Source : ABC NEWS
Australia’s Daria Kasatkina will face world number one Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open following a straight-sets win in the second round.
Kasatkina, ranked 53 in the world, needed seven match points against Swiss Susan Bandecchi before icing a 7-5, 7-6 (13/11) victory.
Fellow Australian Kimberly Birrell lost to Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova, 6-3, 0-6, 7-6 (10/5).
Top seed Sabalenka overcame a first-set scare to beat France’s Elsa Jacquemot 7-5, 6-2.
Sabalenka said she would not be taking Kasatkina lightly in the third round.
“It’s always challenging playing her,” Sabalenka said.
“She’s a fighter. She’s putting all of the balls back. You have to really work for each point, especially on the clay court.”
Sabalenka, last year’s runner-up, was made to work hard for about an hour, with Jacquemot delighting home fans with several spectacular winners.
A four-time major champion, Sabalenka is still looking to land her first French Open title.
Aryna Sabalenka got past Elsa Jacquemot in straight sets. (Getty Images: James Fearn)
“That was a very tough opponent. Tricky match. I’m happy that I closed it in straight sets,” she said.
“She played really incredible tennis and forced me to step in and play on another level. I am happy I could handle it and win.”
Sabalenka earned an early break with a powerful forehand to go 3-1 up but Jacquemot broke straight back.
On a day when the men’s top seed Jannik Sinner crashed out in five sets to Juan Manuel Cerúndolo, Sabalenka had to dig deep in the first set against the world number 67.
Sabalenka had set point at 5-4 on Jacquemot’s serve but the French player managed to match the Belarusian’s power with superb precision and level.
After winning the first set, Sabalenka never looked back.
She grabbed a break at the start of the second set and won five games in a row, giving Jacquemot no chance of a comeback.
Reuters/ABC
