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PARIS — Again on her “favourite court docket on this planet,” Sloane Stephens appeared sharp in her opening match on the French Open with a 6-0, 6-4 win over two-time main finalist Karolina Pliskova.
Whereas Stephens’ solely Grand Slam title got here on the 2017 U.S. Open, she’s additionally had sustained success at Roland Garros, ending as a runner-up to Simona Halep in 2018 and reaching two quarterfinals on the purple clay in Paris — together with final yr.
“That is my favourite court docket on this planet, so I’m tremendous completely satisfied to be again,” Stephens instructed the group on Courtroom Philippe Chatrier. “To start out a Slam in your favourite court docket, your favourite floor, is at all times unbelievable.”
She helped American ladies go 4-0 by means of the primary few hours of play on Day 2 of the match after a 1-4 begin on Sunday, when the one U.S. victory got here in a match between two gamers from the nation: Jessica Pegula beat Danielle Collins.
FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men | Broadcast Schedule
Madison Keys, the runner-up to Stephens in New York six years in the past and a semifinalist at Roland Garros in 2018, beat Kaia Kanepi 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 on Monday to enhance her profession report within the first spherical of majors to 35-5.
Keys subsequent performs American qualifier Kayla Day, who eradicated French wild-card entry Kristina Mladenovic 7-5, 6-1.
Additionally, Croatian-born American Bernarda Pera beat former No. 2-ranked Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (6), 6-2.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a finalist in Paris in 2021, breezed previous Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova 6-2, 6-2; and Twenty second-seeded Donna Vekic beat qualifier Dayana Yastremska 6-2, 7-5.
Stephens was down a break within the second set towards Pliskova however then gained three straight video games to shut it out.
Stephens had a 19-16 edge in winners and dedicated solely 10 unforced errors to 31 by Pliskova, who misplaced within the finals of the U.S. Open in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2021.
“This court docket is a bit tough. It’s important to play on it quite a bit to know when the wind is blowing and the place it’s coming,” Stephens mentioned. “The extra you play on it, the extra you perceive it. However it’s a really sophisticated court docket. However that’s what makes it so superb.”
Stephens gained a small clay-court match in Saint Malo, France, at first of the month and likewise reached the semifinals of the Morocco Open final week after solely enjoying a complete of three matches at greater clay occasions in Madrid and Rome.
“Final yr, my clay season wasn’t nice, however I performed superb at Roland Garros final yr,” Stephens mentioned, “and this yr, I actually needed to get matches and play quite a bit and to see the place that received me.”
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