French Open day 2 women’s roundup: Petra Kvitova battles through, Victoria Azarenka crashes out

Former world number one Victoria Azarenka’s return to Grand Slam tennis lasted just two sets as she slumped to a 7-5, 7-5 loss to Katerina Siniakova.

Scroll Staff

May 28, 2018 · 05:09 pm Updated May 28, 2018 · 10:14 pm

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Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova fought back from a set down to beat Paraguayan Veronica Cepede Royg and reach the French Open second round on Monday.

The eighth seed struggled early on Court Philippe Chatrier, but came through 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 to set up a meeting with Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena.

The 28-year-old Kvitova is one of the favourites to win a maiden Roland Garros title after winning four titles this season, including on clay in Prague and Madrid.

“I’ve won 12 matches straight on clay, but I’m still a long way from Rafa,” she said in reference to Rafael Nadal’s upcoming bid for an 11th men’s singles crown.

Cepede Royg, who surprisingly reached the last 16 in Paris last year, claimed the first set courtesy of a single break of the Kvitova serve.

But the Czech roared back, racing through the second set in only half an hour, before holding her nerve in a tight decider as Cepede Royg dropped serve in the 11th game.

Azarenka’s French Open return ended by Siniakova

Former world number one Victoria Azarenka’s return to Grand Slam tennis lasted just two sets as the Belarusian slumped to a 7-5, 7-5 loss to Katerina Siniakova in the French Open first round on Monday.

Azarenka, who missed much of last season after being embroiled in a custody battle over her son, was broken to love in the 12th games of each set to be dumped out by world number 57 Siniakova.

The two-time Australian Open champion has now won just two matches at Roland Garros in the last five years.

Czech Siniakova moves onto a second-round match with Ukraine’s Kateryna Kozlova, who stunned defending champion Jelena Ostapenko on Sunday, in a part of the draw in which the only remaining seed is number 26 Barbora Strycova.

It was Azarenka’s first Grand Slam match since losing to Simona Halep in the Wimbledon fourth round last July.

Meanwhile, Women’s 21st seed Naomi Osaka of Japan won 24 of the last 27 points in an impressive 6-2, 7-5 victory over Sofia Kenin, while last year’s US Open runner-up Madison Keys beat fellow American Sachia Vickery 6-3, 6-3.

Wozniacki eases to round 2

Second seed Caroline Wozniacki held off the challenge of American Danielle Collins to ease through their first-round match 7-6 (7/2) 6-1.

The Australian Open champion has never reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros, but after a tight first set, she was too strong for surprise Miami semi-finalist Collins, who was making her French Open debut.

The 27-year-old Dane will take over from Simona Halep as world number one if she lifts the title a week on Saturday.

Wozniacki will next face Spanish qualifier and world number 219 Georgina Garcia Perez for a place in the last 32.