GREECE THE WHEELS

GREEK: Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the French Open third round with a straightset victory over Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena.

The Greek, runner-up at Roland Garros in 2021, won 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

“It’s a spiritual type of surface,” said Tsitsipas about playing on clay in Paris. “I’m attached to it because I played on that surface since I started playing tennis.”

Tsitsipas has never won a Grand Slam, having lost in the French Open and Australian Open finals.

He broke Carballes Baena twice in winning the first set and, although he broke twice again in the second, Carballes Baena responded immediately each time as four games in a row went against serve.

Tsitsipas took the tie-break, quickly went 4-0 up in the third and served out to complete victory in two hours 16 minutes.

Asked about the way clay courts are cleaned and watered between sets, he said: “Those rituals, I have seen them over and over again.

“It’s kind of ingrained in me and it’s part of my identity.

“It’s a cleansing of the soul. It’s just like a knife. You let the old pass and you start with the new.”

Garcia beaten by Blinkova

Home favourite Caroline Garcia became the highest-ranked women’s player to exit the French Open so far with a second-round loss to Anna Blinkova.

Fifth seed Garcia saved eight match points before succumbing to a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 defeat by the Russian.

It came after former champion Jelena Ostapenko suffered a shock defeat by tournament debutant Peyton Stearns.

But second seed Aryna Sabalenka avoided a scare with a straight-set win over qualifier Iryna Shymanovich. Australian Open champion Sabalenka beat fellow Belarusian Shymanovich 7-5, 6-2 and will face either Poland’s Magdalena Frech or Russian Kamilla Rakhimova next.

Garcia was the 16th seed to exit the women’s draw as the second round got under way on Wednesday.

Latvian 17th seed Ostapenko, the 2017 champion at Roland Garros, lost 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 to the American. Stearns, 21, is playing in her first overseas Grand Slam after making her major debut at last year’s US Open.

Her first-round victory over doubles world number one Katerina Siniakova was her first at a Grand Slam.

She will face ninth seed Daria Kasatkina next, after the Russian breezed past Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-4. Third seed Jessica Pegula advanced as Italy’s Camila Giorgi withdrew through injury after losing the first set 6-2.

American Pegula will next play Belgian 28th seed Elise Mertens, who defeated Colombia’s Camila Osorio 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).