Conspicuously absent from the Day 4 schedule schedule at the French Open was second seed Naomi Osaka. The controversy continues about media responsibilities and mandatory press obligations. Perhaps the best outcome is a candid conversation about mental health.
Venus Williams suffered another first-round loss–this time on the doubles court. Playing alongside Coco Gauff, the pair fell in a tight three-set clash to 13th seeds Zheng Saisai and Ellen Perez. Hopefully Venus will fare better on the grass court swing.
French Open Day 4 Women’s Recap
Belinda Bencic – from Flawless to Foiled
Belinda Bencic turned in a near flawless first round win. Wednesday, the 10th seed claimed only four games en route to a 2-6 2-6 loss to Daria Kasatkina. It wasn’t that Bencic under-performed. All credit goes to the resurgent Russian, whose game translates so well to clay. Gone was the wayward serve which opponents loved to punish. Today, Kasatkina landed eight aces. Bencic found herself pinned back by Kasatkina’s heavy topspin forehand. And, it was Kasatkina who controlled the rallies and moves into the third round where she’ll meet Sorana Cirstea.
Aryna Sabalenka and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Set For a Third Round Clash
It has been a strong season for third seed Sabalenka. The Belarusian has the second most wins on tour this season with 27. Today’s win set up a third round clash with the #31 seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. A repeat of the Madrid semifinal in which Pavlyuchenkova is looking for a different outcome. With Sabalenka’s power and much better accuracy, it’s hard to see her bow out at this point.
Veronika Kudermetova Comes Up Short on Three Setter
It was undoubtedly a heartbreaking loss for the 29th seed. Leading 5-2 in the first set, Katerina Siniakova managed to snatch it away in a tiebreak. After taking the second set and rushing off to a 5-1 lead in the decider, Kudermetova watchws that lead ebb as Siniakova continued to make shots with pinpoint accuracy.
Victoria Azarenka Will Faces Challenge in Madison Keys in Third Round
Victoria Azarenka didn’t have much clay court time behind her coming into the French Open. Yet, she’s passed the first two hurdles. It took nearly an hour for the #15 seed to grab the first set. Those line painting shots continued to put the ball just beyond Tauson’s reach, securing the win. Madison Keys, the 23rd seed, dismissed Leylah Fernandez to set up a second meeting with Azarenka. The Belarusian leads 1-0 in their head to head.
Serena Williams Moves One Step Closer to #24
Seventh seed Serena Williams is moving on to the third round. Not a straightforward win, as Serena saw some of Mihaela Buzarnescu’s shotmaking. Yet, Serena showed why she can easily be considered the greatest of all time. After dropping the second set, Williams dominated the decider, giving up a single game. Serena will met Danielle Collins on Friday. Collins, meanwhile, was absolutely dominant in a 6-0 6-2 win over Anhelina Kalinina.
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