Andreescu overcomes slow start to reach third round at French Open

Bianca Andreescu (No. 228) defeated Anna Kalinskaya (No. 25) by 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 and advanced to the third round of the French Open. The Canadian overcame a weak first set and turned the match around against the Russian to reach the third round of a Grand Slam once again.

This is just Andreescu's first tournament since the Canadian Open back in August 2023. The former world No. 4 dropped in the rankings to outside the top 200 but showed she still has the level to compete with the best players in the world.

In the first set, Kalinskaya dominated with strong service games while Andreescu could do little to control her opponent's effectiveness. The Russian tennis player had an 80% first-serve rate and won 80% of them, while Andreescu barely reached 50%.

The Canadian managed to save three break points against her in her first service game, but it was the only game she won. Kalinskaya went on to win 14 consecutive points and finished with a comfortable set of 6-1.

From the second set onwards, things changed for Andreescu, who improved her first-serve effectiveness and, despite struggling a bit more than Kalinskaya, managed to maintain equality throughout the set. With no breaks from either side, a tie-break seemed inevitable, but Andreescu got the break at the right moment to take the set 7-5.

In the third set, break points were on both sides as both players conceded opportunities to their opponent. Andreescu saved the 6 break points she faced, while Kalinskaya faced the same amount but only saved 5. That single break was the definitive advantage for the Canadian to achieve her second consecutive victory (1-6, 7-5, 6-3) and return to the third round of Roland Garros.

Stearns continues in excellent form by securing her 7th consecutive victory. This time it was her best win yet, as she defeated Daria Kasatkina (10th seed), her first victory over a top-15 player. Stearns clinched the match 7-5, 6-2 and remains on a hot streak after capturing the title at the WTA 250 Rabat Open last week. She awaits the winner between Azarenka and Andreeva.

On the other hand, Italian Jasmine Paolini continues to show the progress she made this year. Although she had a surprising early exit in the first round of her last tournament, the Rome Open (where she was the top local hope), fortunes changed for the Italian at Roland Garros. The 12th seed defeated Hailey Baptiste and for the first time reaches the third round of the French Open.