SERENA FIGHTS BACK AT ROLAND GARROS
Serena Williams survived a first-round scare at the French Open on Monday as she battled back from a set down to defeat Russian world number 83 Vitalia Diatchenko, while Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic both eased through.
The 37-year-old Williams, who is attempting to equal Margaret Court’s alltime record of 24 Grand Slam titles, racked up her 800th career main draw win with her 2-6, 6-1, 6-0 victory in front of a half-full Court Philippe Chatrier.
Nadal started his bid for a record-extending 12th men’s Roland Garros title with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 win over German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, before world number one Djokovic saw off Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets.
This was only Williams’ fifth match since collapsing to defeat late on against Karolina Pliskova in the Australian Open quarter-finals earlier this year, but she showed excellent form in the second and third sets in Paris.
“It wasn’t easy today, I’ve practised hard and I’m happy to win today,” said the 10th seed, who has not won a major title since the 2017 Australian Open.
The three-time French Open winner started poorly, and was punished as Diatchenko broke to love in the fifth game en route to the first set.
But having made 14 unforced errors in the opener, Williams made just 10 more in the rest of the match as she overpowered her opponent, dropping only one game in the process.
-AFP