Bouchard advances in 2020 French Open

I'm proud of taking advantage of the opportunities. There are so few tournaments this year. Especially with my ranking, I was very limited with what I could play. First of all, very grateful to the French federation for giving me the wildcard here," Bouchard said after Wednesday's 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 win against Gavrilova, herself a former Top 20 player working on a comeback after a nearly year-long foot injury.

"Also grateful to them for making such a big effort to put this tournament on. We're all just so grateful to have jobs, have a big event to kind of end our season. You just have to be so grateful for every opportunity.

"I've tried to push myself in every chance I've had because I know there are so few."

Schmiedlova advances in 2020 FRENCH OPEN ❤️❤️

PARIS, France

Former Top 30 player Anna Karolina Schmiedlova's resurgence continued at the French Open on Wednesday as the Slovak dispatched No.10 seed Victoria Azarenka in straight sets to reach the third round, 6-2, 6-2. 

Serena Williams was forced to withdraw from Roland Garros ahead of her second-round match due to injury.

Serena Williams has withdrawn from Roland Garros due to an achilles injury. The 23-time major champion announced her withdrawal ahead of her second-round match against Tsvetana Pironkova. The Bulgarian receives a walkover to the second round. 

Karolina Pliskova advances in 2020 French Open

PARIS, France

 Karolina Pliskova shook off a rising star in Egyptian qualifier Mayar Sherif, surviving the qualifier, 6-7(9), 6-2, 6-4 to pass the first hurdle at Roland Garros.

Rybakina advances in 2020 French Open

PARIS, France

 The breakthrough season of No.14 seed Elena Rybakina kept on rolling at Roland Garros, as the Kazakh notched her first-ever main-draw win at the clay-court major with a comprehensive 6-0, 6-3 victory over 2009 quarterfinalist Sorana Cirstea of Romania.

Clara Tauson saving two match points to defeat No.21 seed Jennifer Brady in a first-round Roland Garros

PARIS, France

 Clara Tauson's Grand Slam debut proved to be one to remember as the teenage qualifier, playing just her second Tour match, saved two match points to stun No.21 seed Jennifer Brady 6-4, 3-6, 9-7 in a two-hour, 45-minute first-round clash at Roland Garros - the third-longest of the tournament so far.

Serena williams advances in 2020 Roland Garros

PARIS, France 

 Serena Williams began her quest for a 24th Grand Slam title with a victory at Roland Garros, surviving a topsy-turvy opening set to ultimately ease past fellow American Kristie Ahn, 7-6(2), 6-0.

Kiki bertens advances in 2020 Roland Garros

PARIS, France

Kiki Bertens survived a scare before moving through to the second round of Roland Garros with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory over Katarina Zavatska. 

kvitova advances in 2020 Roland Garros

PARIS, France

No.7 seed Petra Kvitova opened her French Open campaign in style on Monday afternoon with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over France's Oceane Dodin. 

Order of play. 28 set 2020. Roland Garros

Sasnovich advances to 2 round of the 2020 RG

Aleksandrova advances to 2 round of the 2020 RG

Schmiedlova advances to 2 round of the 2020 RG. Venus out

A familiar antagonist put an abrupt end to Venus Williams’ 23rd appearance at Roland-Garros on opening day, as Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, the world No.161, handed the 40-year-old American a 6-4, 6-4 setback on Court Simonne-Mathieu

happy birthday Simona. ❤️🎉💐🎊🎈🍰🎁

Halep advances to 2 round of the 2020 RG.

A happy 29th birthday for a happy Simona Halep. 

The top seed and 2018 Roland-Garros champion ignited her title challenge with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over world No.70 Sara Sorribes Tormo on Sunday.

It was an extra special present for Halep, who posted her 15th consecutive match victory in the first women’s match under the newly unveiled Court Philippe-Chatrier roof.

“Yeah, it feels very special. I feel very honoured to play the first round under the roof. It’s a unique moment for me, playing here on my birthday, playing at Roland-Garros,” beamed the world No.2, unbeaten since the Australian Open semi-finals. 

“Forever I will keep it. I just want to enjoy today because it’s really special.” 

Sorribes Tormo is an accomplished clay-court player, exemplified by an emphatic Billie Jean King Cup triumph over US Open champion Naomi Osaka back in February.

In similar fashion, the Spaniard took to court and managed to absorb all of Halep’s initial strikes. The 24-year-old was proving to be a tricky opponent, looping up her forehand, while slicing and dicing off the backhand wing. 

That concoction kept Halep off kilter and Sorribes Tormo jumped to 4-2.

The top seed was looking increasingly frustrated, but from this point Halep banished the relatively tentative play, and ramped up the pace of shot.

A forehand drive volley while sliding over the tramlines was exceptional from the Romanian as 10 successive games rapidly fell her way off the back of 23 winners.

Having strung Sorribes Tormo from side to side she soared into the second round and was treated to the crowd's rendition of Happy Birthday - in French, of course.

“I’m really pleased with the victory. It’s always really tough to start the tournament. I’ve been a little bit nervous and she played really well in the first set, didn’t really miss,” assessed the 29-year-old.

"Also, her ball is coming a little bit higher and with a lot of topspin, so it's not easy to play from up to the shoulder.

"I found my rhythm, started to open up the court better and not going for everything. Oh and the drop shots. I changed, worked for every ball. I had a plan B and it worked very well for me today.”

The reigning Wimbledon champion is buoyed by her continued on-court success, particularly from a mental perspective.

“I think I improved a lot. I'm more mature on the court. I am more calm. Yeah, I feel very good on court. I'm relaxed. I'm just trying to give my best every time. Actually, I don't give up any points. So, I think I changed a lot in the last 12 months.”

Caroline Wozniacki blog. the original pic

Azarenka advances to 2 round of the RG 2020

For Victoria Azarenka, it’s a philosophy that sums up her new-found attitude, one that should stand her in good stead over the next fortnight.

Despite cool conditions and drizzle that interrupted play early in the first set, the former world No.1 cruised into the second round at Roland-Garros on Sunday with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Danka Kovinic of Montenegro.

Serena Williams by STUART WEITZMAN. the original pic

Serena Williams by STUART WEITZMAN

Simona Halep in RG 2020. the original pic

Order of play 27 September 2020. RG 2020

Gauff in press conference. RG 2020

She's a junior champion there,” he said. “She likes the clay. The surface is not a barrier to entry for her by any means. It's an opportunity.” 

Courier, who owns the fourth-longest match winning streak in Roland-Garros men’s singles history at 20, thinks Gauff should forget about the lofty expectations that are already being placed on her and just seek to improve. 

“She's still very much a work in progress,” he said. “It's going to be great to see her play there, see exactly what she can do. We know she's someone who is not afraid of the dirt.” 

doubles wild cards includes an exciting mix of young and veteran talent: cornet and parmentier

Following the recommendations of National Coaching Director Pierre Cherret, FFT President Bernard Giudicelli and Tournament Director Guy Forget have announced the following list of wildcards awarded for the boys’ and girls’ singles tournaments (4 to 19 October), and the women’s and men’s doubles’ tournaments (29 September to 11 October) at Roland-Garros 2020.

Roland garros 2020. Main draw singles

Rybakina advances to final in 2020 Strasbourg open

STRASBOURG, France

 Elena Rybakina has got her groove back at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, making her fifth final of the season and first since the Tour's resumption with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over the unseeded Nao Hibino in one hour and 16 minutes.

Ostapenko advances in Strasbourg 2020 open. bertens out

She retired, it’s not the best way to finish the match, but I’m glad that I was fighting because it might have been over in two sets,” she said. “I was a set and 4-2 down and I’m glad I fought to the end.

“I couldn’t find my game and I think I was rushing a little bit.

“Then in the second set, I started to play better, a bit smarter, not go for every shot. I tried to play some different games, dropshots and kick serves, and I think that worked pretty well.”

The story of Strasbourg 2020. the best moments

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Original 9 signing a $1 contract, Blinkova, Sabalenka, Pavlyuchenkova, Rybakina, Alexandrova, Bertens, Svitolina, Hibino, Cornet and Linette recreate their famous picture with a 2020 twist.

Marta Kostyuk advances in 2020 RG 2020 Qualy.

Marta Kostyuk (UKR)

The 18-year-old Ukrainian is coming off of an impressive third-round showing at the US Open earlier this month and is just three spots off her career-high ranking of No.116, which she first achieved in January last year.

A former Australian Open junior champion, Kostyuk exploded onto the scene when she reached the third round of the women’s event in Melbourne as a 15-year-old qualifier on her Grand Slam debut in 2018.

At the US Open two weeks ago, she took out former top-10 player Daria Kasatkina, and two-time semi-finalist Anastasija Sevastova before falling to eventual champion Naomi Osaka in three tight sets.

Last month, she won three rounds of qualifying on the clay courts of the WTA tournament in Prague, but was edged in her main draw opener by Camila Giorgi in a third-set tiebreak.

She is in form and looking more comfortable on the big stage. Keep an eye out for the talented teen, who opens her qualifying campaign against Isabella Shinikova of Bulgaria.

Simona Halep in RG 2020. interview. go Simona 🏆🏆

It was her third consecutive title triumph in 2020, and it came on the back of victories in Prague last month and Dubai in February, pre-lockdown.

The Romanian holds a remarkable 20-2 win-loss record for the season, with her only two defeats coming in January – to Aryna Sabalenka in the Adelaide quarter-finals, and to Garbiñe Muguruza in the Australian Open semi-finals.

The world No.2, who will be the top seed in the French capital in the absence of defending champion Ashleigh Barty, is considered the favourite for the Roland-Garros title. But Halep insists she will not be burdened with her own expectations or stressing about results.

“The pressure, I'm used to it. I've been No.1 and playing a Grand Slam, so it's more [pressure] than now. So I'm not going to think about that,” the 28-year-old told WTA Insider on Monday.

“If people think that I am a favourite, well, I'm not thinking about that because every match it's a battle and everyone wants to get it so badly.”

RG 2020. qualifications Woman's singles.

Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova poses with the trophy in 2020 Internazionali BNL d'italia 2020. 🏆🏆 wta woman doubles

No.1 seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova, back together for the first time since the resumption of WTA action, claimed their whopping fourth title of the season with a straight-set win over Anna-Lena Friedsam and Raluca Olaru in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia final.

Halep poses with the trophy in 2020 Internazionali BNL d'italia 2020. go Simona 🏆🏆🏆

Simona Halep added the Internazionali BNL d’Italia title to her trophy cabinet, prevailing in the final after defending champion Karolina Pliskova was forced to retire at 6-0 2-1.

Halep has now won the last three tournaments she has contested, having also lifted the trophy in Dubai and Prague, and this victory extended her winning streak to 14 matches.

The Romanian was in flying form from the outset, playing flawless tennis as she romped through the first set in 20 minutes. Pliskova couldn’t match her opponent for intensity and was struggling to push up on her serve – one of her biggest weapons – so was no match for the top seed who won 13 of 14 points – and 11 in a row – as the set neared its end.

The second set began with an exchange of breaks and there was hope that the treatment the Czech had received on her lower back at the end of the first set had made a difference. She was broken immediately back however and that break proved decisive, Pliskova walking to her opponent and ending the match after 32 minutes.

It was third time lucky for Halep who had reached the Italian Open final twice before, losing to Elina Svitolina in 2017 and 2018 while the world No.4 was unable to retain her title, the defeat ending her nine-match winning streak in Rome.

Internationaux de Strasbourg. Main draw singles. 20 - 26 Sept 2020

Halep advances to final in 2020 Internazionali BNL d'italia

ROME, Italy

 No.1 seed Simona Halep moved into the final of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia for the third time as she overcame No.9 seed Garbiñe Muguruza, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in two hours 14 minutes as a smattering of spectators were allowed access for the first time since the Tour was suspended due to Covid-19.

Vondrousova advances to SF in 2020 Internazionali BNL d'italia

ROME, Italy

 Czech left-hander Marketa Vondrousova secured her first Top 10 victory in over a year on Saturday at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over No.4 seed Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals.

Halep advances to SF in 2020 Internazionali BNL d'italia

ROME, Italy

Simona Halep was able to preserve her perfect record in Internazionali BNL d'Italia quarterfinals after Yulia Putintseva retired due to a lower back injury trailing 6-2, 2-0 after 47 minutes.

Pliskova advances to SF in 2020 Internazionali BNL d'italia

The Brisbane champion looked to be in complete control as she soared through the opening set, but faced resistance as Mertens made her way back to send them into a decider. But that’s when Pliskova clicked into high gear, reeling off the next six games to reach her second semifinal of the year, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0

order of play. 19 set 2020. Internazionali BNL d'Italia

Svitolina advances to QFs in 2020 Internazionali BNL d'italia

ROME, Italy 

Two-time champion Elina Svitolina is back into the Internazionali BNL d’Italia quarterfinals for the third time in her career, as the Ukrainian ousted two-time Rome finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, 7-6(6), 6-4, on Friday night.

Halep advances to QFs in 2020 Internazionali BNL d'italia

ROME, Italy 

 Simona Halep booked a place in the quarterfinals at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia for the fifth time in her career on Friday with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska.

order of play, 18 September 2020. Internazionali BNL d'Italia