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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova upsets Victoria Azarenka at the French Open

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jelena Ostapenko shines in first round victory at the French Open

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Garbine Muguruza edges Tamara Zidansek in thriller at the French Open

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elina Svitolina narrowly wins opening round at the French Open

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eugenie Bouchard rallies late to win at the French Open

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

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

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

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

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

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

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