Roland-Garros 2023 – Ladies’ singles – 1st round: The day of the favorites

Sabalenka smoothly

One hour and eleven minutes and a last gigantic uncrossed forehand to close the debate. Aryna Sabalenka did not give Marta Kostyuk (6-3, 6-2) a chance on Sunday at the start of the Chatrier program. The Ukrainian, unsurprisingly, didn’t shake hands with her Belarusian opponent, like after her match against Victoria Azarenka last year at the US Open.

There was only a real game for half an hour, enough time for Kostyuk to score the first break of the game and lead 3-2, serve to follow. But everything was quickly back to normal for Sabalenka who, once her little precision problem had been solved at the start of the game, went smoothly, winning nine of the following ten games. Beaten in the third round for the past three years and never present in the second week at Roland-Garros, the world number 2 can undoubtedly aim much higher.

Sakkari entrance tomb

It is one of the first sensations in the female table. Semi-finalist at Porte d’Auteuil in 2021 and seeded number 8, Maria Sakkari came out from the start against the Czech Karolina Muchova (7-6[5], 7-5). An unadorned victory for the 43rd in the world, which greatly disturbed the Greek by her game.