Elena Rybakina Eases Into Third Round Of French Open 2023 With Win Over Linda Noskova

Source: AP

Elena Rybakina's comfort on clay improved as she eased into the third round at the French Open by beating another Czech teenager on Thursday. The Wimbledon champion and No. 4 seed at Roland Garros beat 18-year-old Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-3 on Court Suzanne Lenglen. "I cannot say that here it’s easy for me. It’s still every match getting better and better,” Rybakina said on court. “It was a bit slippery for me today, I don’t know why." She ought to be feeling cosy on dirt after winning the Italian Open, but the 6-foot (1.8-meter) Kazakh is banking most of her confidence on her height advantage.

"This is my good weapon," she said, "but, at the same time, to move on clay it’s not easy. It’s always I need more to prepare and, of course, be more patient during the rallies."

The Australian Open runner-up hit 30 winners to Noskova's 16, though both players had 26 unforced errors. The Moscow-born Rybakina, who beat Brenda Fruhvirtova in the first round, will next face Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain. Teenager Mirra Andreeva's Grand Slam debut keeps getting better. The 16-year-old Russian beat Diane Parry of France 6-1, 6-2, to reach the third round and a possible matchup with Coco Gauff. Andreeva has dropped just six games through two rounds.

Rolling at @rolandgarros _

No.4 seed Elena Rybakina is into Round 3 for the third consecutive year, defeating Noskova 6-3, 6-3!pic.twitter.com/tLlZFbBOvP

— wta (@WTA) June 1, 2023

No. 20 Madison Keys committed a whopping 74 unforced errors in her 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 loss to fellow American player Kayla Day on Court Simonne Mathieu.

Day, who won the girls' title at the 2016 US Open, is ranked 138th and came through qualifying to make her Roland Garros main-draw debut. She beat French wild card Kristina Mladenovic in the first round.

Injuries and the coronavirus pandemic stalled Day's career, she explained. “I tore my quad. I fractured my foot. I tore both labrums in my hip. So it was just a lot of bad luck, one thing after another,” Day said. “Every time I tried coming back, it just felt like something else would happen.” Later, defending champion and No. 1 seed Iga Swiatek faces Claire Liu of the United States. Gauff — last year’s runner-up — takes on Julia Grabher of Austria.

On the men's side, two-time major finalist Casper Ruud, the No. 4 seed, advanced to the third round after beating Italian player Giulio Zeppieri 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. No. 18 Alex de Minaur of Australia lost to Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina 6-3, 7-6 (2), 6-3.