French Open TENNIS

Osaka, Thiem survive scares

Ag AFP

PARIS: Top seed Naomi Osaka staged a second successive Roland Garros great escape on Thursday to reach the third round while 2018 runner-up Dominic Thiem needed four sets and overcoming the surprise of an underarm serve heading his way to progress.

World number one Osaka, bidding to add the French Open to her US and Australian Open titles, came back from a set and 2-4 down to defeat former world number one Victoria Azarenka 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Her win came on the back of being just two points from defeat in her tournament opener against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.

The 21-year-old held her nerve, despite squandering two match points late in the deciding set, to secure her place in the third round and a clash against Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.

“I was lucky to have played Victoria twice before. I knew she had been playing well coming into the tournament,” said Osaka.

“It was an unfortunate second round draw for me so I am happy to win.”

Osaka finished the two-hour 50-minute encounter on Court Suzanne Lenglen with 52 winners and 43 unforced errors.

She becomes the first top seed to win her two opening matches at Roland Garros after losing the first set since Lindsay Davenport in 2005.

“I didn’t push enough through so I have to learn from that but I have to take positives from the match,” said 29-year-old Azarenka. “She deserves to be where she is — she is very powerful and explosive.”

Siniakova, the world number 42, also endured a marathon win, putting out Greek 29th seed Maria Sakkari 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (8/10), 6-3 in a three-hour 10-minute duel.

Siniakova had trailed 1-5 in the first set before surrendering a 5/2 lead in the second-set tiebreaker.

Thiem overcame an entertaining challenge from Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik to reach the third round for the fourth straight year.

The Austrian fourth seed was facing a fifth set when trailing 5-2 in the fourth, but reeled off five straight games to win 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 7-5.

World number 91 Bublik delighted the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd with his wide range of shots, including an underarm serve in the opening set, but eventually ran out of steam.

The reward for Thiem is a clash against Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas who made it through when British number one Kyle Edmund retired with a knee injury at 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 2-1 down.

Amanda Anisimova became the youngest American woman since Serena Williams in 1999 to make the third round when the 17-year-old defeated Belarus´ 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-2.

Fellow 17-year-old Iga Swiatek of Poland also reached the last 32, seeing off Chinese 16th seed Wang Qiang.

Serena Williams put her nervy start to the French Open behind her by thrashing Japanese qualifier Kurumi Nara to step up her bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.

The 37-year-old cruised into the third round with a 6-3, 6-2 victory on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Williams will face Sofia Kenin for a last-16 spot, after her fellow American received a walkover following Canadian Bianca Andreescu’s withdrawal through injury.

The three-time Roland Garros title winner had racked up her 800th career main draw win in a first-round match against Vitalia Diatchenko, which saw her unveil her ‘mother, champion, queen, goddess’ logo on her playing gear, despite dropping the opening set.