Vondrousova, Andreescu prevail in Paris; Tauson upsets Ostapenko (2024)

2024 Roland Garros • May 30, 2024

Grand Slam champions Marketa Vondrousova and Bianca Andreescu maneuvered through topsy-turvy three-setters to reach the Roland Garros third round on Thursday, but former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko was knocked out.

No.5 seed Vondrousova of the Czech Republic outlasted American qualifier Katie Volynets 0-6, 6-1, 6-4 in a match that started on Wednesday and concluded on Thursday.

Reigning Wimbledon champion Vondrousova, who also made the 2019 Roland Garros singles final as a teenager, received an opening-set bagel from Volynets on Wednesday. The Czech moved to a commanding 4-1 lead in the second set before rain washed out the rest of outer-court play.

Upon their Thursday resumption, Vondrousova won one game before another rain delay again halted outer-court play for hours. When they returned, Vondrousova had all the momentum, at one juncture winning 10 straight points as she eased to a 4-1 lead in the third set.

But World No.108 Volynets used outstanding speed and defense to pull her way back into the set, grinding to a break for 4-2 on her fifth break point of that game.

At 5-4, Vondrousova missed out on two match points, then fired her ninth double fault to put Volynets one point away from leveling the match at 5-5. But the Czech slammed a winner to get back to Deuce, and she held on from there to squeak out the circuitous victory.

In the third round, Vondrousova will face another player ranked outside the Top 100: French wild card Chloe Paquet, who upset No.32 seed Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(6).

Paquet, a 29-year-old who holds a career-high ranking of World No.101, excited her home crowd by reaching the third round of a Grand Slam event for the first time in her career.

Vondrousova defeated Paquet 6-1, 6-4 in their only previous meeting, at an ITF Challenger event in Florida in 2016, when the Czech was just 16 years old.

Tauson ousts Ostapenko:Another Grand Slam champion, No.9 seed Ostapenko, could not capture a three-set win on Thursday. World No.72 Clara Tauson of Denmark pulled off a 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3 upset of Latvia's Ostapenko, the 2017 Roland Garros titlist.

Tauson, a former World No.1 in the juniors, collected her third career Top 20 win and moved into the Roland Garros third round for the second straight year.

The 21-year-old Dane, who has had her rise curtailed by various injuries, took charge at the end of the third set with masterful drop shots. She used one to reach break point at 4-3 in the third set, which she converted with a forehand winner down the line.

Serving for the match at 5-3, Tauson started that game with two consecutive drop shot winners, en route to a love hold for the victory.

Tauson will now take on another Grand Slam champion in the third round: 2020 Australian Open titlist Sofia Kenin, who toppled No.21 seed Caroline Garcia on Wednesday. It will be their first meeting.

Andreescu battles back:Andreescu, the 2019 US Open champion from Canada, notched a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 upset of No.23 seed Anna Kalinskaya to clinch a spot in the Roland Garros third round for the second straight year.

Former World No.4 Andreescu had not played a tournament since her home event at WTA 1000 Montreal last August, as she continued to recover from injuries. But on the clay of Paris, Andreescu has already boasted world-beating form in two wins over Top 50 players.

Against Kalinskaya, Andreescu regrouped from a first-set blowout to work her way back into the match. Andreescu did not drop serve in the second set, then quickly broke Kalinskaya at 6-5 to level the encounter.

In the third set, Andreescu saved all six break points she faced, then won the last three games of the match to advance.

Andreescu will try to maintain this level when she meets No.12 seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy in the next round, in their first meeting. Paolini is one of only three players to win a WTA 1000 title so far this year, taking home the Dubai trophy in February.