Leylah Fernandez drops Belinda Bencic in three sets at French Open

Leylah Fernandez clenches her fist during her third-round match with Belinda Bencic at the French Open. 

Belinda Bencic once again suffered defeat at the hands of the youthful Canadian at the French Open Friday. Leylah Fernandez made her statements throughout the three-set match, defeating the 14th seed 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 on Court Philippe Chatrier on the grounds of Roland Garros.

After a big win over Bianca Andreescu, the Swiss star ran into another Canadian, who like Andreescu, made it to a main major final. Fernandez had done all right for herself this season, winning in Monterrey and putting in quality time on tour. Her experience against Bencic paid off two years ago at the Billy Jean King Cup, beating the then 23-year-old. Her wins so far against Kristina Mladenovic and Katerina Siniakova are impressive to set up a match with the 14th seed. Having made the third round before, the teen wanted to knock out another big name and surpass her personal best in Paris.

The Canadian opened service and blasted shots at Bencic, who only notched a point in the opening game. When it came time for her to serve, Fernandez managed to force deuce and worked the Swiss to break her. The teen gained a 3-0 lead on the 14th seed, backing up the early break. Bencic knew that she was out of her comfort zone and fought to change things in the fourth. She gained back her offense and knocked out a service game.

The 23-year-old scored a break and consolidated in the sixth, recovering all the ground lost to Fernandez. The Canadian followed suit with her opponent and held serve in the seventh, gaining back the lead in the process. With the business end of the set nearing, Bencic understood that losing serve was not an option and leveled the score back in response. The 14th seed had a chance to break Fernandez, but the teen fired a shot that forced Bencic to err. The Swiss turned it around for the AD point and forced an error on the other side, scoring the break.

With the door open to serve for the set, Bencic overcame the early deficit by Fernandez, only to be forced to deuce on her first set point. Having stopped the opportunity, the Canadian gained the AD point to level the score at five-all. The 17th seed put herself in a great place, taking the 11th game, with pressure back on Bencic. She opened the 12th with a miscue and a double fault, handing Fernandez a jump on the score. The Canadian took the advantage and won the next two points, clinching the first set in 57 minutes.

When playing Fernandez, errors were a huge factor in her consistent play on the court. She served 69 percent from the first serve and kept the errors low with four. Bencic struggled, despite her fight, but eight errors against the teen were too much to commit against a formidable opponent.

In the second, the competition was fierce, with Fernandez holding serve followed by Bencic. The 14th seed became enraged when she was called for time when her opponent was ready earlier. Despite her anger, she put that into breaking Fernandez to take the lead. Bencic slowed down the pace to her comfort, forcing deuce in the fourth. The Canadian teen continued to pressure Bencic through for breaks until the Swiss locked it down.

Fernandez stayed in touch with a hold of serve in the fifth, but stepping into Bencic’s serve was not in the cards, as the Swiss opened a two-game lead. The 17th seed maintained her being a break down, waiting for a chance to level the score. Bencic denied her opponent, responded well, and was on the court in the right place. She dictated the returns to break Fernandez to love, taking the set in 49 minutes.

Bencic notched 18 winners in her fight to tie up the match, dealing out a tough one for Fernandez, whose second serve struggled. She won just 42 percent and committed three double faults. With the Canadian teen in trouble, Bencic was intent on controlling the third set. The 14th seed held off the competition and broke for a 2-0 lead. When it looked as if a serve to love was going to occur for Bencic in the third, a double fault helped bring Fernandez to deuce.

She fought the next few points, scoring the break to get on the board and put the brakes on Bencic. She leveled the score after the fourth, consolidating the break, but was unable to keep up her strength. Bencic gained back the lead in the fifth but didn’t have the level of aggression to keep Fernandez in her rearview mirror. The Canadian made it three-all and created three breakpoints in the seventh. Bencic fought off two but double-faulted to secure the break for the 17th seed.

She took a 5-3 stand with a strong response on serve, putting Bencic on the ropes to save her time on the court. The Swiss fed on the pressure and blasted winners across to Fernandez, who couldn’t handle them. She still had the chance to serve for the match in the tenth, but a double fault brought up a breakpoint, which Bencic took on an error from the Canadian. Fernandez again took a step ahead of Bencic, who suffered critical errors to sit back under pressure.

With Fernandez in charge of her serve, she put everything she had left in the tank and pulled off three match points. A final serve scored her the biggest win at the major, shutting out Bencic in the 12th to complete a 2-hour and 51 minute match.  

Alize Cornet sends Jelena Ostapenko to the exit at the French Open

Alize Cornet in action during the second round of the French Open 

Jelena Ostapenko was ousted by not only the competition but the crowd at the French Open Thursday night. In support for the French star, Alize Cornet battled the 13th seed through three sets on Philippe Chatrier, winning 6-0, 1-6, 6-3 on the grounds of Roland Garros. It was an upset of a former champion that made many in the stands happy that a French player could advance.

The two got together for a fifth meeting and the first one to occur on the clay court. They each have two wins against the other, and with Cornet mulling about retirement, she has been enjoying the time on Chatrier. The 33-year-old started her first round there against Misaki Doi, taking care of the Japanese player. Her battles against Ostapenko have been a mix of challenges and smooth victories. With both playing well in their openers, it assured there would be no smooth transition for either.

Cornet earned the opening service and drew errors from Ostapenko early. She nearly had a serve to love but watched the Latvian tally a pair of points before closing it. Ostapenko was all over the place on her serve, giving Cornet the break. The French star consolidated the second with a near-perfect run in the third for a 3-0 score. With majority of the crowd behind Cornet, it promised to be an uphill battle for Ostapenko. She experienced this more in the fourth, with her shots falling wide of the tramlines and barely any accuracy. A double fault ended the game, handing Cornet the double break where she, in turn, consolidated for a 5-0 lead.

The Latvian ran out of time and ideas on how to overcome her problems but with help from Cornet’s terrific return game, she closed out the set with a winner to end the first in 24 minutes. Ostapenko recorded 16 unforced errors and scored just eight points in the competition. Major changes had to come to her game to stave off elimination in the second stanza.

Cornet opened the set and almost had a seventh game win on the horizon. A mistake at 40-30 gotnb Ostapenko to deuce, where she produced an AD point, scoring the break. She gained momentum on serve after fighting Cornet on deuce through three breaks. With the 2-0 lead, she opened up three breakpoints in the third, let one get away, and clinch the double break. The Latvian consolidated to a four-game winning streak, but the fifth saw a change from Cornet, who refused to hand another break to the 21-year-old.

Performing better on serve, the French star gave the crowd something to cheer for, but Ostapenko won the sixth on a break to love, taking a 5-1 lead. In an attempt to stay alive in the set, Cornet tried to hold off the Latvian but made a critical miscue on game point. It opened the door once more for the 13th seed. On the first AD point, Ostapenko evened the match with a final error, putting the second set down in 31 minutes. Cornet’s second serve was not up to par and stood out as the biggest problem. She scored just one point on eight tries and two double faults while the Latvian’s offense was running high.

Improvements came quickly in the third, where she successfully broke Ostapenko. The 13th seed hunted down a chance to break back in the second but blew her breakpoint on a long return. The two got into a fight for the AD point that spanned five breaks and lasted ten minutes. In the end, it was Cornet taking the victory and a two-game lead in the decider. Tension became a problem for Ostapenko, who struggled with the first serve and didn’t have much from the second either. She surrendered another game, handing Cornet the double break. The Latvian landed good winners in the fourth, that assisted in her breaking back. Good court positioning and defense against Cornet helped her notch a second win, sitting one back from leveling the score.

Cornet held serve in the sixth to keep Ostapenko trailing by two games. The Latvian had a chance to get within one but double-faulted and erred to bring Cornet to deuce in the seventh. An error from the French star brought up an AD point for the 13th seed, who watched a return go into the net from the other end. Every point was dramatically played in the eighth, and on deuce, it took Cornet just once to hold her service and lead 5-3. Ostapenko complained to the umpire because she heard someone make a call on the court.

It was a moment that couldn’t be changed and forced Ostapenko to continue playing. Cornet earned two match points on a long ball from the Latvian, who then handed the victory with one last shot into the net, ending 1 hour and 41 minutes.

Belinda Bencic holds of Bianca Andreescu in straight sets at French Open

Belinda Bencic celebrates during a key point in her second-round match with Bianca Andreescu at the French Open. 

Belinda Bencic handled a tough match to get the revenge she waited three years for at the French Open Wednesday. The 25-year-old found a solution late in the second set against Bianca Andreescu, who surged back, but fell 6-2, 6-4 on Court Philippe Chatrier on the grounds of Roland Garros. It was an important win for the 14^th seed, who leveled the series with the Canadian, who was responsible for denying her a major final. 

The reigning Olympic gold medalist met a former adversary for the first time since their 2019 US Open semifinal. It was there that the Canadian went on to win the championship, making a true name for herself. Since that time, Andreescu had struggled to play her game since early last year. Returning during the clay-court season was an easy transition after posting a quarterfinal appearance in Rome last week. 

Though she had a victory against Bencic, the Swiss had her strengths that matched better than the 21-year-old, who wanted to surpass her second-round personal best. Bencic’s schooling of Reka Jani on Monday was a prime example of comfortability and that even under pressure, she could be a dangerous opponent. 

In the opening game, she made that clear, holding Andreescu to a point for the break. Bencic consolidated in the second and watched the Canadian get on the board during her service. The Swiss went back to her mission of taking time away from Andreescu, who wasn’t playing on her favorite surface. Down two games, the 21-year-old held service in the fifth while feeding off the energy of the supporters in the stands. 

The 14^th seed took care of business and went into the seventh determined to steal points away from Andreescu. Playing with two breakpoints, Bencic secured the break and a 5-2 lead on a ball long from the Canadian. To seal off the first set, Bencic dominated on serve, producing three set points. Andreescu saved one on a painted line winner but went down on a long ball near the feet of Bencic. 33 minutes had elapsed for the 14^th seed, who notched just six winners but won 14 of 17 from the first serve. Andreescu was marked for ten unforced errors, proving that the Swiss had successfully taken time and energy away from the Canadian. 

Bencic rushed into the second, putting herself into a new gear that Andreescu couldn’t handle. The 14^th seed achieved the first breakpoint, pushing again when the 21-year-old forced deuce. With the break in hand, Bencic cruised through her service game, allowing Andreescu a single point before taking a 2-0 lead. Andreescu tried to get her game in check and hold Bencic back while on serve. Reaching 40-15 looked to be a sign of success until the 14^th seed made it to deuce. It only took the 25-year-old a break to gain the AD point and score the double break on the Canadian. 

Unforced errors from Andreescu gifted Bencic another easy service which she took on an ace down the T. Errors into the net from Bencic in the following game allowed Andreescu to secure a hold of serve and applause from the crowd. While she hoped that more would come from the lone victory, Bencic had other plans. The 14^th seed swept the competition and took the pivotal 5-1 lead, leaving Andreescu to serve for an extension of the match. 

The Canadian capitalized on her opponent’s mistake and gave her own game a lifeline, Andreescu succeeded in a second win. Bencic served for a chance to serve it out, but errors into the net cost her dearly. The Swiss handed Andreescu three breakpoints in the eighth game before saving one. A second was on the Canadian, who sent it into the net, but a long ball from Bencic capped the game for the 21-year-old. 

Andreescu chipped another game from Bencic, who was rattled by the errors. With the score at 5-4, the Swiss were under pressure to shut her opponent out. A double fault from the 14^th seed was a huge blunder but nailed down an ace to force deuce. Bencic brought up a match point but a long rally ended with her backhanding a shot into the net. Andreescu screamed in delight that deuce was back in but another chance for Bencic arrived. 

The Canadian smashed another match point away, but when Bencic gained another, she made sure it stuck. The Swiss star remained clutch on the court and on her third attempt, watched the return from Andreescu go long to breathe a sigh of relief after 1 hour and 21 minutes. 

“This is tennis and maybe I need a little drama,” Bencic said during her on-court interview. “I think Bianca is a great player and of course, it was going to be tight. I lost the focus just a little bit and I think that’s enough for her to come back. I’m happy that in the important moments I was strong and I think this is most important to show some fight.”

Bencic wouldn’t get to rest long as she would face another US Open finalist in Leylah Fernandez, who took her down in the Billy Jean King Cup two years ago. 

Victoria Azarenka avoids third set in hold off of Andrea Petkovic

Victoria Azarenka clenches her fist during her second-round match with Andrea Petkovic at the French Open.

Victoria Azarenka had an uphill battle but came through shining bright at the French Open. The 15^th seed handled a major challenge from Andrea Petkovic, who nearly took the match to the distance, but was cut short in the second set tiebreak, giving the 32-year-old a 6-1,7-6(3) result on Court 14 on the grounds of Roland Garros. 

Two of tennis’s great veterans faced off for the fifth time in their careers and the first this season. In Berlin, they completed the cycle of playing one another on every surface, with Azarenka defeating the German in straight sets. This marked their first clay-court meeting since 2012 in Stuttgart where the 32-year-old also defeated Petkovic. 

Though she carries the series lead, the second round had them pitted with one clearing the first round easily, while the other struggled. The former world number one had to put in a lot of time during her rain-delayed match with Ana Bogdan that went three sets. While she hoped that going against Petkovic would bring familiar results, the 15^th seed had to be on her feet for anything. 

The challenge came in the opening with Petkovic on the ball and trading off the first four points. When the German reached game point, Azarenka countered with a force of deuce that took them quite a distance. The 15^th seed produced four breakpoints through six breaks until the break of serve was locked in. She quickly backed up the break-on serve and let Petkovic come into her serve in the third, allowing Azarenka a point. 

From that point on, the 32-year-old had her offense in check and went on a tear against the German in the fourth. A big response early in the fourth, allowing Azarenka to seal the break in the fifth and consolidate for a 5-1 lead in the following. She wasted no time in the seventh, gaining three set points, while Petkovic attempted to save them. The German stopped two but the inevitable victory went to Azarenka in 34 minutes. 

The 15^th seed carried quite a momentum, winning 89 percent of points from the first serve and only eight winners.  Petkovic recorded four double faults and 16 errors showing tremendous inconsistencies in her gameplay. Azarenka read that and took her opening service by storm in the shape of a shutout. The next two games were won by Petkovic, who managed to slow down the pace and take the lead after three. 

The fourth was highly competitive, with Petkovic reaching game point only to see Azarenka force deuce. The German had an answer for her opponent and made sure that she closed out her service with a victory on the lone break. Azarenka brought the deficit back to one until Petkovic regained her two-game lead on serve. The 15^th seed held serve in the seventh and dug into the eighth, trying to turn the tables back in her favor. 

Both players went into deuce where the game spanned three breaks until a moment for Azarenka allowed her to tie the score at four-all. Vulnerabilities on Azarenka’s service were enough for Petkovic to blow holes and reach double breakpoint. She finished off the 32-year-old for the break back, scoring a winner on a net-front lob. In a chance to take the set and force a decider, Petkovic forced deuce on serve and went two breaks against Azarenka. It was there that the forehand of the 15^th seed did its job and caught Petkovic too close to stop a shot that flew by her to seal a five-all score. The 32-year-old had the balls in hand to serve for 6-5 and managed to hold serve. The pressure was on Petkovic to hold serve as the 15^th seed was on the verge of going for the match. After forcing deuce, Azarenka gained a match point on the second break but was foiled by a terrific response from Petkovic. 

She turned things around to reach the AD point and force the 32-year-old into a tiebreak. It was there that Azarenka found her comfort level and quickly reached 4-1 with a minibreak in hand. She broke Petkovic once more on the seventh point and had her second match point sitting at 6-3. The 15^th seed got into a rally and watched the German err into the net, bringing a close to a long set that took 1 hour and 14 minutes. It was the first time this season that Petkovic lost a tiebreak this season and one that she’ll regret. 

In a 1 hour and 48-minute match that saw speed and dramatic fights on the court, Azarenka will take her time on court and prepare for her third-round match Friday facing Jill Teichmann of Switzerland. 

 

Jelena Ostapenko rallies to win first round of the French Open

Jelena Ostapenko swings the backhand during her opening round match with Lucia Bronzetti at the French Open.

Jelena Ostapenko put on a tennis seminar early before testing her strengths to victory at the French Open Tuesday. The former singles champion handled Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti on Court 14 dealing out a 6-1, 6-4 win on the grounds of Roland Garros. 

The two faced each other in a pivotal opening round with the rookie going up against the 2017 champion. This time around, Ostapenko didn’t get a deep run into any of the earlier clay-court tournaments. She made first-round exits at both Madrid and Rome, leading her back to familiar territory. While she hoped that her new opponent would be an easy pass-through, the action would be tense for both as performance stood out for both but much more on the Latvian. 

Ostapenko opened the match, forcing an error from Bronzetti before laying out three winners to sweep the first game. The 23-year-old drew unforced errors against her opponent and fought off two winners to force one last error for the win. It was the only victory she would get as the 13^th seed held serve despite two double faults committed. She went on to break Bronzetti in the fourth, holding her to a point. 

Ostapenko notched her third double fault of the set, but once again held Bronzetti back to lead 5-1. With one chance to stay alive in the set, the Italian came back from 15-40, forced deuce, and fell out on a forced error to end the set in 25 minutes for the Latvian. Despite recording four double faults, Ostapenko’s 16 winners took a toll on Bronzetti’s return game where she got back 6 of 23. 

The 23-year-old wanted the second set to be more competitive and proved it in the opening game. Gaining a 40-15 run on the Latvian, her opponent drew an error from Bronzetti and notched a winner to force deuce. Bronzetti scored an ace but the response from Ostapenko was strong. She waited till the second AD point to break Bronzetti and back it up on serve in the second. 

Three winners in the third allowed the 13^th seed to achieve the double break, but the early momentum was over in the eyes of Bronzetti. The 23-year-old attacked after her opponent double-faulted, smacked a winner, and drew errors for a breakpoint. Bronzetti had the break on an error from Ostapenko that got her on the board. She backed up the break with strong offensive output, recording two winners that cut Ostapenko’s lead to one. 

The sixth became an important game for each of them as they opened scoring with three winners in a row. Ostapenko had game point but an error from her end and a winner from Bronzetti’s forced deuce. The two went four breaks until a key ace from the Latvian returned a two-game buffer zone. 

The Italian held in the seventh, but the 13^th seed knew victory was close at hand. She notched two aces in the eighth and smashed a winner for the 5-3 score, hoping to break in the ninth. Bronzetti was having none of it and scored her first serve to love on Ostapenko which left her with a chance to level once again. The Latvian didn’t want any of that and drew Bronzetti into an early rally before smacking down a winner. She reached two match points before recording her sixth double fault on the day. She overcame the issue and won on her 38^th winner to finish the match in one hour and seven minutes. 

Victoria Azarenka survives opening round in three set French Open battle

Victoria Azarenka swings the forehand during her opening round match with Ana Bogdan at the French Open. 

Victoria Azarenka put her whole heart into a long overdrawn match but came through strong at the French Open Monday. After two delays in her match with Ana Bogdan in the opening round, the 15^th seed battled the Romanian in three sets winning 6-7(7), 7-6(1), 6-2 on Court 14 at Roland Garros. 

The two met for the first time with the former world number one looking for another good run at Roland Garros like she had last season. Though she made it to the round of 16, the 32-year-old wanted to better her performances in Rome and Madrid. Azarenka also wanted to prevent going out early against the Romanian, who already invested in a WTA 125, making it to the semifinal. With Bodgan and Azarenka near age, the two would give it their all in the opening round to continue on. 

Bogdan opened the match with a hold of serve, keeping Azarenka to a single point. She then challenged the 15^th seed by gaining a breakpoint late in the second. Azarenka got to deuce and sealed it on the first break. She went on to break the Romanian in the third and backed it up to take a 3-1 lead. It was soon 4-1 in favor of Azarenka, who successfully achieved the double break. Bogdan managed to answer back in the shape of breaking the 15^th seed. The Romanian’s response didn’t break the former world number one, who scored the triple break and a 5-2 run. 

Just when it looked as if Azarenka had a way to end the set, Bogdan nailed the double break, starting a three-game winning streak that leveled the score. The match saw its seventh break go to Azarenka, who had the door open to take the set again. The Romanian denied her that opportunity and tied the score at six-all, bringing up a set tiebreak to determine the leader. It was there that each player had her moments, with Azarenka's opening scoring. She couldn’t get Bogdan to stay back, even after a three-all score. On her first set point attempt, Bogdan broke Azarenka and then watched the 32-year-old blow two more chances on serve. 

The Romanian tied the score on the 12^th point and took the lead at 7-6 for her chance at the set. Azarenka saved one and tied it on the 14^th point, but on the 15^th, an error from her side of service enabled a second set point for Bogdan, who didn’t miss, scoring the victory 9-7, taking the set in one hour and eight minutes. Both players had their troubles with double faults and unforced errors, but Azarenka stood out as the one who took the brunt of the mistakes. 

She tried to make up for that during the second set when she held serve to start things off. Bogdan followed suit and suddenly lost the next two games with Azarenka up a break. The Romanian fought to break back in the fifth, just as the rain began to fall on the court again. The sixth game became drawn out as they struggled to finish it. On deuce, they went three breaks until Bogdan managed to hold serve just before play was suspended. 

 After a two-hour and four-minute rain delay, play resumed with Azarenka serving the seventh game. She committed a double fault but rallied to take the game in her control. Bogdan followed suit and continued to match the 32-year-old until her moment came for a break. The Romanian took the 11^th, opening the window to end the match herself. The 15^th seed refused to go out that way and broke back to force another tiebreak. It was one that she had a better handle on, allowing Bogdan just one point in the process of reaching seven. The set was over in 65 minutes, with a third set coming into play. 

Azarenka opened the third with a dominant play that nearly broke Bogdan to love. She went on to back up the break for a 2-0 lead, only to see the Romanian get on track. The 15^th seed kept two games between herself and Bogdan until she managed another break in the fifth for a 4-1 lead. The 29-year-old broke back to get within two, but the former world number one broke again to make it 5-2. With the window open to serve for the match, the 32-year-old started the eighth game with a tricky lob shot that Bogdan couldn’t return correctly. 

She gave her another lob on the second point and Bogdan watched it land long of the baseline. The Romanian caught the line on the third point and soon gained another, but Azarenka assured herself match point. It came on a 12-shot rally that Bogdan put into the net ending an emotional win for the 32-year-old in 2 hours and 58 minutes. 

Belinda Bencic routs Jani in straight sets at French Open

Belinda Bencic had her eyes set on dominance at the French Open

Belinda Bencic had a quick day on the court at the French Open Sunday. The 14^th seed dominated from start to finish against Reka Jani to win 6-1, 6-1 on Court 14 at Roland Garros. The Swiss star had a golden performance with 28 winners and a serve percentage of 76 percent that blasted the Hungarian veteran to pieces. 

The two met for the first time while marking the first appearance at the French Open for the 30-year-old Hungarian. Jani hasn’t been in the sport for many years but hasn’t made a significant push in her WTA career. Coming into the second slam of the year, Bencic gained a title in Charleston, setting herself up well to be at her best on the clay surface. Despite early exits at Madrid and Rome, the reigning Olympic gold medalist looked to make her sixth appearance a good one at Roland Garros. 

The 14^th seed started the match with a break to love of Jani before she suddenly found herself broken back. Bencic went on to secure the double break in the third and held to take a 3-1 lead. The Swiss star had her game in gear and dominated Jani’s service with non-returnable winners to quickly put the game to rest. 

She backed it up with another solid service to sit at 5-1 with her eyes on ending Jani in the set. Bencic took off with the momentum after a 15-all score and had two set points in place. Jani saved one, but the inevitable defeat arrived for the Hungarian in 27 minutes. Bencic had 10 winners and a six-point streak during the set where she was nearly in full control. 

In the second set, Bencic opened scoring and nearly allowed Jani a victory in the second game. Down 40-30, the 14^th seed rallied to force deuce and deny her any further chance at holding serve. Bencic backed up the break with a hold in the third and got into a similar battle in the fourth with Jani trying to get on the scoreboard. On the second break of deuce, the 25-year-old fired a sliced winner for the AD point to make it 4-0. 

With the double break in hand, Bencic quickly backed it up with a hold of serve for her tenth game in a row. In the sixth, the 30-year-old dug into her service and locked down a victory, and avoid the bagel. It didn’t take momentum away from Bencic, who served for the match, looking good until a double fault handed Jani a chance to break. Bencic saved it with a backhanded crosscourt winner to force deuce and on the second break, reach match point. On the second serve, Bencic handled the rally and watched as Jani returned into the net to end the match in 61 minutes. 

 

Kaia Kanepi ousts Garbine Muguruza from the French Open

Kaia Kanepi is all smiles after her upset of Garbine Muguruza at the French Open

Kaia Kanepi played the role of a knockout star at the French Open Sunday afternoon. The Estonian earned her 15^th slam win against a seeded player and her first against Garbine Muguruza winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Court Simone Mathieu at Roland Garros. This marked the second year in a row the 2016 champion went out in the opening round in Paris. 

The two met for the first time in eight years, with a three-set battle at the Australian Open. The Spaniard went on to take the win against Kanepi, leaving a gap in how they would play against one another. Muguruza remains inconsistent this season, going just a pair of matches before being eliminated in tournaments. 

In her first appearance at Rabat, the world number ten was ousted in the second round after a three-set roller coaster. Though she had five matches on clay, the challenge would stand strong for the Estonian, who had a lot of time to play in Paris, winning three matches at the WTA 125 event. She carried 14 seed defeats in majors, making herself dangerous for Muguruza. 

The Estonian took the first game on serve before Muguruza had the balls in hand. During her service, rain began to fall on the court, but not enough to suspend play. The 28-year-old had a struggle on serve, shaking off the rust to erase three breakpoints for Kanepi. Muguruza fought through two breaks to get the AD point and clear her way to level the score early. Muguruza scored a break to love in the following game that gave Muguruza the moment and an eight-point streak. Kanepi got into the fifth game, digging in on serve while battling her backhand shot that caused the gap. 

Kanepi managed to avoid the double break with a win on deuce, putting her a game down of the Spaniard. The competition was on in the sixth when Muguruza trailed on the scoreboard but forced deuce on serve. She played a 15-shot rally in the game before taking it to gain a two-game lead on the Estonian. It was three for the Spaniard when Kanepi double-faulted twice in the seventh, giving Muguruza plenty of breathing room to close the set out. The tenth seed handled her game and took the first on a second serve forehand smash completing 37 minutes of action.

The tenth seed opened the second set with a dominant form that earned her a 2-0 lead on Kanepi. The 36-year-old found her way into the set with three straight backhand winners against Muguruza. She wanted to secure a break of the tenth seed, but Kanepi’s game wasn’t up to par to get it. She got the serve locked down in the fifth, but the gap remained in favor of Muguruza. 

Kanepi found her range on the backhand, scoring a much-needed win in the sixth. Her actions swung the momentum in what was a run for the Spaniard. The Estonian served for the lead and secured it with a dominant response to Muguruza, who was on the ropes. The 36-year-old reached 5-3 in the set, serving for her chance to push the tenth seed the distance. With two breaks in hand, Kanepi achieved two set points but was denied one of them by the fighting Spaniard. The Estonian showed no emotion and fired a shot that forced an error to end the set in 30 minutes. Muguruza struggled with the second serve while Kanepi improved the serve while notching 15 winners. 

The tenth seed opened the third and found herself trailing fast. Kanepi had three breakpoints to play with, but Muguruza was determined to keep her service locked down and achieved just that. The two held serve through four games with the last one being hard-fought. Muguruza and Kanepi got to deuce and fought three breaks where the Estonian, scored the win on serve to deny the tenth seed a break she so desperately wanted. 

Muguruza gained back the lead in the fifth, eyeing a long error from Kanepi that ended the game and made her feel confident to push back. Kanepi silenced the Spaniard with her first serve to love in the match, which was a big statement. Muguruza continued to hold serve, putting herself two games away from the match. Kanepi kept the score level and went for a big push in the ninth to take a fundamental break from the tenth seed. 

It earned the Estonian a chance to serve for the match and a huge upset in the tenth game. Muguruza played well early, setting up well in the middle of the court for a 30-15 lead. Two long balls turned things around for Kanepi, who reached match point and watched another long ball fall in front of her to secure a massive victory that took two hours and six minutes.