RG Live: Sabalenka starts strong - Roland-Garros - The 2023 ...
And we're off. The 2023 edition of Roland-Garros kicks off today. Follow along as we bring you all the updates.
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Vesely led 4-2 and served for the first set at 5-4 but it is Tsitsipas who has taken a 7-5 lead in 49 minutes. The Greek No.5 seed won 93% of his first-serve points in that set.
No.13 seed Hubert Hurkacz is engaged in a tight tussle with David Goffin on Court Simonne-Mathieu. Hurkacz is leading the Belgian 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 but is down a break 0-2 in the fourth.
This is a rematch of their third round from last year here at Roland-Garros, which Hurkacz won in straight sets, just a couple of weeks after Goffin has defeated the Pole in Rome.
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Serving for the opening set at 5-4, Vesely falls behind 0-40 and Tsitsipas gets the break on a netted volley from his opponent. Back on level terms in the opening set, 5-5.
No.5 seed and 2021 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas is trailing Czech lefty Jiri Vesely 2-4 in the first set of their opening match.
The 29-year-old Vesely is playing his first tour-level tournament since last year’s US Open. The Czech lefty has dropped to No.455 in the world rankings after being sidelined with a left hamstring injury dating back to April 2022. He’s played in two Challengers since returning last month. He has a protected ranking of No.94.
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No.11 seed Karen Khachanov, who made the semi-finals at the last two Grand Slams, is down 3-6, 1-6, to world No.70 Constant Lestienne.
The 31-year-old home favourite is competing in just his second Grand Slam main draw and first in Paris.
Fun fact from the ATP match notes: Lestienne's "secret talent is that he is a magician when he is not playing tennis, performing at weddings and parties".
No.2 seed Aryna Sabalenka passed her Roland-Garros opening test with flying colours, defeating Ukrainian world No.39 Marta Kostyuk, 6-3, 6-2 to move into the second round.
Sabalenka, who has never made it into the second week in Paris, has a chance of unseating Iga Swiatek at the top of the rankings this fortnight.
The 25-year-old will next take on Panna Udvardy or Iryna Shymanovich.
Meanwhile, Kostyuk's record against top-10 opponents falls to 0-14 win-loss.
>> SABALENKA V KOSTYUK: THINGS WE LEARNED
>> SUNDAY RESULTS
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Poland's Magdalena Frech is our first winner of the day. The 25-year-old earned a 6-1, 6-1 victory over China's No.29 seed Zhang Shuai.
Frech needed just 47 minutes to wrap up the victory, her first in the main draw in Paris since 2018.
