Aryna Sabalenka captures Ostrava Open title in straight sets over Victoria Azarenka

What was supposed to be a battle between Belorussians ended with a bad beat for Victoria Azarenka at the J&T Banka Ostrava Open. After being worked in the opening set by Aryna Sabalenka, the 31 year suffered a headache and couldn’t recover, giving the third seed the 6-2, 6-2 win for her eighth career WTA title and second this year. 

The two faced off for the third time in a big moment for not only themselves but for the country of Belarus. Both top 15 players reached the final making it the first time two from their country met for a tennis championship. Both had straight-sets wins over Maria Sakkari and Jennifer Brady to make this meeting possible. The former doubles partners know each other’s tactics which were on display twice at the US Open. After the 22-year-old took victory there in 2019, the surging former world number one leveled the series with a statement in the second round this season. With both already carrying a championship win so far, a second would put a cap on their year. 

Azarenka opened service but fell behind in the first but managed to reel in Sabalenka, force deuce and get the hold. The third seed held her end, showing strength from the forehand early on. The fourth seed followed suit, giving her compatriot one point in the third game to lead the set. Four games of serve were in the books with Sabalenka notching an easy one on Azarenka. The 22-year-old quickly changed the pace with a break to love. Showing tremendous action on the returns, the third seed acted well to shut Azarenka down. 

Her plan began to take shape as Sabalenka consolidated the break to double her lead after six. The third seed made it four straight, earning the double break on the 31-year-old with a speedy pace. On serve for the set, Sabalenka rushed through fourth points that overwhelmed Azarenka who found herself down a set in 35 minutes. The third seed made a lot of first ball errors that tallied all the problems to a pair of double faults, five unforced errors, and allowing Sabalenka 16 winners. 

When the second got underway, Azarenka dug in, slowed down her end, and won strong against her opponent. Sabalenka refused to follow her pace and rushed to 40-0 in the second. Azarenka got on the board but a ball into the net clinched the win for her younger compatriot. The 31-year-old called for the trainer to come out as something was ailing her efforts to match Sabalenka on the court. With a break to love, Sabalenka took the lead which led Azarenka to speak with the physio and doctor as she looked unwell. 

The fourth seed took a medical timeout while the physio massaged her head to relieve the headache. She reluctantly returned to play where Sabalenka took the first three points and soon after the game. Azarenka battled her headache while waiting for the aspirins taken during the timeout to take effect. It didn’t bring her a win on serve as the third seed captured another break to sit two games from the title. 

In a surprise, Azarenka showed little effort in the sixth that broke Sabalenka while she continued to rub her own head to alleviate the pain. The 22-year-old broke back to quickly get into position on serve and go for the match. Reaching three championship points with ease, the third seed lost two but her third attempt was a crosscourt winner to win in one hour and eight minutes.

Victoria Azarenka takes Maria Sakkari down in straight sets to reach Ostrava Open final

Victoria Azarenka in action during the semifinal with Maria Sakkari at the Ostrava Open Saturday

What was expected to be a close match ended with Victoria Azarenka steamrolling into the final of the J&T Banka Ostrava Open Saturday. Maria Sakkari couldn’t get it together early but fired in the second but came up short 6-1, 6-3 on center court at Ostravar Arena. 

This was the first meeting between the power hitters and at a critical moment in the tournament. The Greek star already had a huge win under her belt, smashing top-seeded Elina Svitolina before taking down Ons Jabeur in Friday’s quarterfinal. Azarenka had a terrific result for the second time against Elise Mertens, taking control of the match in its late stages. Despite not having a lot of experience against the 25-year-old, she would need to be on her toes and answer the Greek’s strong forehand. 

Sakkari brought her tactics to the court right away, moving well around the court to get ahead in the first. Avoiding the break, Azarenka forced deuce to dig in against the Greek and do whatever it took to hold serve. After five breaks and three break points saved, the fourth seed held what was impressive between the two. In response to her reactions, the Belorussian notched a second win, breaking Sakkari before scoring a serve to love in the third. 

The fourth seed pounced on another opportunity by gaining the lead on the 25-year-old’s service game to notch the double break. Azarenka’s dominance continued to rock Sakkari, who suffered another game loss. The Belorussian fell behind with a pair of unforced errors but rallied back to take a 5-0 lead with the bagel close at hand. Sakkari wouldn’t let that happen, forcing mistakes from Azarenka that allowed the Greek to hold serve, ending the shutout. Tying another victory together wasn’t part of the Belorussian’s plan as she watched Sakkari make the return errors that allowed her to see the first set ended in 32 minutes. 

For the third time in the match, Azarenka made the mark, breaking Sakkari to open the second set. The 25-year-old continued to make errors when she needed to find a way to counterattack and gain momentum over the fourth seed. It didn’t come in the shape of a break as the former world number one went up 2-0. Sakkari tried using a crosscourt strategy that is the norm for Azarenka but it didn’t pan out as errors from the Greek appeared throughout the third. 

The fourth saw the two get into a competitive fight for it with Sakkari making her best push for the break. Though she forced Azarenka to make it to deuce, keeping ahead of her was a heavy task. They played through four breaks with Sakkari attaining one chance but erring to give the fourth seed her fifth win in a row. 

Fighting to get another game under her belt, the 25-year-old dug into another deuce game where after three breaks, she was able to force an error from Azarenka. Sakkari got another one in the shape of breaking Azarenka to love. Movements in the court and directing the ball around helped her notch a second straight. The Greek’s service game picked up the pace, notching a third game from the Belorussian who started making the errors and lost ground in the set. 

Holding one game left, Azarenka overcame a 0-30 start in the eight and fired away three good points on serve. Sakkari answered with a force of deuce but after five breaks, she committed the error that gave Azarenka a 5-3 stand with a chance for the match. The 25-year-old had a terrific start to her service game but errors late gave Azarenka a shot on deuce where it took one break and an AD point to give the fourth seed the win on a seven-shot rally that saw Sakkari’s crosscourt to fall long ending the match in 1 hour and 36 minutes.

Victoria Azarenka serves up a straight sets result over Elise Mertens at Ostrava Open

Victoria Azarenka celebrates during her quarterfinal match against Elise Mertens at the J&T Banka Ostrava Open Friday. 

Victoria Azarenka pushed herself more than ever that punched her ticket to the final four at the J&T Banka Ostrava Open Friday. Elise Mertens gave the former world number a big challenge but fell 6-4, 6-1 on center court at the Ostravar Arena. Azarenka served 78 percent and notched 21 winners that did the damage on the Belgian. 

The two met last month at the US Open where the Belorussian shattered the Belgian’s hopes to surpass the round of eight. Azarenka allowed Mertens just one game in their matchup which shocked many as the 31-year-old carried a surge that some thought would end right there. Despite her missing out on a slam title, the tennis mom hasn’t let the shortened season stop her from succeeding as world number 14.  

She went the distance in her opening round with Barbora but recovered nicely with a sweep of the next two sets. Knowing that she might not get the same result against Mertens twice, the former world number one was prepared for anything with the semifinal on the line. 

She watched as Mertens rushed to break Azarenka for the opening break. The Belgian consolidated the early lead with a strong serve that would be her best tactic for staying ahead of the fourth seed. The 31-year-old got on the board with a hold in the third but Mertens remained firm on serve, notching another to lead 3-1. Azarenka stepped up her service, handing the seventh seed just one point in the fifth to sit a game down. 

Her attempts to break Mertens were strong, putting plenty of pressure on the seventh seed that took them to deuce. Three breaks were played with the Belgian managing to deny a breakpoint to Azarenka and hold serve. She gave it right back on her opponent’s service game, forcing deuce on the sixth point. The Belorussian shut Mertens down on a breakpoint chance and held. 

In the eighth, the fourth seed leveled the score with a big push that flopped Mertens for a break. Azarenka consolidated with a hold in the ninth, bringing a moment for her to keep up the attack and go for the set. The 24-year-old defended her end but an error from the forehand gave Azarenka the break needed to take the first in 51 minutes. It was the 16th unforced error committed by the seventh seed that affected her strengths. Azarenka’s serve percentage surged to get her through the set with the win that saw her score 12 winners and half a dozen unforced errors. 

As the second got underway, the Belorussian had a tough opener with Mertens all over her through every point. It took Azarenka two attempts to lock down the game which led her to believe another fight was underway. Mertens held well in the second indicating her wish to go the distance. Azarenka stepped up her offense giving up one point to the seventh seed, hoping to remain consistent. In the fourth, the 31-year-old dug into place, attacking Mertens with the crosscourt power shots that earned her the break for a 3-1 lead. 

When she returned to service, the fourth seed fired line drive winners as finishing touches to rallies that ended with her up three games. Azarenka was ruthless in the sixth where she gave little for Mertens to counterattack and served for the match with a 5-1 stance. Though the Belgian tried to force more tennis into the set, Azarenka took care of things on deuce, gaining the AD point on an error from Mertens before getting the win. It was a 90-minute performance by the former world number one, getting her way into the semifinal. 

“She played some really great points and I had to adjust a bit,” Azarenka said during her on-court interview. “I didn’t feel like I was doing much wrong, she was just hitting a lot of winners and I just stuck in there and applied pressure because I know that it’s not easy to play the whole match hitting winners. That’s what I was trying to focus on, to be aggressive to take the opportunities and that was really good.” 

She’ll face Maria Sakkari on Saturday who has been on a run of eliminating big names. “She’s going to be very difficult,” said Azarenka. “She’s a great player, she’s a great fighter, gets to a lot of balls and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Ons Jabeur moves on with straight sets win over Jelena Ostapenko

Ons Jabeur clenches her fist during her second round match at the J&T Ostrava Open against Jelena Ostapenko Thursday.

Jelena Ostapenko couldn’t put the pieces of her game back together at the J&T Bank Ostrava Open. After such a good start in the season finale, the Latvian allowed Ons Jabeur to use her bag of tricks to win 6-4, 6-4 on center court at the Ostravar Arena. 

The two met for the first time in WTA action and with both coming up with a straight-sets win in their opening round, defeat would surely come to one. The Tunisian pull together a terrific performance against the veteran Czech who flopped with only four wins in the match. It was another strong victory in her career with many occurring this season. Facing Ostapenko was another challenge as the Latvian found her niche scoring seven times as many winners to double faults. In her victory over fifth-seeded Petra Martic and success in indoor tournaments, the former French Open champ had to keep cool. 

Jabeur opened service and held Ostapenko to a single point before locking it down. She then overcame a 30-40 moment to force deuce and gain the first AD point played that earned her the break. Down 2-0, Ostapenko made sure she broke back, getting her on the board with the hope that she could consolidate in the fourth. Double faults didn’t help in her quest, leading Jabeur to capture the double with a break to love.  

The fifth was a highly competitive game as Jabeur erred at 40-15 bringing the Latvian to deuce. They went four breaks where after two blown breakpoints, Ostapenko made three a charm. She followed it up with a serve to love in the sixth, leveling the score at three-all. Jabeur responded with a serve to love in the seventh. The 26-year-old managed to stay ahead of Ostapenko after she leveled things back in the eighth. 

A final serve to love gave the Tunisian a lot of confidence to go into the tenth with the intention of forcing her opponent into submission. Gaining three break points from the start, Jabeur lost one but clinched the opening set in 36 minutes on an error from Ostapenko. She tallied 16 in total as the 26-year-old made it difficult at times. 

Her force allowed her to control serve and notch the first game of the second set. The Latvian answered with one of her own, but the task of breaking Jabeur had its difficulty. Drop shots from the Tunisian handed her free points in the third, but an error and double fault made it 30-all. She responded with a crosscourt ace marking her fifth but erred to bring up deuce. Ostapenko let her opponent make the key mistake that gave her the break and the lead. 

The two played the next three games where errors produced breaks of serve leaving them locked at three apiece. Six breaks of serve were in the books as Jabeur leveled back in the eighth, killing Ostapenko’s chance to gain momentum on serve. A push from the 26-year-old gave her an opportunity to change the pace and run on her own terms. Jabeur pulled out all the stops to dictate points that forced Ostapenko to err. On a run to return the ball at the net, the Tunisian got the game point and lead 5-4 with a key service hold. 

The Latvian served to extend the match but her opponent was focused on every point played. The 26-year-old reached three match points but blew every one of them on drop shots and a return into the net. Despite the mistakes, she earned another chance with Ostapenko forcing an error into the net to bring up the fourth attempt. A winning return was all that Jabeur needed to give the victory in 1 hour and 24 minutes.

Maria Sakkari pushes Elina Svitolina out of Ostrava Open

 

Maria Sakkari clenches her fist during her second round match against Elina Svitolina at the J&T Banka Ostrava Open Wednesday. 

Elina Svitolina watched her short WTA season come to a surprising close at the J&T Banka Ostrava Open Wednesday. Maria Sakkari took control early in the match to win 6-3, 6-3 over the number one seed on center court at the Ostravar Arena. 

The two stars met for the third time carrying wins between each other. Their last battle in 2019 at San Jose saw them rage in a three-setter with Sakkari taking control after a heavy second set tiebreak. With the Ukrainian coming off a long run at the French Open, she would have things difficult right from the start against the Greek. Sakkari took down Kristyna Pliskova in straight sets with her eyes on a huge target standing in her way. 

Svitolina opened service but watched as Sakkari made her move at 30-all and took over the score for the break. She added a serve to love for good measure to take a 2-0 run on the Ukrainian. Svitolina was in trouble with her first serve, scoring two points from it through three games. An error handed the Greek a serve to love who won her ninth consecutive point on it. Svitolina put an end to that, gaining a footing into the fourth where she gained breakpoints to notch a win for herself. 

A better service hold for the top seed cut into Sakkari’s lead after five with the focus going on getting the set level. Despite her efforts, Sakkari denied the Ukrainian another break in the sixth scoring terrific drives. Svitolina stayed within reach of the Greek power hitter saving break points and forcing deuce to take the game under control. Sakkari responded with another good hold on the top seed and threw everything in to snatch another break from Svitolina who went down in 32 minutes on an error into the net. 

It was only the tenth committed by the world number five but it was enough as Sakkari carried a strong first serve. The Greek opened the second with a strong serve followed by Svitolina’s mirroring accomplishment in the second. The Ukrainian went after Sakkari for the break, getting a chance on an early breakpoint. The 25-year-old forced deuce but could convert the AD point. Svitolina went on to get her chance and clinch the break for the lead. 

Sakkari didn’t want her opponent getting comfortable on serve and made it a grueling battle in the fourth. Overcoming a 40-15 deficit, Sakkari forced deuce and went four breaks with Svitolina before a third break point leveled her at two-all. A second successive game allowed her to hold on serve after a break of deuce, hoping to regain her footing in the match. Svitolina knew she had to stay with Sakkari and did so to remain tied. 

The 25-year-old answered with a big run of winners that allowed her to serve up a shutout to Svitolina. Getting one herself was not in the cards as the Greek overcame a 40-15 to make it to deuce and get the breakpoint. With the 5-3 stand. Sakkari claimed victory with three match points before a final error from the top seed ended her season in 75 minutes.

Jelena Ostapenko dominates in straight sets over Petra Martic at Ostrava Open

Jelena Ostapenko pulled off a stunning performance at the J&T Banka Ostrava Open Wednesday. The former French Open champion rallied from a rough start against Petra Martic And took her down in straight sets 6-3, 6-1 on center court at the Ostravar Arena. It was her best tennis of the season as adjustments to the court began to suit her to dominate. 

The Latvian met the Croatian for the third time with not a single match win against her yet. That could change as her run at Strasbourg and Paris was a major push to turn her whole game around. With improvements under the coaching of Tomas Hogstedt, the 23-year-old eyed another chance to dig into Czechia and bring her signature offense to the indoor courts. Ostapenko last won an indoor tournament in Luxembourg and would try to go 2 for 2 while ending her skid against Martic. 

Her service game didn’t start well as two double faults put her 0-40 down. She managed to save two but not a third, handing the early break to Martic. The Croatian consolidated the break for a 2-0 lead allowing Ostapenko two points. The Latvian got on the board in the third and consolidated with a break leveling the score. She fell behind on serve in the fifth but rallied from 15-40 to force deuce and notch a third win. The sixth was a huge statement as Ostapenko recorded her 13th winner against Martic for the double break. 

Facing a short deficit on serve in the seventh, Ostapenko rallied back to force deuce where it took her two breaks to secure the fifth straight game over Martic who faced the edge of defeat. The fifth seed dug in to end the winning streak of her opponent but faced the Latvian who served for the set. She recorded her 19th winner right on the first point and coasted to victory with three set points to win the first in 33 minutes. The Latvian totaled 20 winners in her success over the Croatian who won less than 50 percent of points from the first and second serve and lost on seven of eight breakpoints that Ostapenko won. 

The winners continued to come from the forehand of the Latvian who opened the second set with a break of the fifth seed before consolidating it with a hold. She achieved the double break, smashing the returns to Martic who couldn’t answer them as well as she wanted. The Croatian got on the board in the fifth but it was a long way from coming back as the Latvian closed in on victory. 

Ostapenko notched another easy win on serve in the sixth to play against Martic who was on the verge of going down hard. The 23-year-old returned well while Martic erred to give Ostapenko two match points. A crosscourt winner capped the victory that took her 57 minutes to accomplish. It was the 30th that she had in the match compared to Martic’s nine. 

“In the beginning, I couldn’t get used to this court,” Ostapenko said during her on-court interview. “It’s a little bit different but then I was playing aggressive and not going for every shot. I was trying to play smart using drop shots and, in the end, I was killing her with winners and play very confidently.”

Victoria Azarenka rallies late to win at Ostrava Open

Victoria Azarenka clenches her first during a second-round match against Barbora Krejcikova at the J&T Ostrava Open Wednesday.

Victoria Azarenka overcame a tough start at the J&T Banka Ostrava Open but advanced into the quarterfinal on Wednesday. Barbora Krejcikova put up a great fight against the fourth seed but let go of control in a 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 score on Centre Court. Azarenka won 14 of 16 breakpoints that were a huge advantage towards her victory to begin the tournament. 

The Belorussian gets back to the hard courts for the first time since her US Open final match. Despite losing out on her third chance for the grand slam, the 31-year-old was happy enough with her improved skills dominating. Despite not facing Krejcikova before, the world number 14 looked to get the jump in Czechia and finish the WTA season strong. The 24-year-old carried some adversity against the former world number one winning her last three matches at the tournament not dropping a set. Getting the edge on Azarenka would be a shining moment for Krejcikova and stand out as a dark horse. 

Both had a good start with their opening service, holding one another off before Krejcikova responded big in the third. The returns she delivered to Azarenka caused the server to fall but rose to force deuce. The two played through two breaks but in the end, it was the 24-year-old with her big returns to get the break. Consolidating the break gave the Czech a 3-1 lead on the former world number one, scoring easy points down the lines. 

Azarenka fought to contain service, needing time on deuce where a crosscourt smash secured the fifth. After returning her two-game lead to the scoreboard, Krejcikova consolidated the hold of serve with a critical break of Azarenka. The backhand shots she fired across court did serious damage to earn her the double break and serve for the set up three games. 

The Belorussian let out a scream of frustration after committing her third unforced error of the set and down 0-30. Krejcikova reached a triple set point where a forehand crosscourt put the first away in 39 minutes. The 24-year-old had 20 winners in her success serving 73 percent and committing just six errors. With her actions bettering that of the fourth seed, Krejcikova had the potential to make things worse. 

Azarenka opened the second set with a much-needed service hold. Despite taking eight minutes to get it done, the fourth seed made sure she was on top at the start. Krejcikova answered with a hold of her own before taking it to the Belorussian in the third. It was the longest of the match as the Czech refused to give Azarenka a breeze on serve and fought through deuce. After four breaks, the fourth seed managed to find the victory that kept her ahead. 

Krejcikova had yet to face a break in the match and on her serve in the fourth, Azarenka attacked to force deuce where she canceled out her opponent’s AD point and brought up one of her own to be the winner. The fourth seed wasn’t done fighting as her serve was challenged in the fifth with Krejcikova forcing deuce. The two battled for eight minutes and five breaks until Azarenka held as her third AD point was the charm. 

By the seventh, it was the 31-year-old in place for the set taking a 5-2 lead on the Czech who saw her offense being figured out. Krejcikova’s nerves rattled her completely out of order as she struggled to get to some points and then erred with a ball into the net ending the second in 54 minutes. She tallied 15 errors in total and never won a breakpoint in her eight attempts. Though she outnumbered Azarenka on winners for the second time, it came down to control which the Belorussian carried well. 

Krejcikova left the court for more than the normal amount of time during a set break causing Azarenka to ask why the long wait. The 24-year-old returned to action where the fourth seed opened the set with a service hold. Despite being 15-40 down, the Czech rallied back to force deuce and manage a hold to keep with Azarenka. 

The Belorussian marked her first serve to love of the match, showing tremendous focus with her big forehand power shot. The fourth seed consolidated with a break of the Czech, opening a 3-1 lead. Azarenka was in control, gaining a third consecutive game over Krejcikova who let her return game slip away and produce more errors than she wished to see. 

The serve didn’t help her recover, allowing Azarenka to take another for the break and serve for the match at 5-1. It was an easy push for the Belorussian who watched as one of her points hit the net and rolled on top before falling into Krejcikova’s end. She reached three match points, letting one go and put things away in 2 hours and 11 minutes.

"She was a tough one to play," Azarenka said after the match. "She played really well and the court suit her game really well taking a lot of opportunities and advantage of that and had to adjust my game." "My fighting spirit pushed myself to try and find a way and that was the key. I felt that she was a step ahead of me and I stepped it up."

Nadia Podoroska continues Cinderella run at French Open defeating Elina Svitolina

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Elina Svitolina had no answers to change the story of her Cinderella opposition at the French Open Tuesday. Nadia Podoroska had the speed and skill to make her jump early in the match and stun the third seed in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 on Philippe Chatrier Court at Roland Garros. She came the first from her country since Paola Suarez in 2004 to make it to the semifinal. The world number 131 used winners and tactics that beat down the third seed. 

The Ukrainian hoped that three was the charm to get her beyond the last eight on the Paris clay courts. In her way was a big problem for many opponents as the unseeded Argentine stunned the tournament to become the first woman from her country since 2004 to make it this far in a slam. Though she hasn’t played against anyone in the top ten, the 23-year-old had what it took to pull off the biggest upset in the women’s draw but the task would be heavy. Svitolina increased her level of strength, adding a controlled win against Caroline Garcia. To go further than ever, the third seed knew what had to be done to end this Latin Cinderella story. 

Getting control of serve right off the racket was an essential moment but for Svitolina, it turned out to be a bigger problem. Podoroska returned very well despite making a couple errors in the first. She forced the Ukrainian to deuce before attacking to break her. The third seed returned the favor, taking advantage of an error to force deuce and break back. The Argentine turned things around with a hold that came on a third deuce game. With the 2-1 lead, she went for broke and trounced Svitolina in the fourth, opening the gap. 

Podoroska had her offense running very well as she forced Svitolina into errors that secured the fifth, making it a 4-1 shocker. The third seed became frustrated with her forehand errors, letting out her feelings verbally. Another break for Podoroska made it 5-1 as her strategy of moving the Ukrainian around worked to her favor. Serving for the set, the 23-year-old got into a jam and allowed Svitolina to break back. 

With another game to hold Podoroska from ending the first, Svitolina fell into a 0-30 hole notching to errors and a double fault. It gave Podoroska triple set point which gave her the victory on a winner down the line ending the set in 34 minutes. The differences came on the number of winners each produced and for Podoroska taking the win, her 17 to Svitolina’s two made it obvious. 

The Argentine blasted so many in games that the errors (while low) put holes in Svitolina’s return game. She came into the second, shutting out the Ukrainian before a hold of serve from the third seed leveled things early. A key break back for the world number five gave her the lead for the first time in the match, hoping to conduct a better outcome for herself. The two continued on the breaks of serve with Podoroska running up the forehand errors from her end. 

After seven games and a 4-3 lead for the Ukrainian, the Argentine had 13 errors to her opponent’s six. Despite having troubles, Podoroska didn’t take her efforts out of the equation as another break of serve kept the set level. With Svitolina unable to counter, the 23-year-old went for her chance in the ninth to do so. Holding a key service game put her in place to pressure the third seed to serve herself into a push for more games. 

Great placement near the net allowed Svitolina to deny Podoroska of any cheap lob points and instead, smash her way to them. They fought through every point, with the Argentine staying in tow with her opponent. A second hit into the net brought up match point for Podoroska, who blew one into the net to force deuce. She earned a second from an error by Svitolina but after a long rally, her plan to lob for the win went sour for a third time, bringing the game back to deuce. 

It appeared that three was a charm for the young unseeded player as Svitolina committed a forehand shot that went wide. The winning point was on a net-front crosscourt that gave her a huge win in 1 hour and 19 minutes.

Elina Svitolina eliminates Caroline Garcia in lopsided victory at the French Open

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Elina Svitolina made it a tough day for her opponent and get into the quarterfinals at the French Open Sunday. A straight-sets dictation against Caroline Garcia who managed a couple service games ended in a 6-1, 6-3 result on Philippe Chatrier Court at Roland Garros. It became the third quarterfinal advance for the Ukrainian, in what was her best performance of the tournament to date. 

This marked the fifth meeting between the two and the second straight matchup on clay. Garcia dug in against the Ukrainian back in Stuttgart two years ago, beating Svitolina in three sets. Their journey to the round of 16 had been opposite as Svitolina got the slightly easier path while Garcia had a few big opponents to deal with. The one that cost her the most trouble was Elise Mertens who had her beat 6-1 in the opening set but lost the next two. With one full match under her belt, and three of four played that way with the third seed she was okay playing another. 

Svitolina took three minutes to score the first break of the match, showing plenty of energy to take on the Frenchwoman. Garcia had her signature slow start that gave Svitolina the easy hold in the second. She fell behind on serve in the third but fought to come back. It was an error into the net that marked her seventh of the set and a double break for the Ukrainian. Of the last 16 points, Svitolina won 12 of them showing a one-way path for the third seed. 

She served for a 4-0 run but ran behind quickly against Garcia. Forcing deuce was her way back, leading two into a fight for the AD point. After three breaks, and two blown chances to get the hold, Garcia went on to make her third breakpoint the charm to end the shutout. Svitolina answered with a break back in the fifth and put together a serve to love gaining a 5-1 footing. The third seed dominated Garcia in the seventh, reaching three set points. She lost one of them on an error but closed out the French star in 26 minutes. The Ukrainian dominated in the set, outscoring Garcia 27-13 that was assisted by the French star’s 18 unforced errors. 

Svitolina opened the second with a fast start of her service hoping to keep the pace high against Garcia. On her serve in the second, Garcia struggled to keep up but instead handed Svitolina her ninth break point of the match. Though she saved it with a good lob to force deuce, she failed to get an AD point chance losing a fifth service game. A need to get into the set was essential for Garcia who dug deep to find some energy and play a solid return game that produced a break back of Svitolina. 

Her attempt to consolidate started out foul with three break points going to the third seed on errors. The Ukrainian scored the sixth break of the match opening the gap on Garcia who couldn’t limit the problems. Svitolina let up a little in the fifth, bringing Garcia to deuce but an ace helped her reach the AD point before scoring a second serve winner to move up 4-1. Garcia etched out an important hold that cut the lead in half for Svitolina, who sat two-game from the match. 

She moved to one after easily getting through the sixth with a pair of winners and unforced errors from the French hopeful. In her efforts to save the match, Garcia gave up one point before holding serve for a third win. The third seed was back to serve in the ninth, serving up to Garcia for the match. She erred twice from the backhand but Garcia erred as well. At 30-all, the third seed scored on a long ball from the Frenchwoman, earning match point. Garcia notched her 34th unforced error to end a heartbreaker in 63 minutes.

"It was not easy for both of us," Svitolina said to Marion Bartoli after the match. "I think it was really important for us to get into the consideration that it was really windy and try to close out the game as quick as possible and whoever adjusted the quickest and I was happy that it was me today."

Danielle Collins upsets Garbine Muguruza in three sets at the French Open

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Danielle Collins fought till the bitter end and somehow came through with a win at the French Open late Saturday night. The unseeded American overtook Garbine Muguruza in the opening set and overtook her late in the decider to win 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 on Philippe Chatrier Court at Roland Garros. 

The two played on clay courts of Rome where Muguruza handled the American in three sets. With some experience against the Spaniard, Collins had the opportunity to take her second set win from Rome and add more to the tone of upsetting the 11th seed. Her efforts needed plenty of gusto as Muguruza was on a tear through her second round, defeating Kristyna Pliskova. With her eyes set on returning to French Open glory, the 26-year-old knew that keeping Collins behind was a big element to her future success. 

Muguruza got the jump on the American gaining two break points before she rallied to force deuce on serve. They played three breaks, where the Spaniard produced points each time to make the seal the break on Collins. They got three points in the second when rain forced play to be suspended. Tournament organizers chose to move the match to Phillippe Chatrier which was closed. 

When play resumed, Muguruza stayed ahead in the second to maintain service and a 2-0 lead. A fight to make it three in a row was trounced by Collins who battled Muguruza back on serve. Needing time on deuce to get it done, the American denied her opponent an AD point break and locked it down on the second break. The Spaniard had problems with the first serve, handing Collins free points to even the score after four. She added a third straight win, gaining not only momentum but a focus to stay ahead of the 11th seed. 

She remained that way into the ninth when a solid hold made it 5-4 with Muguruza fighting to extend the set or face a deficit. She pressed the set further with a serve to love in the tenth, showing Collins that she wasn’t going to let up. The American answered back with a stronghold in the eleventh and went for it against the struggling Spaniard. Having won the last five points, Collins took advantage of some errors in her opponent’s game and stole the break to win in 61 minutes. It was the 20th unforced error committed by the 11th seed who knew during the break that she had to do better. 

A break to start the second set was a good statement from Muguruza who took the second to move around the court more. It earned her another 2-0 jump ahead of Collins who played the third like her life depended on it. The American played one break before smashing a winner across the court to hold serve. Going for the tie was another story as unforced errors crept into Collins’ game. Muguruza took advantage of those mistakes and blasted away at the American. It was quickly 4-1 for the 11th seed who wanted to keep her dictation going and force the match to the distance. 

Getting to 5-1 became difficult as the American fought through every point to force deuce, but not the AD point which Muguruza locked down on. When it came for her to serve the seventh, Collins recorded her second shutout, keeping her alive in the set. Once the Spaniard was back on serve, the 26-year-old rolled to victory, taking 33 minutes to be back on top with her actions. Her serve at 78 percent produced 11 winners and only four unforced errors. Collins had nearly four times as many indicating that her trailing could get worse. 

Another win for Muguruza to start the third had her winning seven of the last nine games played. She rolled along, taking advantage of a frustrated Collins, opening herself a 3-0 run. The American tried putting a stop to it after suffering a double break, pushing Muguruza to deuce. After six minutes of fighting through 13 points, Collins scores the break back to end her downfall. Despite committing her sixth double fault, the American added a second straight against Muguruza. 

While it looked as if Collins had found ground to dig in, Muguruza took the shovel away denying her the break in the sixth. Collins went on to hold the seventh making her mission to play every single point as the finish line closed in. It worked out for Collins who fought on deuce to break Muguruza and consolidate it with a hold in the ninth. With a shot at pulling off the upset, Collins got the first point on a double fault from the 11th seed. 

A battle at the net for the third point put Collins in front and another double fault from the Spaniard brought the American two match points. After putting together a great start, Collins got the job done as she watched Muguruza return a popped fly that fell wide of the line ending her tournament in 2 hours and 26 minutes.

Paula Badosa continues her run of upsets with the KO to Jelena Ostapenko at the French Open

Embed from Getty Images Jelena Ostapenko let her entire game go to pieces at the French Open. Despite her late surge of good luck, a majority was with 22-year-old Paula Badosa who won 6-4, 6-3 on Simonne Mathieu Court at Roland Garros. It was an upset that many thought would go to three sets but a one-way run from the Spaniard made it easy to continue her hot streak. 

The Spaniard season at Grand Slams had been her best to date, making it to the second round at the Australian Open. With another move deep into a slam tournament, the Spaniard had her work cut out for her, playing well against Sloane Stephens in a second three-set win. Ostapenko’s improvement this season gave her confidence to shoot for a second title in Paris but holding off her next opponent would continue to be a task for the 23-year-old. 

She found that out as Badosa worked out a terrific opening serve before adding a break to her score. She widened out to three break points before the Latvian came back to save two, but not a third. Ostapenko broke back in the third and held to level the score, getting out of an early hole. Badosa picked up where she left off, scoring the double break as Ostapenko’s double faults came into play. 

The Spaniard consolidated things in the sixth to regain her two gam margin. The Latvian tried to stay close with the 22-year-old but unforced errors from her end were scarcely made. It led to her taking control with a 5-3 hold. Ostapenko managed to hold a second service game, but the Spaniard continued her solid brand of tennis. Despite heavy opposition from the Latvian, she produced a total of four set points, getting the victory on an error from Ostapenko to complete 45 minutes. 

The 23-year-old screamed in frustration before the set break but came into the second with ferocity. Reaching 40-0, Ostapenko committed an error but put down a winner to take the first game. Sensing an opportunity during the second, Ostapenko screamed once more when she failed to counter on Badosa’s serve that leveled at one-all. Unforced errors rattled the 23-year-old, giving a free game and break to the Spaniard. She made it 3-1 with a solid hold, leading Ostapenko to have another verbal shout at herself. 

Badosa had the double break in hand, cruising to her goal of moving into the round of 16. Ostapenko tried to get out of her head and reel things in, doing so on deuce where the first AD point was due to a winner from the forehand. Two more from her came in the seventh, getting a jump on the Spaniard. Badosa went on serve, attempting to hold back the Latvian from overtaking her. 

A big hold from the 22-year-old put her in place to play for the match with Ostapenko down two games. A wild double fault from the Latvian caused a big crash in her offense as Badosa closed in on the victory. The Latvian had a couple big points to bring her to deuce but another double fault brought match point. An unforced error gave Badosa the coveted winner just as the rain was falling hard. It took the young Spaniard 1 hour and 22 minutes to defeat a former French Open champion, letting the tears fall from under a towel as she advanced into the sweet 16.

Elina Svitolina returns to the French Open second week in straight sets win over Ekatrina Alexandrova

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Elina Svitolina had to work hard for her third-round match but came out victorious at the French Open Friday. The third seed had a close fight to the finish line with Ekaterina Alexandrova who fell in the final moments to win 6-4, 7-5 on Suzanne Lenglen Court at Roland Garros. The win marked the fourth time the Ukrainian that she made it to the second week and the first in three years. 

This marked the second time the Russian made the third round at the open. The 25-year-old earned her second consecutive trip to the round of 32 but faced a sizable opponent than last year. The Ukrainian thanked her lucky stars that she made it through after a dismal performance had added desperation to defeat Mexican rookie Renata Zarazura in three sets. Despite upsetting the birthday girl, advancement was the important key for the world number five, who wanted to improve her lack of competition. With a six-match winning streak and a title under her belt, the third seed looked to make it seven with a better output of control. 

Conditions were something to get used to as the clay dealt with rain earlier, making it tougher to slide around. Svitolina and Alexandrova struggled to adjust to that as the third seed battled her serve. She managed to hold serve on the break to set the bar for the 25-year-old. The Russian had a better outcome from her service game, avoiding deuce with Svitolina. She went after her again in the third, forcing deuce with a winner. The Ukrainian recovered, holding the first AD point to remain in the lead. 

The two remained on serve through eight games with Svitolina bringing the heat. After breaking Alexandrova in the ninth, the third seed delivered the first set knock out, scoring a serve to love that gave her the lead in 43 minutes. Despite two double faults and a second serve struggling to get above average, her control on serve was key to coming out in front of the Russian. Alexandrova’s 23 errors didn’t help her out, giving Svitolina the edge to continue her consistence. 

The third seed blew her opening serve in the second set but caused problems for Alexandrova who easily handed breakpoints to the Ukrainian. Though she saved one, the 25-year-old went down in the second, evening the score. They returned to serve with Svitolina maintaining a stronghold with her end while going after Alexandrova on hers. The Russian returned the favor in the fifth, forcing deuce with the Ukrainian, but failed to counter. 

The two had remained deadlocked with service holds that led to a five-all tie and a tough time for Svitolina who worked hard holding her own end. The Russian’s offense did so well to keep with the third see that a break chance in the 11th boiled her blood. Svitolina denied her and took the 6-5 lead. Alexandrova suddenly had the nerves running through her as she served to force a tiebreak. Svitolina made that moment very difficult for the Russian who produced errors and blew the serve to five the Ukrainian the win in 1 hour and 40 minutes. 

“It was not an easy match, Svitolina said to Marion Bartoli during her on-court interview. “Going into it, I knew she was hitting the ball hard and flat so I had to adjust and it was important to stay focused for every single point, dig deep and run for every single ball.” 

When asked about her move into the second week of action, the 26-year-old with three other previous times in competition had the experience to know. “It’s always really nice to be in the second week of a grand slam and to have a chance to go deep into the tournament,” she said. “It’s always the goal but for the slam especially. It’s different without the crowds so it’s really something you treasure in every slam that you play.”

Iga Swiatek overruns Eugenie Bouchard in straigh sets at the French Open

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Iga Swiatek impressed her skills once again at the French Open Friday. The 19-year-old brought her best to put down Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 on Simonne Mathieu Court at Roland Garros. The Pole had 30 winners and kept the unforced errors low to be the dictator of her third-round success. 

The Canadian showed her strengths in the three sets that Daria Gavrilova forced her into. With a lot of time on court during shutdowns, the 26-year-old eyed further advancement while playing well in Paris. While not having any experience against the Pole, Bouchard would rely on what she had tuned up to make it back to the second week of action since 2014. Swiatek was still unbeaten in her last four sets, giving one the indication that she would defend that streak or be in heavy competition with Bouchard. 

She opened service, breaking the Canadian and notched a hold to serve, giving Swiatek the early lead. Bouchard got on the board with a service hold in the third as she came from 15-40 to the first AD point won. A fight to bring her back to level pegging occurred in the fourth as Swiatek had offensive errors to produce her breakpoints. She turned it around with an ace before overcooking a shot, handing Bouchard a second break. Another return long sealed the win for the 26-year-old as she served to the Polish teen. 

Swiatek continued to lead with her hold in the fifth before going for a break in the following game. Opening a 40-15 run on the Canadian, the 19-year-old watched Bouchard swing her return into the net, giving her a two-game gap. Bouchard battled to hold her end, but the leverage remained with Swiatek who produced the winners that kept her out front after eight games. 

The 26-year-old served to extend the set but fell into a hole giving Swiatek set points. Bouchard saved one but caught a bad beat with her return hitting the net and bouncing out of bounds to end the first in 41 minutes. It was the eighth unforced error committed by Bouchard but the real beating she received was the 20 winners that Swiatek produced that gave her so much control. She served 64 percent for points on the first and won four of five from the net to go into the second with confidence. 

Swiatek continued on her merry way, opening the second with a hold of serve. Attacking Bouchard’s service game got the teen to deuce where chances for the break earned her a two-game margin. Bouchard’s second try on serve helped her lock it down and end the short winning streak for Swiatek. Consolidating her win with a break of the teen was a sign of good fortune for the Canadian, but managing the third win was not. Swiatek upped her defense to hold serve in the fifth against Bouchard who continued to trail. 

She suffered a break in the sixth, giving Swiatek the 4-2 lead that inched her closer to the match. With a grip on Bouchard, she went for a big hold in the seventh, allowing the Canadian a single point before hammering a crosscourt winner. In her attempts to save the end from coming, Bouchard instead gave Swiatek free points on her errors. Another one landing long brought up double match points for the teen who took her victory in 1 hour and 14 minutes with Bouchard’s return landing wide.

Garbine Muguruza rolls into round three with straight sets win over Kristyna Pliskova

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Garbine Muguruza was dominant on the court at the French Open Thursday. The Spaniard handled things well against Kristyna Pliskova who experienced a 6-3, 6-2 loss on Suzanne Lenglen Court at Roland Garros. 

The Spaniard faced only one of the Pliskova sisters ten times in her career but facing the other was something she never thought she’d get the chance to do. Luck would have it that Kristyna Pliskova was in her path and that she’d be the only one remaining in the tournament. Her second-seeded twin was knocked out by Jelena Ostapenko, allowing her to keep the family name on the clay courts in Paris. The win over Viktoria Kuzmova was an easy start to her run but facing the resurgent Muguruza proved a bigger challenge for the left-hander. 

Muguruza got the match underway and held serve. Pliskova locked her game down just as the rain began to fall on the court. Despite the small interruption, the two continued on with the third with Pliskova getting two breakpoints. She clinched the third on a backhand error from the 11th seed as the ball fell wide of the line. The Spaniard broke back in the fourth forcing the errors from Pliskova to force deuce and lob a winner to end a rally. 

Court placement and winners were the cast of Muguruza’s victory on serve in the fifth, giving her opponent a rough time on returns. A double fault didn’t help Pliskova’s efforts on serve, and with errors during rallies with Muguruza, the gap for her opponent widened. Muguruza held the seventh, giving Pliskova a single point. 

The 28-year-old rallied to hold serve for the first time since the second game, the effort was late coming as the Spaniard had most of the control. A near-flawless service in the ninth, notching back to back winners for the set in 32 minutes. The 11th seed played very well with her serve above 70 percent and outscoring Pliskova on winners while minimizing the unforced errors. With more momentum needed, the 28-year-old Czech needed to be strong from her offense. 

A hold of serve was the right path taken for the left-hander, but consolidating a break was out of the question from the Spaniard. She notched a serve to love before digging into another battle against Pliskova’s serve. They went to deuce for the second time in the set, playing six breaks where the Czech saved an AD point before getting hers locked for the lead. A service winner leveled Muguruza at two-all before breaking Pliskova which was the beginning of the end for the Czech. 

She couldn’t keep the unforced errors down, leading to Muguruza’s ascent of dominance to hold serve in the sixth. Another easy break gave her the comfort of serving for the match which came on three match points from an ace. The nail in Pliskova’s coffin came on a sliced winner to complete the victory in one hour and eight minutes. 

“I had to prepare because it’s the first time this year that I played a lefty so that’s interesting,” Muguruza said. “I had to be ready and with this temperature be super active.” She’ll bring more of that activity when she faces American Danielle Collins on Saturday.

Jelena Ostapenko sends second seeded Pliskova to the exits at the French Open

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia in action during the second round at the 2020 Roland Garros Grand Slam tennis tournament

Jelena Ostapenko was back with her signature aggression that brought a massive win at the French Open Thursday. The 2017 champion played like one against second-seeded Karolina Pliskova who had nothing to respond with in a 6-4, 6-2 result on Philippe Chatrier Court at Roland Garros. It was her first time back on the court, pulling a huge upset in the tournament. 

The difficulty arose for the 23-year-old as she faced the Czech superstar for the sixth time. Having won twice against her with one back in 2019, Pliskova ran her on the clay courts of Stuttgart in three sets. With the anticipation of playing once more indoors due to foul Parisian weather, the Latvian had to use all the improvements made and dictate against the second seed. The 28-year-old had a tough one on her hands with Mayar Sherif going deep into a first set tiebreak. She managed to overcome the early defeat with quick wins in the next pair to face Ostapenko once more. As one who can handle clay, the battle between the two euro stars would be fierce. 

Ostapenko was first to break in the match, taking advantage of Pliskova’s mistakes. She couldn’t hold her own service, having committed a double fault that handed the break to the Czech. Up until the 13 points played, the second seed had yet to score a point. She got on the board but was forced to deuce, inevitably giving Ostapenko the double break. With three breaks of serve, Pliskova applied the pressure on the Latvian to hold service in the fifth, notching her second. 

The Czech consolidated her win with a break of Ostapenko to close the gap but watched it open back up with her first serve vulnerability. The 23-year-old went after her problems to break back and hold serve in the eighth. With a 5-3 hold, she earned the chance to play for the set but the second seed had other plans. Improving her offense at the right time, Pliskova landed a couple winners in the ninth, earning the serve to love. The Latvian refused to let her serve to get away from her and locked down the win over the second seed, who erred twice in the game to give in after 38 minutes. 

Ostapenko took all that was successful in the opening set and opened the second with a break to love of Pliskova. The Latvian then held off a push to deuce from the second seed to open the gap. The Czech got into the set with a hold of serve, giving just two points to her opponent. Despite the loss of full control, Ostapenko had it on serve, notching her second shutout of the match for a 3-1 lead. 

Pliskova’s first serve continued to rattle her as she notched a fourth double fault in the fifth but managed to hold after three breaks of deuce. With an hour of action in the books, Ostapenko had a 4-2 lead, adding another strong hold against the Czech. The seventh was a big moment for the former champion, who broke Pliskova with a winning return to sit 5-2 and balls in hand for the match. With two winners in the eighth (27 overall), Ostapenko had two match points but committed a double fault to bring Pliskova to deuce. Despite needing more time to get it done, she let the Czech err on the last point ending her day in one hour and nine minutes.