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.