French Open 2023: Jessica Pegula wins all-America battle in opposition to Danielle Collins, Daria Kasatkina by the use of to R2

By India Today Sports Desk: American tennis participant Jessica Pegula made a strong start on the French Open 2023, defeating compatriot Danielle Collins in straight models. Pegula, the No. 3 seed, overcame Collins, the 2022 Australian Open runner-up, with a 6-4, 6-2 victory inside the opening spherical.

The win models up Pegula for a second-round battle with Camila Giorgi of Italy. Pegula has been flying beneath the radar as compared with completely different favourites inside the match, nevertheless her fixed performances on the majors over the earlier yr have caught consideration.

She reached the quarter-finals lastly yr’s French Open and has made it to the quarter-finals in three out of 4 Grand Slam tournaments. Pegula has a severe chance to advance even further this yr, as her seeded quarter-final opponent, Maria Sakkari, was eradicated early inside the match. With a strong return recreation and powerful stats on clay, Pegula appears to be poised to make a deep run at Roland Garros.

“Playing Danielle first round, she’s not seeded this week but it’s really tough,” Pegula said on courtroom docket. “I know that she hasn’t been playing on clay, but I didn’t think that mattered. I still thought she played at a really high level. I had to stay focused today to get the win.”

Number 9 seed Daria Kasatkina closed out the opening day of the French Open 2023 with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Germany’s Jule Nieimeier. The 26-year-old Russian awaits the winner of Monday’s battle between former Marketa Vondrousova and American Alycia Parks inside the second spherical.

Kasatkina, who was the semifinalist closing yr, hit fewer winners than Niemeier, who reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2022. However, Kasatkina made fewer unforced errors (23) as compared with Niemeier (48). Kasatkina, competing within the an identical quarter as Aryna Sabalenka and Zheng Qinwen, capitalised on eight out of 12 break elements, securing a victory in straight models.

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