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Kerber, Azarenka falter in Paris; Murray wins in another 5- set match
Serena Williams needed only 42 minutes to win her opening match in the French Open,
Before Serena Williams walked out on the tennis court in the French Open, two of her biggest rivals were gone from the year’s second Grand Slam tournament.
These days a rival can be characterized as someone who has beaten Williams in the recent past, and Angelique Kerber ( Australian Open) and Victoria Azarenka ( Indian Wells) had done just that this year. The Nos. 3 and 5 seeds, respectively, lost Tuesday. Kerber fell to Kiki Bertens; Azarenka retired in the third set against Karin Knapp with a right knee injury.
Williams, for her part, did her job in winning 6- 2, 6- 0 in 42 minutes against Magdalena Rybarikova in the last match of the day on Court Philippe Chatrier. The world No. 1 and defending champion continued her fine form from Rome, where she won a 70th career title 10 days ago.
On the men’s side there was no such drama, as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray registered wins. While Djokovic and Nadal were barely ruffled in their opening contests, Murray needed another five- setter on Wednesday to advance to the third round, playing for the third straight day after his first- round match was pushed to finish on Tuesday. Murray had to come from behind for the second straight match, having gone down two sets to love against veteran qualifier Radek Stepanek on Monday. Against Mathias Bourgue, ranked 164 in the world, Murray won 6- 2, 2- 6, 4- 6, 6- 2, 6- 3. He will now face No. 27 seed Ivo Karlovic.
Plenty of hurdles remain for Williams, including her semifinal foe from 2015, Timea Bacsinszky. The Swiss player will meet former top- five player Eugenie Bouchard in the second round, the Canadian in resurgent form.
But on another overcast day, a dark cloud hung over an American player as questions of meldonium continued in the sport.
Varvara Lepchenko did not comment on a report from a Russian news outlet that she tested positive for meldonium, subsequently serving a silent ban for two months this year.
“At moment I have no comment on any of this,” said the world No. 64, who lost in the first round. “I’m here just to answer tennis questions. If you have any questions about my match, I would gladly answer them. But otherwise, I just have no comments.”
A Russian trainer who had previously worked with Maria Sharapova, who tested positive for meldonium in January, made the claim about Lepchenko to Russian newspaper Sport Express in an interview that was published last week.
Asked about the positive test eight times during a news conference, Lepchenko did not comment.
“Was what he said true?” a journalist asked. “Are you going to deny the reports out there in the media now?”
“Like I said, I have no comments,” Lepchenko said again. “If you have a question about my match, go on.”
Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Lepchenko is of Russian- Ukrainian descent and has been living in the USA since 2002. She has played under the American flag since 2007 and represented the USA in the 2012 London Olympics.
The International Tennis Federation declined to comment through spokesman Nick Imison.
Also Tuesday, American Louisa Chirico, 20, got her first career Grand Slam victory, toughing out a three- setter against compatriot Lauren Davis.
Next up for the New York native? Venus Williams.
“I look forward to it. I’m excited for the challenge,” Chirico said of her first meeting with either Williams sister, whom she grew up watching on TV.
Chirico, ranked No. 78, made a surprise run to the Madrid semifinals a few weeks ago.
“She’s been playing well, right?” Venus Williams said about Chirico. “I haven’t seen her play. I don’t really know much about her. It’s always not as much fun when you have to meet an American early on, but the best part is an American will go through.”