French Open, day 4 women’s roundup: Azarenka knocked out, Svitolina survives, Serena withdraws

Victoria Azarenka, runner up at the recent US Open, crashed out in the second round of Roland Garros after losing in straight sets Wednesday to Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova while Serena Williams withdrew ahead of her second round match with an Achilles injury giving Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova a walkover.

The Belarusian 10th seed hit 38 unforced errors in a 6-2, 6-2 defeat against a player who hadn’t won a Grand Slam match in five years before her first-round victory over Venus Williams.

Schmiedlova, the world number 161, will play Argentine qualifier Nadia Podoroska for a place in the last 16. Podoroska knkocked out 23rd seed Yulia Putintseva 6-3. 1-6, 6-2.

Top seed and 2018 champion Simona Halep advanced to the third round with a 6-3, 6-4 win over fellow Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu, to extend her career-best winning streak to 16 matches.

Reigning Wimbledon champion Halep next faces 25th seed Amanda Anisimova in a rematch of last year’s Roland Garros quarter-final won in straight sets by the American teenager.

Qualifier Martina Trevisan gets a big 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 win as teen star Coco Gauff was out in the second round.

Earlier, third seed Elina Svitolina overcame Mexican qualifier Renata Zarazua 6-3, 0-6, 6-2 to advance to the third round.

The Ukrainian is coming off a 15th WTA title at Strasbourg last week and is a two-time quarter-finalist at Roland Garros. She will take on Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova, seeded 27th, for a place in the last 16.

The thunderous noise that panicked residents of Paris was caused by a French fighter jet that broke the sound barrier.

“I was a bit worried because I thought something bad happened,” said Svitolina.

The military said the plane had been scrambled to go to the aid of another aircraft that had lost radio contact, and was authorised to travel at supersonic speed.

Also Read: Serena Williams withdraws ahead of second round match due to injury

Bertens in wheelchair after stormy clash

Dutch fifth seed Kiki Bertens had to be taken off court in a wheelchair after a stormy Roland Garros second round win over former finalist Sara Errani.

Bertens triumphed 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 9-7 in a three-hour 11-minute clash which left her in cramps and Italian Errani screaming an obscenity.

Errani, the 2012 runner-up, had a match point but was also handed a time violation for taking too long to serve.

The tie featured 24 breaks of serve with Bertens firing 61 winners but committing 63 unforced errors.

For Bertens, who needed the wheelchair after cramping left her unable to move, it was a first win in six meetings with the Italian.

Errani stormed off court, refusing to ‘racquet tap’ with Bertens before screaming ‘va fanculo’ as she stomped off Court 14 having also appeared to mock her opponent’s injury.

Coco Gauff the youngest woman in the top 100, however, lost to Martina Trevisan 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.