Elena Rybakina powered into the French Open second round with a straight-sets victory over Belgian Greet Minnen on Tuesday.
The former Wimbledon champion wrapped up a 6-2, 6-3 success in only 73 minutes and will next face either three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber or Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus.
“Really happy to be back and compete here,” said Rybakina, who withdrew ahead of the third round last year due to illness.
Kazakh world number four Rybakina is the only player to defeat tournament favourite Iga Swiatek on clay this season, in the Stuttgart semifinals in April.
Zheng sends Cornet into retirement with French Open thumping
Seventh seed Zheng Qinwen powered past Alize Cornet 6-2 6-1 and into the second round of the French Open on Tuesday, sending the Frenchwoman into retirement with a heavy defeat at her home Grand Slam, where she has featured for 20 straight years.
The 34-year-old Cornet, holder of the Open era women’s record for consecutive major main draw appearances, had previously announced that she would bring the curtain down on her career after the tournament.
Cornet will still compete in the women’s doubles and mixed doubles events before she walks away from the sport after almost 20 years as a professional.
She gave it her all under the Court Philippe Chatrier roof on a rainy day in Paris but was no match for the Australian Open runner-up as she surrendered the opening set tamely and found herself a breakdown early in the next.
Zheng, who arrived at Roland Garros on the back of a run to the Rome quarter-finals and is bidding to claim her maiden major title, stepped up her game further to build a 5-1 lead before finishing the match off in style.
She hugged Cornet at the net as a small crowd at the main stadium rose to its feet and cheered for the local player.
Zheng will next face either American Ashlyn Krueger or Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch.
(with inputs from Reuters)
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