French Open: Debutant Stearns beats Ostapenko: Tsitsipas powers past Baena, Sabalenka beats qualifier Shymanovich

PARIS: French Open debutant Peyton Stearns produced the biggest win of her career by defeating former champion Jelena Ostapenko to reach the third round at Roland Garros on Wednesday.

Stearns, a former player at the University of Texas, only turned professional in June last year.

Ostapenko won the 2017 French Open but has since failed to advance past the 3rd round. The 17th-seeded Latvian dropped her serve five times against Stearns and hit 28 unforced errors in her 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 loss.

The 21-year-old Stearns has been climbing the WTA rankings and entered the French Open at No. 69 on the back of an encouraging clay-court campaign.

Third-seeded Jessica Pegula also advanced after Camila Giorgi retired due to injury. The American led 6-2 when her Italian rival threw in the towel.

World number five Stefanos Tsitsipas found little resistance as he disposed of claycourt specialist Roberto Carballes Baena in straight sets 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-2 to the third round.

The fifth seed, who is chasing his first ever Grand Slam, had struggled somewhat in his tournament opener against Jiri Vesely but was in complete control against the 30-year-old Spaniard, cruising to an easy win.

Elina Svitolina battled back from a set and a break down to beat Storm Hunter and reach the third round, just 12 hours after her husband Gael Monfils’ late-night escape act.

Ukrainian Svitolina, playing at a Grand Slam event for the first time since the 2022 Australian Open, downed qualifier Hunter 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 on Court Simonne Mathieu.

An exhausted Gael Monfils said his epic five-set comeback victory over Sebastian Baez on Tuesday night was one of the greatest matches of his career.

The 36-year-old Frenchman was one point away from going 5-0 down in the deciding set of the near four-hour match before mounting a sensational comeback to win 3-6 6-3 7-5 1-6 7-5 under the lights at Court Philippe Chatrier.

Thanasi Kokkinakis knocked 38-year-old Stan Wawrinka out of the French Open in a five-set rollercoaster to book a third round place at Roland Garros for the first time since 2015.

Australian world number 108 Kokkinakis came through 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 in four hours and 38 minutes against the 2015 champion.

World number two Aryna Sabalenka fought off a determined challenge from fellow Belarusian Iryna Shymanovich to move into the third round with a 7-5 6-2 victory as she eyes the world number one spot.

The 25-year-old, who will take over top spot from Poland’s Iga Swiatek with victory at the Paris Grand Slam, did not have an easy start with qualifier Shymanovich, ranked 214th, matching her power with every groundstroke.

In other second round matches of the day, 26th seed Denis Shapovalov beat Matteo Arnaldi 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, Diego Schwartzman beat Nuno Borges 7-6, 6-4, 6-3, Lorenzo Sonego beat Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-3, 6-7, Fabio Fognini beat Jason Kubler 6-4, 7-6, 6-2, Sebastian Ofner beat Sebastian Korda 6-3, 7-6, 6-4.

In women’s section, Irina-Camelia Begu beat Sara Errani 6-3, 6-0, Sloane Stephens beat Varvara Gracheva 6-2, 6-1, Karolína Muchova beat Nadia Podoroska 6-3, 0-6, 6-3, Yulia Putintseva beat Qinwen Zheng 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 9th seed Daria Kasatkina beat Markéta Vondroušova 6-3, 6-4, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Liudmila Samsonova 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, Anna Blinkova stunned Caroline Garcia 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, Anastasia Potapova beat Mayar Sherif 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, Elise Mertens beat Camila Osorio 6-3, 7-6. Agencies

Also Read: Leander Paes-led Bengal Wizards join Tennis Premier League

Also Watch: