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.
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