PARIS, May 26 – Top-ranked tennis player Aryna Sabalenka secured a commanding victory in her first-round match at the French Open, defeating Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday.
The Belarusian player quickly established control on the sunny Court Philippe Chatrier, jumping out to a 4-0 advantage before mistakes began affecting her performance. This allowed Bouzas Maneiro to recover two service breaks and position herself to serve for a 5-5 tie.
However, a critical double fault gave the top-seeded player the opening set, and she dominated early in the second set by building a 5-0 lead.
Bouzas Maneiro managed to extend the match by holding serve and then breaking back to make it 5-2, but another double fault sealed Sabalenka’s straightforward advancement.
“That’s the most enjoyable part of the game that I can come to the net to play points there, it’s so much fun,” last year’s runner-up Sabalenka said.
“I’m so happy I was able to improve on that part of the game and bring it on court.”
