French Open 2021: Day 1 Results: Osaka, Kvitova, Sabalenka all progress into the second round; Kerber bites the dust

French Open 2021: Day 1 Results: Osaka, Kvitova, Sabalenka all progress into the second round; Kerber bites the dust

French Open 2021

French Open 2021 kicked off in style on Sunday, as there were several top seeds in action today. There were not many upsets on the opening day in the women’s draw, as the higher ranked players secured comfortable victories in the first round of French Open 2021. There is surely more action to follow in the remaining two days of first round matches in Paris.

Naomi Osaka ‘not at her best’ but manages to secure a victory

Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka made the headlines earlier this week, after her decision to boycott the press at French Open 2021 did the rounds. The Japanese did not let the outside buzz affect her tennis, as she secured a straight sets victory over Patricia Maria Tig in the first round. The second seed won 6-4, 7-6. However, it was not a dominant performance from Osaka, and she looked rusty at times.

Naomi Osaka hit a bunch of unforced errors on Sunday, but produced some winners which came to her rescue. She managed to convert just two of her ten break point opportunities. The most impressive part of her game was her win percentage on first serve. She won 89% of her points on first serve.

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Aryna Sabalenka asserts her authority in Paris

Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka comes into the French Open 2021 with a host of expectations. Seeded third in Paris, Sabalenka has been one of the standout players this season. She secured a straight sets victory over Ana Konjuh in the first round clash. The Belarusian won 6-4, 6-3 to book a place in the second round.

Aryna Sabalenka struggled on her serve on Sunday, as she was broken four times in the entire match. Moreover, the third seed served seven doubles faults. However, she did enough to secure a victory against the Croatian.

Petra Kvitova secures a comeback victory

Petra Kvitova
Petra Kvitova

Petra Kvitova, semifinalist at French Open last year, had to dig deep to grind out a three set victory against Greet Minnen in first round. The Czech lost the first set, but came back to win the next two sets. She won the second set tiebreaker by the barest of margins, which forced the match into the decider.

Petra Kvitova won 6-7, 7-6, 6-1 in a close encounter. Her serving was way off the mark on Sunday, as she served 11 double faults during the entire match. However, she did manage to win about 80% of her points on first serve, which proved to be a deciding factor.

Angelique Kerber bows out in the first round

Angelique Kerber
Angelique Kerber

Angelique Kerber, three time Grandslam champion bowed out in the first round of French Open 2021. The German lost in straight sets to Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine by a score line of 6-2, 6-4. The 26th seed was broken six times during the match, and could manage to win just 40% of her points on first serve. She was thoroughly outplayed by the Ukrainian, who deservedly books a place in the second round.

French Open 2021: Other Results

  • Veronika Kudermetova defeats Amanda Anisimova (7-6, 6-1)
  • Elina Rybakina defeats E. Jacquemot (6-4, 6-1)
  • Danielle Collins defeats X. Wang (6-2, 4-6, 6-4)
  • Elena Vesnina defeats Olga Govortsova (6-1, 6-0)
  • Danka Kovinic defeats Clara Burel (6-3, 7-6)

Also Read: Coco Gauff and Venus Williams team up for Women’s Doubles at French Open 2021