For much of their rain-interrupted encounter Svitolina appeared in complete control, but in the end was left breathing a sigh of relief when she finally closed out a 6-2, 7-6(9) victory.
Down the years, Cornet has earned a reputation as one of the WTA's hardest competitors, and she proved just why when she dragged herself back into a chaotic second set. Buoyed by a typically vociferous crowd, the Frenchwoman dug in, eradicating the errors that had littered the first set and a half to gain a belated foothold in the match.
Trailing 4-2 and staring down three more break points, Cornet suddenly summoned her best tennis. Scraping and sliding to all corners of the court, she frustrated Svitolina, whose hitherto serene shotmaking began to unravel. Twice the Ukrainian came within two points of victory, but on each occasion Cornet escaped.
It was a match of two halves, kind of - after Makarova jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and Ivanovic won three games in a row to jump back ahead 3-2, play was called for almost two hours because of rain.
When they came back on court the match was just as streaky as the beginning, Ivanovic eventually toughing the first set out, then Makarova striking back in the second set. But the No.7-seeded Ivanovic got back to her best in the third, cruising past the No.9-seeded Makarova to close it out, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.
Ivanovic ripped a huge inside out forehand winner - her 30th winner of the match - on match point.
"The conditions were very tough. It was very gusty, and rain was coming at times," Ivanovic said. "I was really happy I managed to keep composed when we got back on court after the rain delay. Even though I didn't play very well in the first game, I served well the next game. I was happy about that.
With her trademark combination of aggression and consistency, Azarenka gave Williams all kinds of trouble for the first half of the match, taking the first set, 6-3, then breaking early en route to leads of 3-1 and 4-2 in the second. It looked like Williams' 16-match Grand Slam winning streak was about to end.
But Williams only got more determined from there, starting to hit the mark more and more on her serves and ripping her huge groundstrokes harder and harder. She reeled off four games in a row to take that second set, 6-4, and after losing the first two games of the third she reeled off another six.
The No.1-seeded Williams rifled one last forehand to beat the No.27-seeded Azarenka, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
The No.4-seeded Kvitova hit twice as many winners as unforced errors, 18 to 9, and never faced a break point in any of her nine service games en route to a 6-3, 6-2 win over the No.30-seeded Begu.
"I think it was for sure the best match that I've played here so far," Kvitova said afterwards. "It's the third round, which I didn't pass here last year, so I was really motivated by it. I'm really glad I'm through.
"And I will try to start playing even better, because the opponents are only going to get tougher."
A red-hot Petkovic had taken Errani out here last year, 6-2, 6-2, but this year the No.17-seeded Errani was just too steady, grinding past the No.10-seeded Petkovic in an hour and 20 minutes, 6-3, 6-3.
Petkovic was the clear aggressor throughout the match, hitting twice as many winners (28 to 14), but she also hit more than three times as many unforced errors as the rock solid Italian (41 to 12).
"She played great. She really didn't give me anything," Petkovic said. "I knew it would be a tough one today, especially against somebody you have to work really hard against in the rallies. I hoped she would give me more presents but she didn't - she played a great match. So, yeah, that's it, I guess."
Though Stosur had only beaten Sharapova twice in their previous 16 meetings, many of their matches have gone to three sets, including right here last year when Stosur was just points away from victory up 6-3, 4-3 and 30-all.
But the No.2-seeded Russian got out of that one, and she wasn't about to get into that situation this time, moving past the No.26-seeded Aussie in an hour and 40 minutes, 6-3, 6-4.
"I was just really happy to win this one," Sharapova said.
"I knew it was going to be a tough one going into the match. I just wanted to be as ready as I could, and I was really happy I was able to win it.
"Against Sam I know I have to take care of my service games because she's capable of serving really well. I'm also a tall girl, so the kick she's able to give on the second serve maybe doesn't bother me as much as other players. I quite like that ball. But we've had many tough matches despite my record, and it's not something I look at very lightly when I go up to that match. I know I have to beat a good player.
The match was a complete contrast in styles, Lucic-Baroni blasting her big serve and groundstrokes for 41 winners, while Cornet mixed in her trademark spins, angles and drop shots for a quieter 25 winners.
But Lucic-Baroni had more than twice the unforced errors as Cornet, 59 to 26, and at the end of the day the No.29-seeded Cornet was just too solid, edging Lucic-Baroni to the finish line, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
"The crowd was amazing once more today. They really helped me get through the tough times on the court," Cornet said.
"Mirjana was playing very aggressively and I had to play with all my heart, and the crowd behind me like that was helping me a lot, giving me a lot of energy to keep going and not let go.
"I owe them a lot today, because I think I went over my limits."
The No.7-seeded Ivanovic was on complete fire early on, reeling off seven games in a row for a 6-0, 1-0 lead. She wasn't out of the woods yet - Vekic held to get on the board and then broke for a 2-1 lead - but Ivanovic got right back on the horse, winning five of the next six games to close it out, 6-0, 6-3.
Ivanovic ripped 19 winners in the 52-minute match - a winner every two or three minutes - and coupled that with just 11 unforced errors. Vekic, meanwhile, hit nine winners to 23 unforced errors in the match.
Ivanovic was pushed to three sets in her first and second rounds, but this time was at a new level.
"After the first two matches I really started to get a little bit of feeling and groove, and I had an easy day yesterday," Ivanovic said.
"Today I really had a strict game plan. I had an idea what I wanted to do, and obviously the confidence from the first two matches helped me in today's performance, as well.
Off Duty. Exploring this beautiful city.
#Paris #tourist #jadore #RG15
Goerges had beaten Wozniacki in both of their previous clay court meetings, and in three of their seven meetings on all surfaces, and from the start the No.5-seeded Dane struggled to handle her power, the German hitting her big serve and groundstrokes hard and deep, and hitting 39 of them for winners.
But it was at the end of the match where the true test came. Facing one of the grittiest competitors on the tour, Goerges passed with flying colors, clinching it with three straight winners - including that big forehand on match point - to close Wozniacki out after an hour and 46 minutes, 6-4, 7-6(4).
Since winning the title seven years ago, Ivanovic has never been beyond the fourth round in Paris and very nearly suffered another early exit, drawing on all her experience to get past Doi, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Doi had never met Ivanovic before, but left a lasting impression. "I didn't know much about her going into today's match," Ivanovic said. "She played well last week. I tried to watch a little bit, but obviously it was different once you're on the court.
"On video sometimes it's not exactly same. But she played really, really well, I thought. Obviously moving great and hitting the ball very hard actually. Considering she was not so tall, I thought she was generating a lot of pace. She is young, and I think she has a bright future."
Parisian black & white.
THE ORIGINAL PIC
There were some tricky moments early on as she had to get used to the hard, two-fisted blasts of Vitalia Diatchenko, but the No.2-seeded Sharapova eventually found her way and cruised, 6-3, 6-1.
Sharapova had a phenomenal +16 winners to unforced errors differential in the match (24 to 8).
The No.26-seeded Stosur was just as impressive, hitting 23 winners to just 13 unforced errors and fighting off all six break points she faced to rout French wildcard Amandine Hesse, 6-0, 6-1. Stosur actually won the first 11 games of the match to lead 6-0, 5-0 before finally letting Hesse on the board.
Sharapova leads Stosur in their head-to-head series, 14-2, and that includes 4-0 on clay, but if last year's meeting - which was also their last meeting - is anything to go by, this could be very close.
"She has a very heavy ball, and I think on clay specifically it just really penetrates through the court," Sharapova said of Stosur.
"The spin she's able to create from her forehand and her serve, she has one of the best kick serves in the game. She's really able to put that power into it and kick. She also slices a lot. There are a lot of untraditional things she does, but I guess I enjoy the challenge of playing her.
"I have a pretty good record against her. I enjoy our matches. I hope I can continue that."
NEWS ROLAND GARROS 2015. DAY 4. THE BEST PICS
NEWS ROLAND GARROS 2015. DAY 4. THE BEST PICS
Simona Halep has become the biggest casualty of the women's tournament, with the No.3 seed upset by Mirjana Lucic-Baroni on Wednesday in the second round at Roland-Garros.
Halep, a finalist last year in Paris, had no answer to the Croatian's relentless attack, succumbing 7-5 6-1.
This was always going to be a danger match for the third seed; last year at Flushing Meadows, Lucic-Baroni beat Halep en route to the fourth round.
And she proved that result was no fluke on Suzanne-Lenglen Court, belting 29 winners to Halep's five to seal victory.
Next up for Lucic-Baroni is French No.1 Alize Cornet, who beat another Romanian, Alexandra Dulgheru, in straight sets.
#MariaSharapova on the cover of Cosmopolitan Bulgaria.
"Masha about Grigor, price of success and why started her own business"
Kvitova, who picked up the title just a couple of weeks ago in Madrid, never looked entirely comfortable out on Court Philippe Chatrier, and was forced to draw upon all her fighting qualities to squeak past an often-inspired Erakovic, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
After nearly two and a half hours on court, Kvitova, who actually won seven fewer points than Erakovic, summoned her best tennis when she needed it most, finding the line with an angled backhand winner to break before calmly serving out to love.
"I think she didn't miss so much, and there were a lot of good rallies. It was really difficult," Kvitova said. "She's a really smart player with a good touch, so I knew it was going to be difficult.
"I played her last time here, as well, and it was two sets. But, anyway, every match is different. I'm just glad that I won."
Facing Karin Knapp, who was fresh off a title run in Nürnberg last week, Wozniacki struggled early on, battling more than half an hour just to stay even at 2-all. But from 4-3 the No.5-seeded Dane totally broke away from the Italian, winning eight games in a row to cruise into the second round, 6-3, 6-0.
Wozniacki was at her rock solid best in the match, committing a total of just nine unforced errors - including just one in the second set. Meanwhile, Knapp hit 50 unforced errors during the match.
"Four games in or five games in we played like 40-something minutes. It's ridiculous," Wozniacki said.
"It was really close from the beginning, a lot of deuces and advantages. She's playing really well. She won last week. So it was a tough first round, but nothing unusual from my other draws this year. I was ready and kind of excited - I knew the longer we played the better for me, so I didn't mind at all."
Kristina Mladenovic has always loved playing in Paris, and it was no different at the French Open on Tuesday - in front of an adoring home crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen, the WTA Rising Star was dialed in and took out Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets in a first round stunner.
Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Paris right here on wtatennis.com!
All of Mladenovic's previous Top 10 wins had come in Paris - Petra Kvitova (Paris [Indoors] in 2013), Simona Halep (Paris [Indoors] in 2014) and, biggest of all, Li Na (here at the French Open in 2014).
On the very same court as that famous win over Li, Mladenovic rose to the occasion again, clinching a tight first set then racing out to a 5-0 lead in the second set. The No.6-seeded Bouchard fought back, and fought back hard - she powered her way through the next four games to close the gap to 5-4.
But it was too late, and Mladenovic served out another famous victory in the City of Light, 6-4, 6-4.
Captivated by the amazing view!
#EiffelTower #UpInTheSky #RolandGarros #Opening #Paris
THE ORIGINAL PIC
Post practice meal
THE BEST PIC
Caroline Wozniacki (No.5)
Karin Knapp is not one to be caught sitting on her laurels. Just 48 hours after her win at Nuremberg, she was back on the courts training for the French Open. The Italian's best performances at the tournament go back quite a while (two back-to-back Round 3 appearances in 2007 and 2008), but the 27-year-old is currently playing the best tennis of her career. Caroline Wozniacki will need to be on her guard. The two women have already met twice before, with the Dane claiming victory both times (although on hard courts at New Haven 2013 and Istanbul 2014). Their first clay-court battle is set for Tuesday on Suzanne-Lenglen.
Ana Ivanovic (no.7)
Through to the second round of the French Open, Ana Ivanovic is enjoying her Monday off, talking to the media and on the social networks. The Serb, who just reached 500,000 followers on Twitter, replied to questions in "Road to Roland-Garros".
Maria Sharapova (no.2) Under the weather, but victorious nonetheless: this Monday, Maria Sharapova had two adversaries - Estonian Kaia Kanepi, and a bad cold, all too obvious in her hoarse voice and short breath as she spoke into Cedric Pioline's microphone. The title-holder even had to cut the traditional post-match interview short. But it would take more than a common cold to upset Masha this early in the tournament: wanting to finish the match quickly, she had a higher number of unforced errors than usual (21, compared to 17 winners), but she was fully in control of the match. Kanepi was the one who ran out of breath, scoring only 10 winners in the two sets. Final score: 6-2, 6-4. Maria Sharapova is through to the second round, and has 48 hours to get rid of her cold. "It might be a good omen", she said, remembering that "last year too, I was a little unwell starting the tournament!"
Her game was awry. Her intensity seemed absent. There were no shouts of "come on!" And most notably, her grunt had a strikingly different aural quality.
Cue the eye-rolls.
A piece on Sharapova’s grunt? Surely not. The Russian’s noise-making is hardly newsworthy; love it or hate it, it has been a trademark of her career since she first emerged on the circuit in 2003.
Sharapova’s grunt has often gone through phases and mutations. Earlier in her career she would sometimes play periods of her matches in silence, while it has long been apparent that it goes up in volume and intensity when she is pushed to the limit or mired in a tight third set.
But for the most part, it has remained pretty constant in its frequency and guttural quality. Which is why it raises eyebrows whenever it is noticeably altered.
The last time that happened was during the European clay court season of 2013.
In Madrid and Rome, she was silent as she hit the ball, and released the grunt after. It later emerged that she was struggling with a shoulder injury: “I don’t know how I managed to get through Madrid. And then Rome ... I said ‘there’s no way.
My shoulder just kills. I’m serving, and I’m in a lot of pain’," she revealed in the New York Times.
Today's version, in her first-round match against Estonian Kaia Kanepi, was a little yelp, akin to the noise emitted by Czech lefties Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova.
What was going on? The Twitter-verse lit up with discussion about the very subject.
"Sharapova's grunt sounds very weird today. Maybe it's the flu?" one tweeter speculated.
"You know something's wrong when Sharapova's grunt is on a different octave," observed another.
A prominent tennis tweeter even likened Sharapova's noise to the yelping of a Bichon Frise.
Was health the problem again this time around? The signs said so after Sharapova declined to conduct the standard post-match interview on court after beating Kanepi 6-2, 6-4; she departed Philippe-Chatrier Court to a round of boos and jeers.
"I got sick a week before the tournament (last year), not right before. So I guess that was a little bit better timing. But it's just the way it is. I'm getting over it, and hopefully it will pass by soon," she said.
A few months ago in a studio shooting the cover of the #FinancialTimes #Weekend magazine on news stands tomorrow. I love showing up and shooting in my own clothes, it's very rare but always makes things more real.
#Cover #Photography
The No.3-seeded Halep faced late fightbacks in both sets but managed to edge Evgeniya Rodina, one of a growing group of mothers on tour at the moment, after an hour and 15 minutes on court, 7-5, 6-4.
Halep ripped a big ace up the middle on match point and promptly brought out a big fist pump.
"It was a tough match, not just because first rounds are always tough, but she also played well," Halep said. "I made some easy mistakes, but that's normal and I accept that. Next round I will be better."
The Romanian now has 30 WTA-level match wins on the year, second to Carla Suárez Navarro's 31.
Halep was playing on Court Philippe Chatrier, one of the most revered tennis courts in the world, for the first time since her three-hour-plus battle against Sharapova for the 2014 title, a battle she came out on the losing end of, albeit but just barely - Sharapova edged her in a nail-biter, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-4.
"It wasn't easy walking on Chatrier again, but I enjoyed it a lot," Halep said. "I just tried to be focused for what I had to do on the court today, and just played my game.
Many people came to watch, and that made a really nice atmosphere. It was just a great day for me and I really want to enjoy it."
Shvedova, who made spirited runs to the last eight here in 2010 and 2012, squeaked out the first set, 6-4, but then succumbed to an increasingly aggressive Ivanovic over the next two sets, the No.7-seeded Serb ripping her huge forehand time and time again and completely running away with it, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.
"It was a little bit of a tough start," Ivanovic said.
"I didn't have that many matches coming into this tournament, so I was really happy that in the second set I managed to sort of play a little bit deeper and put a little bit more pressure on her. In the third set I felt like, 'Okay, I'm playing my game now.'
"I worked really hard last week. I was really trying to rely on that. I knew I'd put the work I had to put in, so that gave me confidence.
Even after the first set I really tried to look for my game.
"I was really happy I was able to turn it around today."
Hello from Paris, a city that's always been close to my heart and brings great memories back. I am excited about this year's Roland Garros and look forward to my first match on Sunday.
Wish me luck guys.
(photo. Julian Torres)
The Official Roland Garros defending champion photo at the
#EiffelTower #Paris #Photography
