Second seed Karolina Pliskova was knocked out of Roland Garros by 2017 champion Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the French Open on Thursday.
The world No 43 fired 27 winners to just nine from Pliskova in a 6-4, 6-2 victory which gave her a third round match against Spain’s Paula Badosa who put out Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open winner and 2018 runner-up in Paris, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
“I tried to be aggressive but not miss too much as she’s such a great player,” said 23-year-old Ostapenko who had lost in the first round in her last two visits to the French Open.
Ostapenko was joined in the last 32 by seventh seed Petra Kvitova, whose best Roland Garros run was the semi-finals in 2012. The two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova defeated Italy’s 94th-ranked Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-3 to register her 25th French Open win.
Kvitova next faces 18-year-old Leylah Fernandez of Canada, last year’s junior champion, who reached the last 32 of a Slam for the first time by seeing off Polona Hercog 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.
Fourth seed Sofia Kenin and eighth seed Aryna Sabalenka also advanced with contrasting wins.
Reigning Australian Open champ Kenin needed to dig deep, rallying from a set down to defeat Ana Bogdan, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. Sabalenka had a tough first set but then raced to beat Daria Kasatkina 7-6(6), 6-0. Kasatkina has now gone two years without beating a top 10 player.
The defeat completed a miserable year at the Slams for Czech star Pliskova who only made the third round at the Australian Open and second at the US Open. However, she arrived in Paris having retired from the Italian Open final against Simona Halep with a thigh injury.
Pliskova, 28, made the semi-finals in 2017 but has now failed to get beyond the third round in her eight other appearances at the French Open.
More results to follow
Results so far
Aryna Sabalenka (BLR x8) bt Darya Kasatkina (RUS) 7-6 (8/6), 6-0
Ons Jabeur (TUN x30) bt Nao Hibino (JPN) 7-6 (7/4), 6-4
Danielle Collins (USA) bt Clara Tauson (DEN) 6-2, 6-3
Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP x11) bt Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 6-3, 6-2
Fiona Ferro (FRA) bt Elena Rybakina (KAZ x14) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
Patricia Maria Tig (ROU) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-4, 6-3
Irina Maria Bara (ROU) bt Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 6-1, 4-0 - retired
Sofia Kenin (USA x4) bt Ana Bogdan (ROU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Petra Kvitova (CZE x7) bt Jasmine Paolini (ITA) 6-3, 6-3
Leylah Fernandez (CAN) bt Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Clara Burel (FRA) bt Kaja Juvan (SLO) 7-6 (8/6), 6-2
Zhang Shuai (CHN) bt Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)
Petra Martic (CRO x13) bt Veronika Kudermetova (RUS) 6-7 (1/7), 7-5, 6-3
Laura Siegemund (GER) bt Julia Goerges (GER) 1-6, 6-1, 6-3
Paula Badosa (ESP) bt Sloane Stephens (USA x29) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) bt Karolina Pliskova (CZE x2) 6-4, 6-2
With AFP Inputs
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