheva fell behind as Svitolina posted herself near the middle of the baseline before coming in for the breakpoint smash. With the lead back, she earned a chance to serve for the set but blew the lead that handed Gracheva the five-all tie with the triple break. 

A much-needed break for Svitolina arrived, ending a stressful eleventh game. Gracheva in her attempts to save breakpoint sliced one wide to give the third set the 6-5 lead. In her second attempt, the 26-year-old failed to contain Gracheva’s power that pushed things to a set tiebreak. Svitolina played five previous tiebreaks this season and had never lost one of them. 

After a two-all tie, Svitolina added a gap on her service to reach a 6-2 position for set point. It came to a close in 58 minutes with a move from the third seed into the court and deliver a lob that was good to go. Svitolina narrowly outscored her 46-41 with the first serve doing better than her Russian opponent in what was a very even fight. 

The next set began with Gracheva earning the early break on Svitolina. She was broken back in the second but followed it up with a double break of the third seed. With three breaks of serve, the 20-year-old sealed a hold of service with an ace taking a 3-1 lead. Svitolina recovered from the loss in the third and held her own in the fifth, sitting a game down of the Russian. The 26-year-old got aggressive, forced deuce, but couldn’t lock down the AD point. 

She knew a hold in the seventh was necessary to keep her straight sets hopes alive. Despite needing to battle on serve at deuce, she took the five minute battle with Gracheva to force an error by the Russian to sit a game down. A huge break put the third seed back in the driver’s seat, leveling the score at four-all with the service back in her hands. She notched a serve to love giving her the shot at the match with Gracheva serving to extend. 

Svitolina got ahead in the tenth with two match points but lost one with a return into the net. She wouldn’t lose it on the second as a shot from Gracheva sent one into the net to end her run in 1 hour and 37 minutes.

"It was not easy," Svitolina said during her on court interview. "I was leading in the first and I think Varvara really stepped up her game and was hitting the ball much better, making me work for that first set. In the second she got the momentum going and I had to play every single point, finding a way and played much better."

Eugenie Bouchard rallies late to win at the French Open

Eugenie Bouchard clenched her fist during her first-round match at the French Open Sunday. 

Eugenie Bouchard had another successful match to be proud of at the French Open Sunday night. The Canadian kept her serve in check and powered her way through Anna Kalinskaya to win 6-4, 6-4 on Court Seven at Roland Garros. 

The two met for the first time in what would be a clash of getting to move forward in the French capital. Despite the time of year, the tournament is to be played, Bouchard and Kalinskaya have experience of adapting and would make their opening an important one. The Russian was in the main draw for the first time while the Canadian in her seventh appearance looked to take her game to the next level. Her run at Istanbul was a statement of terrific improvement despite losing the chance for a title. With her making it to the semifinal back in 2014, the 26-year-old would push to return to that feat again no matter the stakes. 

A hold to love was a great way for the Canadian to come out swinging against Kalinskaya who fell behind in the second but managed to hold. They remained on serve through four, until a threat in the fifth for Bouchard went to deuce. The Canadian blew her chance for the AD point and watched as the Russian took the lead away. 

Bouchard leveled at three-all with a break back but foiled another service that gave Kalinskaya a 4-3 lead. Bouchard broke back for a 4-4 score and held the all-important ninth that let her play for the set. Much like the way she started the match, Bouchard shutout Kalinskaya in the tenth for the break and the set that took her 42 minutes. The Canadian’s overall service game was producing well as she battled the Russian but held well when the ball was in her hand. 

As the second set opened, Bouchard pulled off another shutout of Kalinskaya marking her fourth of the match. The Russian held the second and then broke Bouchard in the third for the lead. The 26-year old broke back to remain in lock with Kalinskaya which remained that way through six games. It was a battle of reactions as each had the energy to run after the next shot played. They broke one another again to make it four-all with Bouchard looking for the hold as she inched towards the potential win. 

She held the ninth and played for the match against the Russian who was under pressure. Bouchard got on the board with a great lob return that Kalinskaya couldn’t reach in time. An error from the 21-year-old followed by her tenth double fault handed the Canadian match point. A three-shot rally saw Kalinskaya hit one a little too much ending her night and tournament in 1 hour and 21 minutes.

Coco Gauff ousts Johanna Konta for her first French Open win

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Johanna Konta was not up to speed in her quest to run through the French Open for a second year Sunday night. The Brit faced a relentless Cori Gauff who had troubles of her own but was fast on the returns and in place for the points that gave her a 6-3, 6-3 win on Suzanne Lenglen Court at Roland Garros. 

The Brit faced off with the young American for the first time with the opportunity to pull off a big upset in Paris. In her first entry into the main draw, the 16-year-old with her short run on the clay courts would try to outduel last year’s semifinalist. With such a major push, Konta wanted nothing more than to repeat her success of recent and go big into the tournament. Control of her path against Gauff would put questions aside and bring her the advancement she expects. 

Expectations don’t always go as planned as Gauff projected on serve. Despite going to deuce, the teen denied Konta a shot for the AD point, locking it down herself. The American added a break in the second and consolidated both wins with a third straight. Finding herself in a big hole Konta fought through every point in the fourth that led them to deuce but captured the first AD point. 

Though she was on the board, Gauff remained focused to come out of the fifth with another service hold, forcing errors from the Brit. Rallying back from 40-15, the 16-year-old saved break points making it 4-1. Konta tried to get another service game from going to the way of the American but her forehand was causing the issues to her vulnerability. She went to deuce but managed to gain and score the win on the AD point cutting the margin in half. 

Gauff didn’t let anything on the other side of the court bother her, holding serve in the seventh to go for the break that could give her the lead. The win wasn’t coming on a break but with a shot in the ninth, her effort had the potential to pay off. Konta didn’t want that and forced deuce, leading to a long fight for the win. They played eight breaks with Gauff racking up the double faults that saved set points for Konta but somehow held to win the first in 53 minutes. The American had seven double faults with 14 unforced errors in tow. With the victory, the 16-year-old knew that she would have to remain focused to pull another set against the ninth seed. 

Gauff found herself in a hole as Konta came out with a hold of serve in the first and broke the American to love in the next. She made it onto the board in the third with a break back and held to consolidate and level at two-all. A chance to break in the fifth came early for Gauff but an error foiled a quick finish and instead led to a long extension. The fight for the game went deep as eight minutes and a tug of war for the AD point ensued. After five breaks and 11 minutes elapsed a sudden lob from Konta was answered by Gauff, who sliced it back getting the victory. 

It was soon 4-2 for the teen as she consolidated with a hold, putting Konta in a tough spot. An attack in the seventh didn’t help the 29-year-old as Gauff forced errors from the Brit to reach two breakpoints. Konta saved one but a long ball behind the baseline brought her comeback to a halt. With the 5-2 stand, Gauff was on the verge of upsetting the ninth seed with her serve left to accomplish. A second double fault didn’t help her efforts to close it out, and with Konta attacking the point she earned the break back. 

Her service in the ninth didn’t help extend the match but instead, give Gauff the chance to end it. A short lob rally went sour for the Brit as the teen was in place on court to make the best responses for match points. She rescued one point but not the second as the American won on a forehand error from Konta. It took her 1 hour and 41 minutes to notch her fourth Top 20 win of the season a perfect way to begin her French Open career.

Victoria Azarenka finishes quick in opening round of the French Open

Embed from Getty Images Victoria Azarenka battled with the elements at the French Open but made it through the first round on a rainy Sunday. After a rain delay with temperatures in the 50s, the tenth seed rallied in her return defeating Danka Kovinic 6-1, 6-2 on Suzanne Lenglen Court. 

The two met four years ago at the Australian Open with the Belorussian easily winning against the Montenegrin. Azarenka met her match at the Italian Open when she ran out of gas and let Garbine Muguruza dictate her way to the final four. Despite the defeat, her three-game winning streak that went along with her US Open Final appearance was an impressive achievement. In her 13th main draw at Roland Garros, the 31-year-old would no doubt pick up where she left off. Kovinic was back for the fifth time in her career, looking to pull off an upset that would give her an advance for the first time in five years. 

They each held serve through three games even though the temperatures were unlike what they’re normally used to. After three service holds, Azarenka called the court supervisor and expressed her anger about playing in cold light rain. After pressing the issue, the 31-year-old got her wish, having play suspended for a time. 

After 50 minutes, they returned to action with Kovinic serving the fourth. Gaining breakpoints, Azarenka took the game with a break to love on the Montenegrin before picking back up with her service. The next two games went the way of the Belorussian who took advantage of her opponent’s troubles on serve. It was 5-1 with the 31-year-old serving for the set which led her to a couple set points. Another error from Kovinic brought the set to a close in 28 minutes. The Montenegrin had four double faults and 13 unforced errors and eight forced. 

Despite the struggles in the first, Kovinic managed to begin the second set with a strong service hold over Azarenka. The tenth seed answered with a serve to love, followed by a break of Kovinic to consolidate. A second service hold widened the gap for the Belorussian who added a double break to her success in the set. The second serve of Kovinic was not up to speed as she let it open the door for her opponent to dictate. 

The sixth game saw the players get into a close battle where it looked as if Kovinic would get her first break point against Azarenka. The tenth seed denied her that chance with a game point opportunity due to a 15 shot rally. She went on to hold serve, giving Kovinic one last chance to extend the match. The Montenegrin shut out Azarenka who at times put too much on the ball during her returns. 

Despite the missed chance to end it with a break, the 31-year-old served for the match getting into a deep rally with Kovinic on the first point. She took the first on a ball that stayed inside the baseline before quickly reaching three match points. It was all said and done with a lob rally ended with Azarenka tapping it away from the 26-year-old to complete her win in 61 minutes.

Elina Svitolina rallies to win her place in the final at Strasbourg

Elina Svitolina in action during the semifinal against Aryna Sabalenka at the Internationaux de Strasbourg on Friday. 

Elina Svitolina played in a very competitive semifinal to come out with the win at the Internationaux de Strasbourg on Friday. The double faults from Aryna Sabalenka beat down her offense and surge back in the sets but ultimately fell 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 on Patrice Dominguez Court at the Strasbourg Tennis Club. 

The two last met in Wuhan two years ago, where the Belorussian struck big in the third set to win their second-round match there. With a historical leg up on the world number five and a spot in the final up for grabs, the 22-year-old eyed getting another one. Svitolina shook off the rust in her run at Strasbourg and took the last remnants off in her straight-set victory against Jil Teichmann Thursday. As her game got well into gear, the Ukrainian had her offense prepared for action. 

She opened service to begin the match but fell behind in the game. She caught up to force deuce, holding the first break played. Sabalenka took control of service just as the rain began to start in a drizzle. Svitolina forced deuce then gained the advantage just as the rain fell harder bringing a suspension to play that lasted 45 minutes. Sabalenka resumed service but double-faulted, giving up the early break. Svitolina fell behind in yet another game but recovering was not something the Belorussian wanted to happen. It took her two break points to get it locked down hoping to consolidate going forward. 

Despite going to deuce once again, Sabalenka held serve to level at two-all. The Ukrainian was under threat in the fifth with the 22-year-old delivering tough crosscourt shots holding her way back to the lead. A break to love for the second seed gave her a 4-2 lead and later dealing with a fightback from Sabalenka only to deny her a move up in the score. With the fourth seed running three games behind, she served to extend the set but double-faulted to start the eighth. 

She recorded another for her fourth of the set that brought up deuce. Two breaks were played when Sabalenka went for a drop shot attempt that went bad as Svitolina returned it nicely ending the set in 38 minutes. Svitolina had just five winners to Sabalenka’s 12 but minimizing the errors was easy for the second seed. She committed five to the Belorussian’s 13. The 22-year-old took advantage of the set break leaving the court to recover. 

The two opened the second set with serves to love, followed by another one from Svitolina to make it three. With such a quick start to the set, it was up to Sabalenka to keep up with her opponent. She held to love once more, making it 16 consecutive service points combined. It was put to rest when Sabalenka scored on a drop shot return in the fifth. She let out a scream of frustration after committing a mistake on the second point. An error gave Svitolina leverage that led to her holding in the fifth. 

Sabalenka held once more to make it six between the players, right before she caught a chance in the seventh that led to a break of Svitolina. The attempt to hold looked good for Sabalenka as she had a lead on the Ukrainian. However, the surge from the second seed got her to deuce where the fight for the AD point was on. Sabalenka brought out her tools of crosscourt winners and drop shots that broke Svitolina to hold serve and consolidate. 

With a 5-3 lead, Svitolina served to stay in the set and held giving the Belorussian one more chance before she would be forced to work harder for it. Despite recording her fifth double fault and the first in the set, the 22-year-old got the win to force her way into a third after 38 minutes. The fourth seed still had more winners and unforced errors but the eight that she made were lower than the first, and having only one double fault, the improvement paid off. 

Svitolina knew she had a match on her hands and made sure to hold serve to begin the deciding set. She broke for a 2-0 and made it three in a row with a serve to love. The 22-year-old got on the board with a serve to love in the fourth before breaking back to sit a game down after five. A hold to love squared her up with Svitolina, who watched her lead dissolve before returning to serve. 

She made sure that despite the attacks from Sabalenka, that she held her game and take the lead. That was exactly what the Ukrainian made happen as they inched closer to one of them going into the final. Three errors from Sabalenka on serve gave the second seed a break for 5-3 and the opportunity to serve for the match. The Belorussian chose to use another racket and scored a well-played defense to break back. 

Serving to move the decider into further frames, Sabalenka made her opponent run left and right before striking the point winners. It led her to three-game points, but a double fault ended the shutout. A second one brought Svitolina to 30-40 with a deuce close at hand. A forehand error gave Svitolina life to fight for a match point which came on a long ball from Sabalenka. A ninth double fault brought a heartbreaking end for the Belorussian who gave the victory to Svitolina that ended the day in 1 hour and 53 minutes. 

“I was expecting a really tough one,” Svitolina said during her on-court interview. “I knew that Aryna would come up and play really good tennis. It was a little bit of plus and minus for me and for her. I think she regrouped well after the first set and it was a really good battle. “ 

This was the first win for Svitolina against a Top 20 player this season with one step before playing for her chance at a title. She’ll go into Saturday’s final facing Elena Rybakina in their first meeting. “I saw a little bit of the way she has played but it will be an exciting final,” she said.

Elina Svitolina ups her game to advance at Strasbourg

Elina Svitolina gives the crowd a wave after her win against Jil Teichmann at Strasbourg

Elina Svitolina had a better performance coming out of her game at the Internationaux de Strasbourg Thursday. The Ukrainian reeled in the victory on Patrice Dominguez defeating Jil Teichmann 6-4, 6-3 to advance at the Strasbourg Tennis Club. 

This marked the first time they met and for the second seed, she would need her quarterfinal in Strasbourg to go well against the Swiss. In her opening round against Magda Linette, the Ukrainian needed a tiebreak to hold the first and the entirety of the second to advance. It was clear that her skills were rusty having little competitive action since the shutdown. 

Teichmann had yet to drop a set in her two matches making her just another threat for the 26-year-old. Teichmann pulled off an impressive break of the world number five and consolidated it with a strong hold in the second. Svitolina got on the board to avoid going deeper against the Swiss, but couldn’t close the gap in the fourth. Through five games, Teichmann stayed ahead, until Svitolina found her moment to strike. From 40-15 down, the second seed rallied to force deuce and win the first point that was played on it. 

With an important hold in the seventh, she took the lead from Teichmann but found herself back in a stalemate. Despite giving up a point, Svitolina held the ninth and went for broke with a push in the tenth. Gaining a breakpoint at 30-all, the second seed earned her opportunity to take the set in 41 minutes with Teichmann returning the ball wide of the line. Svitolina served 72 percent from the first serve with four aces in tow. While she had seven winners and unforced errors, the ten that Teichmann had on both sides showed that the small mistakes cost her in the end. 

After a hold to start the second set, Svitolina captured a break to love, opening the gap on Teichmann who had work to do. She held the third and captured a key break that released a lot of her frustrations. She made it three in a row with the double break on Svitolina, but the world number five ended her slide with a break back to level. The battle for the lead in the seventh became the longest game of the match with Teichmann forcing deuce. She blew her break point chance on the second AD point, leading Svitolina to lead 4-3. 

A challenge for the second seed came in the eighth when getting a gap on her opponent was quite a task. Teichmann saved a breakpoint to bring up deuce and went four breaks with her. Unfortunately, the costly error handed Svitolina the 5-3 lead with the chance to serve for the match. Showing a lot of comfort, the second seed easily reached three match points against a struggling Teichmann, punching her ticket to the semifinal with a shot near the back of the court ending the day in 1 hour and 22 minutes. 

“ It was a good fight from Jill,” Svitolina said about her matchup. “I think both of us play at a really good level and those kinds of matches give you confidence.” Avoiding the sets to go further was a big accomplishment as she dictated the last couple of games while minimizing the errors. With the move into the final four, she’ll await the winner between Katerina Siniakova or fourth-seeded Aryna Sabalenka.

Jelena Ostapenko performs well in Strasbourg with straight sets win over Lauren Davis

Jelena Ostapenko did all the right things to move on at the Internationaux de Strasbourg Monday. The Latvian played very well on the clay courts against Lauren Davis winning 6-2, 6-3 on Patrice Dominguez at the Strasbourg Tennis Club. It was the first singles win for the Latvian since February 25 back in Doha. 

The two met back in 2017 where Davis bested the soon to be French Open champion of that year. As they met on clay the week before the rescheduled major in Paris, the Latvian wanted to get more time in on clay after her run in Rome didn’t pan out. The forehand serve of Ostapenko’s still wasn’t fine-tuned as she gave up too many points to Magda Linette in Rome. With a loss already against the American, the 23-year-old eyed a difference maker to light up her skills with a week before the open. 

She got into a good form in the opening match with people in the stands clapping for her. The Latvian took the break in the second game but on her return in the third, a double fault came out putting her into a hole. She rallied back to the lead, showing patience before making her returns that allowed her to take a 3-0 hold on Davis. The Latvian had the double break in hand as the American wasn’t up to par with her offense. 

The 23-year-old served very strong with her confidence and score against Davis rising. When she finished the fifth, the Latvian had Davis on the edge of the first as she served to stay in it. A strong service helped the 26-year-old avoid the bagel and a triple break. She consolidated it with a break as insects caused Ostapenko some troubles that brought out a fourth double fault and errors along the way. 

Turning that around, she put together a number of groundstrokes that sent Davis left and right to earn three set points. A double fault from the American, brought the first to a close in 29 minutes. Despite having some hiccups on serve, Ostapenko won 77 percent of points from the serve and all three of her break point opportunities. With her best foot forward, the 23 would try to move that into the second. 

She put together another fine serve but the bar set high was cleared by the American in the second, who went on to take a break from the Latvian. Showing frustrations from her troubling service game, Ostapenko brought the heat to Davis in the fourth who not only battled her opponent back but the bugs near the baseline. It forced deuce for the 23-year-old who settled in, waiting for the fifth deuce to notch the AD point and level back. 

A third game was broken in the set as Ostapenko couldn’t hold back the errors from the forehand. Having handed Davis the double break, the Latvian got one of her own in a third straight lengthy deuce draw. The American was under pressure from Ostapenko, but saved breakpoint to force deuce. They played through four more before the 23-year-old notched a double break as well. 

 Holding came as a reward for Ostapenko as she got her game under control and fired away with the forehand. She broke Davis in the eighth for the triple break, giving her tons of confidence to await the finish. She held the 26-year-old back to gain two match points where the second brought her day to a successful close in 1 hour and 17 minutes. 

A major improvement to her game  saw her win 66 percent on first serve points and returning better from the second. Outscoring the American 69-48 was a huge statement that she could do much more with the focus in hand. A challenge in the second round awaited her in third seeded Kiki Bertens who would get her second match in the books since the shutdown.

Marketa Vondrousova stuns Elina Svitolina in straight sets at Rome Masters

Marketa Vondroussova had her game on fire at the BNL Internazionali D'Italia defeating fourth-seeded Elina Svitolina in straight sets

Elina Svitolina got the shock of her season at the BNL Internazionali D’Italia on Saturday night. The two-time champion looked for another win against Marketa Vondrousova but fell in straight sets 6-3, 6-0 on Stadio Pietrangeli at Foro Italico. 

The two marked their second meeting on clay and fourth match overall with Svitolina winning every one of them. Their battle in Stuttgart went three sets which left the Czech with the idea that she could pull that feat off and change the result. Her three wins to date in Rome brought her back to the last eight for the second year in a row. Despite facing heavy adversity, the 12th seed would give her best early and fight for control. 

Fighting was exactly how the match got started as Vondrousova’s served the first game. From 15-40, the Czech canceled Svitolina’s break point chances to force deuce and win on the third break. The Ukrainian held her end a little better but was hungry for an early lead in the set. The third went exactly like the first with Vondrousova climbing out of a hole to force deuce. It took another three breaks to hold serve but knew that something had to change to strengthen the serve. 

A break in the fourth helped her out, gaining an edge on the fourth seed who got to deuce but let the AD point convert for the Czech. Consolidating the hard work gave Vondrousova a 4-1 gap on Svitolina It was nearly 5-1 for Vondrousova as she had a break to love in place but let the fourth seed come back. When deuce was secured, it took Svitolina a pair of breaks to hold and get within two games. 

The 12th seed didn’t want the Ukrainian any closer and made it 5-2 with a hold in the seventh. Going for the break was something Svitolina didn’t want occurring and dug in on deuce to make sure her tough shots made it effective. The Czech served for the set reaching three set points to put the first away in 50 minutes. Aside from having four double faults, she outnumbers Svitolina on winners and fought for the points through those nine games. 

Vondrousova was making Svitolina work hard in the first that led to the break and a short winning streak. It was soon up to three as Vondrousova held to consolidate the early serve. A double break for the Czech made it 3-0 as the Ukrainian was being outdone on the court. It was quickly 5-0 as Vondrousova ran away with the triple break, forcing Svitolina into submission. She reached a match point in the sixth but a surge from the Ukrainian got her to deuce. 

An error from the fourth seed gave Vondrousova a second shot at the match but wasn’t able to execute. The third one on a lob return was the charm as the Czech got her on a lob rally, flowing one over the fourth seed’s head to finish her night in 1 hour and 20 minutes. With the huge victory, the 21-year-old would take all the good that came from her end and go against the winner between Karolina Pliskova and Elise Mertens in the semifinal.

Garbine Muguruza bests Victoria Azarenka in three sets at Rome Masters

Garbine Muguruza wins her way back to a third semifinal at the BNL Internazionali D'Italia against Victoria Azarenka on Saturday.

Victoria Azarenka ran out of gas on the clay courts of the BNL Internazionali D’Italia Saturday. In a tough match with Garbine Muguruza who gave plenty of energy but had to enough for a three-set match that had the ninth seed into the semifinal 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Stadio Pietrangeli at Foro Italico. It marked the third time in the 26-year old’s history where she made the semifinal in Rome and did well to accomplish it. 

This was a fourth clash between the two superstars and the second straight in the eternal city. The Belorussian took that win suddenly in the second set when Muguruza retired from play. Azarenka recently had a déjà vu moment when she was two points into a tiebreak, Daria Kasatkina suffered an injury that forced her out of the match. While neither one was going to let that happen, the two powerhouses who were at their best would go for the coveted spot in the semifinal. 

Azarenka opened service in the match and held despite facing adversary from the ninth seed. The Spaniard’s defense switched over and notched a serve to love showing a stronger response. A double fault came from the world number 14 along with a couple errors that brought up deuce for Muguruza. Gaining break point chances wasn’t an easy task for the 26-year-old who had an AD point on the first deuce but failed to convert it. Azarenka had her chance but an error opened the door for the ninth seed. 

A second attempt didn’t go well which led Azarenka to counter on the 12th point of the game and held. A break was gifted by Muguruza as unforced errors came late in the fourth to open the gap. Unfortunately for Azarenka, a second double fault brought back the unforced errors. With the 30-0 lead, she struck for three break points landing a line drive out of Azarenka’s reach. The 31-year-old climbed back with help from the ninth seed bringing up deuce. She took the first AD point, pulling off an incredible comeback to hold the fifth. 

Muguruza called out the trainer during the sit down to apply new tape to her right foot while Azarenka asked for a new chair because she was sitting too high. When play resumed, Muguruza trailed slightly but managed to hold, cutting the margin in half. The Belorussian returned to her three-game lead with a service hold in the seventh, earning her chance at taking the net. With new balls in hand, Muguruza ran into trouble with errors on her end that forced deuce. 

A mistake on the backhand return from Azarenka brought up a game point that resulted in a hold for Muguruza as a forehand return went long. She made up for her mistakes and in the ninth, Azarenka defended her serve, earned set point, and closed the Spaniard out in 47 minutes. The keys to victory were the serve percentage and her ability to win a breakpoint while Muguruza failed on three tries. 

A second breakpoint converted by the 31-year-old got the second set underway. The Spaniard brought together a triple breakpoint in the following game and recorded her first of the match. The run of breaks lasted four games right before Muguruza contained a strong service, leading the Belorussian 3-2. The Spaniard converted the double break that followed a second one from Azarenka. With six games broken in the set, Muguruza added another for good measure to serve for the set. The world number 14 handled the pressure well as she forced deuce on Muguruza, but a late error on the last point gave the ninth seed the set in 44 minutes. she had more winners and a couple fewer errors than Azarenka, having attained control. 

She continued the momentum into the third, breaking the Belorussian whose game lost consistency. Azarenka broke back but the lead stayed with Muguruza who kept the breaks of serve going. She converted the hold in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead on her opponent who wasn’t at the speed of the Spaniard. Despite the response, Azarenka pulled together back to back winners before drawing an error that later resulted in a hold of serve. 

Her attempts to break Muguruza and level went to deuce on the Spaniard’s winner but after two breaks, she made the breakpoint count. A hold in the seventh turned the tide of control for Azarenka who gained her footing to pressure the ninth seed. Muguruza answered a challenge from the 31-year-old whose court position strategy fell apart when deuce was forced. A key moment allowed the 26-year-old to hold serve and level at four-all. 

A break to love on the Belorussian set up the Spaniard for a good finish where she gained three match points, lost two of them, and came out on top in 2 hours and 18 minutes. With such a strong finish, she'll need that and more going against Simona Halep on Sunday. 

Elina Svitolina works late to advance at the BNL Internazionali D'Italia

Elina Svitolina remained focused in her third round match against Svetlana Kuznetsova at the BNL Internazionali D'Italia in Rome friday night

Elina Svitolina had a fight on her hands but edged late to move on at the BNL Internazionali D’Italia Friday. The fourth seed nearly saw a third set in her future but stopped Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6, 6-4 on Pietrangeli Court at Foro Italico. 

 A fifth chapter between the two would determine who would advance to the quarterfinal. Svitolina held the series lead 3-1 over the 35-year-old who last won against the Ukrainian four years ago. While this was their first battling it out on clay, the 26-year-old has a big advantage of winning the tournament twice before. After a six-month hiatus from competitive play, Svitolina came out charging, winning her second round against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. With another Russian in her path, the fourth seed required the same aspects to occur to be in control. 

Svitolina opened service but after her hold of serve, Kuznetsova did better from her end, leveling early with a serve to love. A charge from the Russian pressured the fourth seed but she managed to avoid deuce and keep ahead. A break in the fourth took away some of the troubles and delivered comfort to Svitolina’s offense. Two unforced errors and a double fault in the fifth handed the break to love for Kuznetsova putting her a game down. 

 The 35-year-old leveled to three-all to begin a service battle that had Svitolina taking the lead in the seventh. She never had a chance for a break as unforced errors on Kuznetsova’s serve helped her bring up five-all and go deep into the set. The Russian built up breakpoints in the 11th but the Ukrainian denied her that pleasure and held to go for it on Kuznetsova’s last try to extend. 

 The Russian had a 40-0 lead on the fourth seed, but a service to love wasn’t in the cards. She watched as Svitolina rose back to force deuce clinching the AD point was no easy task. After her second blown set point, the 35-year-old put the service on lock to force the tiebreaker. The fourth seed scored the opening point, but as it switched to the Russian, the score went to two-all with an unforced error causing her problems. 

 Svitolina took off with two points that included a mini-break of Kuznetsova. She held that gap between herself and the Russian until a 6-6 score came on a break back. The Ukrainian made sure to hold to lead 7-6 and drew an error from her opponent to bring an end the first in one hour and four minutes. Both players recorded 44 points each in the set with just five more errors to Kuznetsova’s name. 

 With very little difference in their outputs, the second set would be a time to change the pace if possible. A break for Svitolina was her best move to start things and consolidating the second with a service hold gave her the big edge. The Russian got on the board in the third and responded with a break of the Ukrainian. The fourth seed didn’t let that one go for free and broke back for a 3-2 lead. She held the sixth to return to serve with Kuznetsova following suit to stay close. 

An important hold in the eighth gave Svitolina the two-game gap and a try and play for the match. Moving Kuznetsova around during her service gave her the edge, followed by a pop fly that brought up a double match point. The 35-year-old saved both to force deuce and watched as a long ball from Svitolina kept her hopes for a decider alive. Knowing that she had the service, the 26-year-old remained focused, reaching three-match point attempts. On her fourth, a return from Kuznetsova landed long of the baseline ending the 1 hour and 53-minute battle.

Azarenka moves into QF after Daria Kasatkina suffers injury at Rome Masters

Victoria Azarenka came throught her round of 16 match with a sudden injury to Daria Kasatkina at the BNL Internazionali D'Italia on Friday

Victoria Azarenka was under fire but an injury that occurred gave her the sudden advance at the BNL Internazionali D’Italia Friday. An ankle injury to Daria Kasatkina during the first set tiebreak caused her immense pain, forcing her to retire in a 7-6(0) score on Grand Stand Arena at Foro Italico. The battle between the two ended with Azarenka being a true sportsman, assisting and consoling Kasatkina who let her emotions out. 

The Belorussian made the biggest statement Thursday with a dominating victory over Sofia Kenin. What was expected to be a competitive match ended with the American never find her ground in a 6-0, 6-0 result for the 31-year-old. With that carrying into the third round and her match win over Kasatkina back in Madrid last year, the world number 14 still had the energy level high. The word “stop” was nowhere in the mind of Azarenka after having played two weeks of hard courts and three consecutive matches on red clay. Another win would put her in a level all by herself depending on the start against the Russian who had yet to drop a set as well. 

Azarenka opened service but was forced to deuce by Kasatkina, who gained two breakpoint chances. The Belorussian denied her the service break and won it on her first AD point. The Russian had a better turnout over her service playing only five points to hold her end. The 31-year-old nearly matched the level of tennis by Kasatkina but another fight to deuce ensued. She managed to keep it short to stay on serve, realizing the adjustments that were to be made. 

The Belorussian moved into an attack position forcing Kasatkina to deuce in the fourth. After killing off her opponent’s AD point to hold service, Azarenka achieved the breakpoint and took a 3-1 lead in response. The Russian answered with an early threat in the fifth that sent Azarenka into defensive action. Kasatkina forced deuce and made her break chance to count on the second deuce opportunity. Consolidating that effort with a serve to love made it three-all with the Belorussian back on serve in the seventh. 

A challenge from Kasatkina arrived when she pushed to gain a breakpoint at 40-30. Azarenka climbed back to force deuce that led to a long tug of war between them. She saved a second break from the Russian but failed to notch the AD point. A second opportunity slipped away for the 31-year-old and after the fourth break, Kasatkina went on to take the game. The Belorussian broke back in another battle but pressured with three consecutive breakpoints.

The 23-year-old stepped up and shutout Azarenka in the ninth with a break to love before serving for the set in the following game. She was denied the pleasure of going a set up on the former world number one, witnessing a big push for breakpoint before leveling at five-all. Azarenka’s service was nowhere near her best as she trailed in the 11th, handing Kasatkina the chance to win the set on serve. 

She was denied that chance by Azarenka, who was not going down under her current status forcing a tiebreak to be played out. After the first point, Kasatkina twisted her ankle after sliding on the clay for the ball, taking a fall to the ground. Azarenka didn’t take social distancing into mind and crossed over to check on her opponent who was writhing in pain. 

Helping umpire Pierre Bacchi look over her, Azarenka brushed the clay off Kasatkina who began to cry. Bacchi and Azarenka helped her to her feet and get her to the bench so physios and the tournament doctor could evaluate. It was agreed that the match would not continue giving Azarenka the advancement after 1 hour and 16 minutes of intense tennis.   

With the sad ending to a thrilling match, Azarenka would be assured of another as she took on Garbine Muguruza in the quarterfinal.

Garbine Muguruza rushes to victory at the BNL Internazionali D'Italia against Johanna Konta

Garbine Muguruza put the moves on Johanna Konta to advance at the BNL Internazionali D'Italia on Friday

Garbine Muguruza had her eyes set on advancement and with so much focus, that was how her day went along at the BNL Internazionali D’Italia Friday. The Spaniard played a close set with Johanna Konta and took off with the match in a 6-4, 6-1 score on Pietrangeli court at the Foro Italico. 

The two players met for the fifth time with one guaranteed to have bragging rights over the other. The Spaniard took the most recent victory at the Australian Open last year. With red clay being undetermined between them, the chances leant heavily with Muguruza. The world number 17 got into the third round after fighting to the brink with the youthful Cori Gauff. It was clear that her training on clay brought out of the best of her in Rome and vied to do so again. Konta’s win against Irina Camelia Begu on Thursday did remain in straight sets but her wait to get into action left her with little competitive action coming against the resurgent Spaniard. 

Service holds were the order of the start of the match with Muguruza leading the way. She got into some trouble in the third but came out firing aces that assisted in her efforts to hold. Konta carried similar qualities in her service games that included good court positioning with a smash for key points. The Spaniard remained in check, continuing along with her game before a shot at breaking Konta arrived. 

Big returns opened up three break points for the 26-year-old but being forced side to side by the Brit helped her close the gap. On the second break of deuce, Konta avoided the break and kept the set on serve through six games. The two held serve through a total of nine games until a move from the Spaniard, who played for the set was up two breakpoints. 

With an edge over the Brit, the former world number one forced an error from Konta to end a very tight race to a conclusion in 42 minutes. Both served at 62 percent with Konta winning more points from the first serve. Muguruza’s second serve was on fire and made the difference to be a set ahead. 

The Spaniard opened the second with a surprising jump to control. After a hard fight to maintain serve, Muguruza was up 3-0 despite her serve being under attack in the third. Konta knew that her slipup was costly and rallied back to hold the fourth allowing Muguruza a point. Despite the quick improvement, the 26-year-old answered in the fourth with a serve to love, sitting two games from the match. 

Showing tremendous focus, Muguruza found it easy to move and place herself on the court against Konta’s service. It gave her the break needed to stand at 5-1 and serve for the match. Reaching three match points with ease, the Spaniard completed the victory that to 1 hour and 22 minutes to accomplish. Unforced errors came too much for the Brit who let it get out of hand and fall hard. 

With a move into the quarterfinals she’ll face Victoria Azarenka who suddenly moved ahead after an incident with Daria Kasatkina forced her to stop playing.

Victoria Azarenka pulls off the shutout of Sofia Kenin at the Italian Open

Victoria Azarenka fires away at Sofia Kenin in her third round match at the BNL Internazionali D'Italia in Rome. 

Victoria Azarenka was relentless in her dominating feat the BNL Internazionali D’Italia Thursday night. The former world number one played as such against Sofia Kenin who failed to transition her powerful game on the clay courts of Foro Italico with a 6-0, 6-0 score on Campo Centrale. 

The two met for the second time in what was expected to be another fight for control. While it took place on the clay courts, the Belorussian had her best foot dug into the tournament. A win over her good friend Venus Williams on Wednesday showed that the transition didn’t faze her in the straight-sets result. This marked Kenin’s first competitive match on a new surface and would come down to whether she can have the same ease into it as her US Open doubles partner. 

That was not the case as Kenin reached two-point in the opening game but fell against Azarenka’s service. She then struggled with balls in hand to get into the mix but the Belorussian went on to achieve the break. Consolidating another hold of serve made it 3-0 for the 31-year-old who was on a tear against the American. Kenin’s second attempt didn’t go much better, falling behind on two key points in the fourth. She saved a breakpoint but not a second one giving Azarenka the double break. She went on to march to a 5-0 stand with ease of service to consolidate further and committed only one unforced error. 

With nothing left to do, Kenin played out the sixth but erred to give Azarenka the set win in 22 minutes. When it came to problems on court, Kenin’s only issue was building up points. Through those six games, the 31-year-old outscored the third seed 24-8 with her serve at 93 percent. Though she showed fatigue into the second set, the 2013 finalist still held serve and tested Kenin in the second. 

The American knew that she had to bring a response on the court and on game point, erred to bring up deuce for Azarenka. They played five breaks with the 21-year-old saving three breakpoints, but not a fourth. By the time Azarenka won her ninth game in a row and third of the set, 22 minutes had surpassed showing that the third seed was invested in changing up the pace. Despite Kenin’s best efforts in the fourth game, Azarenka refused to let her get away and notch the double break. 

With another service hold under her belt, Azarenka played for the match with Kenin searching for a way not to be double bageled. Unfortunately, that was not the case as the 31-year-old pulled off a dominating night, ending Kenin in an hour and a minute. Azarenka outscored the young American 57-29 in what was one-way traffic. With the best win of her return to full-time action, the Belorussian will see a match for the third straight set facing Daria Kasatkina in the round of 16.

Garbine Muguruza clears tough three setter against Gauff at Rome Masters

Garbine Muguruza celebrates a big win against American Cori Gauff at the BNL Internazionli D'Italia in Rome.

Garbine Muguruza faced serious adversity at the BNL Internazionali D’Italia but crossed the finish line first Thursday. The 26-year-old cleared the bar facing Cori Gauff who performed well as a threat that the Spaniard handled in a 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3 result on Campo Centrale at Foro Italico. 

 

After tremendously showing off her skills in the first round, the Spaniard was more than pumped for a challenge and it came against the young American rising star. Having not played the sixteen-year-old since she stepped on the world stage last year, the two had their chance to experience one another on the court. Gauff impressed well against Ons Jabeur who had trouble transitioning to the surface from hard court competition. With one European title under her belt from last year, she would look for weaknesses in the former world number one and vie to make it two. 

Gauff won the option of serving first and meant business on the very first strike. Waiting her time during rallies, Gauff set up her point, pushing Muguruza away from the placed winner. She reached 40-0, double-faulted, but managed to hold her to a point to win. The ninth seed found it challenging to outduel the young American, who ran for every ball coming to her. She remained composed and held Gauff from forcing deuce to contain service. 

With the added pressure, Muguruza saw that the 16-year-old was doing well on serve and when it came for the Spaniard to serve the fourth, her game was under attack. Gauff fired the returns back to force the two-time finalist to deuce. It was there that Gauff went on the offensive, scoring the break to take a 3-1 lead. Muguruza turned things around with a break back to love disappointing the American of widening the gap. 

With an attempt to level the score on serve, the 26-year-old was again pushed to deuce but managed to hang out and avoid giving a double break. The same went for the teen who scored a serve to love in the seventh. The ninth seed continued to stay with Gauff, who served an important game in which either one could go for the set. The 16-year-old fired off three winners to Muguruza and held her back to step ahead with the opportunity. The ninth seed denied her that chance, effectively firing difficult returns for Gauff that led them to further action in the set. 

The American once again set the bar for Muguruza only to see that she cleared it and set up the pivotal tie-break. The score remained tied through six points but a momentum change arrived for Muguruza who made it four in a row to lead 5-3. A challenging shot brought her set point which she achieved with a hard ace to clinch the first in 59 minutes. It was the sixth that she made in the set with her serve at 67 percent. 

Muguruza rolled it into the second set with a hold off the 16-year-old but once the American got the ball, the situation changed. Gauff put together and strong service in the second and anted up, forcing Muguruza to defend the third on deuce. A critical mistake on the game point turned the tables for the American who captured the opening break. Her own game was challenged as the Spaniard battled to break back, but erred on a long ball. 

Gauff consolidated the hold with a double break, adding pressure to Muguruza who saved breakpoints on serve but not the one that counted on deuce. With the 4-1 lead, the American was in a position to dictate the remainder of the set, but a break back from the Spaniard halted her march. Muguruza added an important hold in the seventh that set her a game from a full comeback. 

Gauff put the brakes on her unraveling game and held the eighth to play for the set with Muguruza still trying to catch up. She wouldn’t get the chance as errors gifted the second set to the teen who forced a decider after 48 minutes. Nine double faults were committed by the two in the set but the nerves being held in check by Gauff proved her statement to the former world number one. 

She started the third set adding a strong service game while having very little experience on the clay surface. It didn’t show as another break put her ahead with Muguruza looking for answers to respond. She did so in the third, scoring a break on Guff who made three consecutive double faults. Muguruza consolidated with a hold to level at two-all before a double break turned the tables. 

It was 4-2 to the Spaniard who had a good outlook on how the match would end but Gauff had games left to make difference. She held serve for the first time in three attempts but the Spaniard answered in the eighth with a key service hold. Double faults from the American added up to her eventual downfall as Muguruza reached triple match point on the break to clear her way into the round of 16 after 2 hours and 27 minutes.

Elina Svitolina holds in straight sets against Anastasia Pavlyunchenkova at the Italian Open

Elina Svitolina on Campo Centale playing in her first match in six months at the BNL Internazionli D'Italia against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Rome

Elina Svitolina earned a very important win in her return to tennis at the BNL Internazionali D’Italia. The world number six completed a challenging match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova who made it difficult with the winners but went down 6-3, 7-6(3) on Campo Centrale at Foro Italico. It was the first WTA win in six months for the Ukrainian who advanced into the third round. 

The two revamped their rivalry in a fourth meeting with the two-time champion trying to get her game in check since the long pause due to the pandemic. Though Svitolina played in three exhibition tournaments, it wasn’t enough to show her consistent strengths. The tournament where she won back to back championships was a good place to start, given that her recent training has occurred on the clay surface. The Russian had a lot of time on the court against Shuai Zhang, needing three sets in the opening round. With plenty of fight coming from her victory, the 29-year-old had enough to bring against the fourth seed. 

The two started off with comfortable holds through four games, but once Svitolina was on the ball she took the lead never letting go. A hold to love for the Ukrainian was followed up by a break in the sixth for a 4-2 lead. Consolidating her next service game put Pavlyuchenkova down three games. 

The Russian added a third win despite going to deuce after saving a breakpoint. Despite the effort, the number four seed contained another hold in the seventh, allowed Pavlyuchenkova a serve to love in the eighth, and closed out the set in 32 minutes with forced error on the Russian’s backhand. The 29-year-old didn’t have a lot of unforced errors and produced winners but when the first was said and done, it was the difference was Svitolina and her achievement of breaks in the set. 

Although she was a set down, the Russian came into the second, determined to hold serve against the world number six. It took big forehand shots to break the Ukrainian and capture an important start. It turned into a big move for Pavlyuchenkova, who broke apart Svitolina and added another service hold for the measure. With a large gap after 20 minutes, the fourth seed had to find the tactics to turn the tide. 

A good hold for Svitolina ended the winning streak of her opponent and what appeared to be her offense as Pavlyuchenkova racked up the errors that broke her serve. Sitting a game down, the Ukrainian thought she’d convert the hold of serve but was broken giving Pavlyuchenkova a 4-2 lead. The fourth seed struck with a break back and held firm in the eighth to level with the Russian with two games between herself and the match. 

Pavlyuchenkova tried to serve for the body but her opponent was focused on the weaknesses from her earlier success. Svitolina scored the double break as the 29-year old’s second double fault made it 5-4 for the two-time winner. On serve for the match, the 26-year-old notched two aces in the tenth, despite having Pavlyuchenkova close at hand. An error from the Russian brought up match point, but a line drive landed long to go to deuce. They played three only to see the Ukrainian blowing a second match point and a broken serve. 

With the score at five-all and Pavlyuchenkova on serve, the Russian wasted no time securing the 11th game and put immense pressure on Svitolina. She had to get to deuce on serve and with help from the 29-year-old, further chances were available. After two breaks an AD point for Svitolina worked out to send the players to a tiebreak. After Pavlyuchenkova held for the first point, minibreaks between the two emerged with Svitolina gaining a 4-3 lead. 

A wide return and an error made it 6-3 for the Ukrainian as her third match point came from a simple cross-court lob that landed for the victory in 1 hour and 44 minutes. Both players combined for 52 winners with the Russian producing more but also doubled the unforced errors. The edge on breakpoints remained with Svitolina winning three of eight and had four aces. With good work, she’ll take it into the round of 16 facing the winner between Svetlana Kuznetsova and Anett Kontaveit on Friday.

Victoria Azarenka brings back her winning ways at the BNL Internazionali D'italia

Victoria Azarenka on the clay since finishing the US Open at the Italian Open against Venus Willams Wednesday.

Victoria Azarenka was back in the winning column in a thrilling match at the BNL Internazionali D’Italia Wednesday. The US Open finalist had a nail biter against Venus Williams where they went deep into a first set tiebreak but concluded the day winning 7-6(7), 6-2 on Campo Centrale at Foro Italico. It was the tenth time that Azarenka advanced in the tournament. 

After coming so close to winning her first US Open, the 31-year-old met against the veteran for the second time this season and eighth overall. Williams won their most recent meetings with one dating back to Lexington during the pandemic. With the situation slightly different in Rome, both players would have to get used to sliding under their feet during play. Azarenka’s accomplishments being a mother in professional tennis is nothing short of impressive as her new ranking of 14 reflects. A win over Williams would not only make her 12th appearance a happy one but hopefully begin a new winning streak.

She opened with a good service hold in the first as the transition and jet lag didn’t seem to bother. She proved that in the second breaking Williams and consolidated both wins with another hold. The American found her niche in the fourth holding Azarenka to love and reaching a six-point streak before the 31-year-old dug into the game. 

On breakpoint, Williams fought for the victory but her opponent got into the rally that came close to the net. It was a fight with each other’s lobs but in the end, Azarenka scored her way to deuce. Unfortunately, her efforts turned into a double fault and error that gave Williams the break back. Another terrific serve from Williams leveled her with Azarenka in the sixth. With the gap closed, the world number 14 had to get back on track and let her skills do the work on both sides. 

She stepped out to 4-3 and soon caught a break on Williams miscue on the return, earning her chance at serving for the set. Showing no signs of fatigue, Azarenka fought to contain the eighth but errors gave Williams the edge and soon after, the break. With an opportunity to force the set onward, Williams overcame a deficit saving a set point to Azarenka before a big forehand serve forced one last error to win the AD point. 

 

The set continued to bubble as Azarenka found herself under attack in the 11th with Williams dictating a way to force deuce. After two breaks, she scored the key break to serve for the set in the 12th. Frustrations were getting the best of the Belorussian as she was more than vocal during the sit down. A scream on a lost point was forced out by Azarenka, but a lob was her way to responding into the game. 

She achieved double break point and held just long enough to win on Williams third double fault. This was just the second tiebreak they played in their series and Azarenka opened it with a point won on serve. She held the lead after five points while each held serve. Back to back minibreaks on Williams made it 5-2 but a missed placement for the 31-year-old shortened the gap to two. 

Williams fought back to make it five-all on serve but the rage from Azarenka kept them even. It wasn’t that way for long as a ball from Williams landed long giving the 31-year-old set point and another giving her the first in one hour and eight minutes. 

Azarenka started the second with a break and service hold but notching her first double break wasn’t in the near future. Instead, she widened the gap between herself and Williams with a 4-1 lead with a break. Frustrations got the best of the Belorussian that led Williams to seize a break opportunity and sit two games back. The seventh became another tense moment between the two as each wanted another victory. They went to deuce on Azarenka’s key point before playing it nine times. The recent US Open final brought the longest game of the match to a close for the double break. 

Serving for the match, Azarenka fell behind with a fifth double fault but managed to recover lost ground. A third straight long ball from Williams handed the world number 14 match point which clinched the victory in just over two hours with another long return from the American. Despite not being a flawless victory, she’ll need to be close to that as Sofia Kenin becomes the next American in her path while in Rome.