Elina Svitolina battled back from a set and a break down to beat Storm Hunter and reach the third round at the French Open on Wednesday, just 12 hours after her husband Gael Monfils’ late-night escape act. 

Svitolina defeats Hunter

Ukrainian Svitolina, playing at a Grand Slam event for the first time since the 2022 Australian Open, downed qualifier Hunter 2-6, 6-3, 6-1. Home favourite Monfils claimed his first win in nine months in a five-set first-round thriller against Sebastian Baez 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, 1-6, 7-5, which finished after midnight in the early hours of Wednesday morning.