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French Open 2020: Kenin keeps focus in comeback win, Sabalenka through

Jelena Ostapenko stunned French Open second seed Karolina Pliskova, but Sofia Kenin and the rest of the big names in the draw came through unscathed.

By Patric Ridge
Sofia Kenin

Paris, October 2: Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin came from a set down to beat Ana Bogdan at the French Open on Thursday, but there was a shock in store for Karolina Pliskova.

While Kenin recovered from a tough start to reach round three, second seed Pliskova crashed out at the hands of 2017 Roland Garros winner Jelena Ostapenko.

There was little sign of further upsets in the day's second-round action, however, with Kenin joined in the next stage by Petra Kvitova, Aryna Sabalenka and Garbine Muguruza.

NO EMOTION FROM KENIN

Kenin – the fourth seed at Roland Garros – won nine of the closing 11 games to overcome Bogdan in a little under two hours on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

The pair previously met in 2018 in the final round of qualifying for the Rogers Cup. Kenin has gone from strength to strength since then but found herself behind after dropping serve twice in the first set.

Pliskova tells Ostapenko 'tough girls' could deny her second Roland Garros titlePliskova tells Ostapenko 'tough girls' could deny her second Roland Garros title

The world number six bounced back in style, however, winning six break points in total as she went on to claim victory in the decider.

"During the match I just try to put the emotions aside," Kenin said in a post-match news conference. "I don't have time to think about my emotions. I have to play one point at a time.

"These two matches have been quite tough. I felt like I couldn't find my rhythm in both of them and found a way at the end, so I'll take it."

Kenin will go up against another Romanian in round three in the form of qualifier Irina Bara, with Alison Van Uytvanck having retired hurt.

SABALENKA IN FINE FORM

Sabalenka moved into the third round of the French Open for the first time as the number eight seed secured a 7-6 (8-6) 6-0 win over Daria Kasatkina.

Sabalenka had lost her only previous meeting with the world number 71 at the 2019 China Open.

However, despite being forced to go a to a tie-break in the opener, Sabalenka made her quality count as she converted three out of five break points in the second set.

Ons Jabeur is next up for the world number 12, who has now won six of her seven matches on clay in 2020.

Sabalenka said: "I feel a little bit different [this year]. I'm not focusing about the clay court, because before I was thinking a lot, 'Oh, it's a clay court, it's not my surface and I have so much trouble on it'.

"But for now, I feel like it's okay. I can play on it. I feel the game and I have enough shots to play here actually to make someone work."

MUGURUZA'S MAJOR HOPES

Muguruza garnered a reputation as a clay-court specialist as she won her first major in France in 2016 and, having lost in the Australian Open final this year, she is targeting further success.

"[A grand slam is about] putting a lot of things together," she said after beating Kristyna Pliskova.

"It's a long tournament and some matches are [about] survival. Some matches you play better, some worse. It's a little bit of a journey to play that many matches in a long tournament.

"Do I believe I have what it takes? I believe so, because I have the certainty that I did it already."

Story first published: Friday, October 2, 2020, 7:18 [IST]
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