PARIS, MAY 29,
Former champion Garbine Muguruza cantered into the third round of the French Open with a routine 6-4 6-1 victory against Swede Johanna Larsson on Wednesday.
The Spaniard, seeded 19th, was kept on her toes in the opening set before motoring on in the second on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Muguruza, who lifted the Suzanne Lenglen Cup in 2016, relied on her booming forehand throughout and wrapped it up when Larsson netted a service return.
“I’m very happy, it’s another win in a Grand Slam. It’s a special tournament for me,” the 25-year-old, who also won Wimbledon in 2017, told a courtside interviewer. She will face Elina Svitolina after the ninth seed advanced without hitting a ball on Wednesday when her opponent, fellow Ukrainian Kateryna Kozlova, withdrew from the tournament due to intercostal pain.
Pliskova cruises
Second seed Karolina Pliskova cruised into the third round of the French Open on Wednesday with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Slovakian qualifier Kristina Kucova.
The Czech will next face either Croatian 31st seed Petra Martic or home hope Kristina Mladenovic for a spot in the second week.
Pliskova, a former Roland Garros semifinalist, arrived in Paris full of confidence after lifting the Italian Open title less than two weeks ago and she wasted no time in swatting aside Kucova in under an hour.
Svitolina enters third round as Kozlova withdraws
Ukrainian ninth seed Elina Svitolina received a walkover into the French Open last 32 on Wednesday as compatriot Kateryna Kozlova withdrew from the tournament before their scheduled second-round match.
World number 67 Kozlova suffered a rib injury, leaving her childhood friend Svitolina as the first player to reach round three.
Svitolina, a two-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist, will next face either 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza or Sweden’s Johanna Larsson for a place in the second week.
Tense four-set win for Tsitsipas
Sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas dug deep to reach the French Open third round on Wednesday with a tense four-set victory over plucky Bolivian Hugo Dellien.
The rising Greek star, expected to reach the latter stages at Roland Garros, fought back to win 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 on Court Simonne Mathieu.
Tsitsipas will face either Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena or Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic in the last 32.
The 20-year-old started strongly with an early break, but appeared unsettled following a medical timeout for Dellien after the world number 86 appeared to twist his ankle.
Dellien quickly sealed the opening set, but Tsitsipas raced through the next two sets and seemingly towards victory.
Despite letting a 4-2 lead in the fourth set slip, the 25-year-old Dellien just would not go away, saving three match points from 0-40 down in the 10th game to level at 5-5.
But Tsitsipas did secure a third-round spot in Paris for the first time in his opponent’s next service game, curling a forehand up the line on his fourth match point.
