Kristina Mladenovic overcame 16 double faults to stun defending champion Garbine Muguruza in the fourth round of the French Open here yesterday
Spain’s Garbine Muguruza serves against France’s Kristina Mladenovic. Pics/AFP
Kristina Mladenovic overcame 16 double faults to stun defending champion Garbine Muguruza in the fourth round of the French Open here yesterday.
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This was the biggest match of the women’s tournament so far - 2016 winner against great French hope.
Mladenovic has been one of the form players of the year and arrived in Paris high on the list of favourites, despite only having reached the quarter-finals of a Gand Slam once. She can now make that twice after a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win over Muguruza that was not short on drama.
Kristina Mladenovic
Bacsinszky downs Venus
Meanwhile, Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky qualified for her third successive French Open quarter-final with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 win over 2002 runner-up Venus Williams. The 30th seed will take on Mladenovic for a place in the semi-finals.
Ostapenko ousts Stosur
Earlier, Latvian teenager Jelena Ostapenko reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over 2010 runner-up Samantha Stosur.
Sania advances
Sania Mirza stormed into the quarter-finals of mixed doubles as she and her partner Ivan Dodig of Croatia notched up a commanding 6-2, 6-4 win Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) and Artem Sitak (New Zealand) in a second round match.