Sabalenka sails into French second round, Tsitsipas forced to work hard

Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka powered into the second round of the French Open with a 6-3 6-2 win over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in a feisty clash to start to the year’s second Grand Slam yesterday, but was left perplexed by jeering from some parts of the crowd.

Some booing and jeering could be heard after the match as Kostyuk refused to shake hands with her opponent, having said beforehand she would not do so with Russian and Belarusian players due to Moscow’s invasion. Sabalenka said she initially thought the boos were aimed at her.

“It was a very tough match, I mean tough emotionally. I’m sorry guys, I didn’t get it at first, I thought this booing was against me so I was a little surprised,” she said.

“But then I felt your support, so thank you so much.”

The world number two has previously said she has nothing against Ukrainian people and felt bad for them as Moscow’s invasion rages on. Belarus has been a staging ground for Russia’s actions.

Sabalenka appeared in a spot of bother on her serve early on and fell behind 2-3, but the unseeded Kostyuk could not build on her advantage and the Australian Open champion struck back immediately with a powerful crosscourt volley on breakpoint.

Second seed Sabalenka wrapped up the first set in style in front of a sparse Court Philippe Chatrier crowd before pouncing in the next with an early break and another to go up 4-1, as Kostyuk wilted under the Paris sun.

The Belarusian raised her level again late in the match to save two breakpoints and close out the victory in 71 minutes.

Greek eighth seed Maria Sakkari crashed out in the first round after a 7-6(5) 7-5 loss to Czech Karolina Muchova on Court Suzanne Lenglen, becoming the first women’s top 10 player to exit the tournament this year.

● Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was made to work hard for more than three hours to book his spot in the second round with a 7-5 6-3 4-6 7-6(7) fourthset win over Czech Jiri Vesely.

“It was difficult, stressful. But I told myself ‘there’s no chance this is going to five sets today’,” Tsitsipas said.

“Jiri is a great player, I don’t think he gets credit. I would like to congratulate him for his effort today.”

The Greek, runner-up in Paris in 2021, suffered an early break in his second service game and found himself 5-3 down against Vesely.

But he broke the 29-yearold twice in a row to clinch the next four games and close out the first set.

Tsitsipas had initially struggled with the tall left-hander’s awkward spin but then stretched his opponent with deep cross-court forehands, bagging the second set with another break.

The world number five thought he had hit his stride, comfortably holding serve in the third but Vesely doggedly refused to budge.

He snatched the third set on his first opportunity with frustrated Tsitsipas sinking an easy forehand into the net on set point before the pair traded early breaks in the fourth.

There were no signs of rustiness for Vesely and the Czech kept up the pressure to earn four set points in the tiebreak.

He could not convert them, however, allowing Tsitsipas to clinch victory on his first match point with another crosscourt forehand winner.

Russia’s Karen Khachanov, the 11th seed, beat Constant Lestienne of France in a tough five-setter 3-6 1-6 6-2 6-1 6-3 to reach the second round.

Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, seeded 13th, also survived a five-set thriller, seeing off David Goffin 6-3 5-7 6-4 2-6 6-4.

Seventh seed Andrey Rublev of Russia beat Serbia’s Laslo Djere 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4 in a fourset match last night to advance to the second round.