Press releases

1 Jun 2023

Sabalenka moves to Roland Garros third round

An archive photo

MINSK, 1 June (BelTA) – Belarus’ world number 2 Aryna Sabalenka overcame a spirited effort by world number 214 Iryna Shymanovich of Belarus in the second round of Roland Garros to prevail 7-5, 6-2, BelTA has learned.

In the opener Aryna Sabalenka saw off Ukraine’s world number 39 Marta Kostyuk, 6-3, 6-2. Iryna Shymanovich had to go through the qualifying to reach the main draw and defeated Hungary’s world number 97 Panna Udvardy, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-1, in the first round.

Sabalenka will try to make the Round of 16 of the clay-court major for the first time when she next faces Russia’s world number 82 Kamilla Rakhimova on Friday. The Russian beat world number 88 Magdalena Frech of Poland, 6-3, 6-4, on Wednesday.

Belarusian world number 18 Victoria Azarenka lost to World No.42 Bianca Andreescu of Canada, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, in the first round of the French Open, while Belarus’ world number 51 Aliaksandra Sasnovich lost to world number 127 Clara Tauson of Denmark, 2-6, 0-6.

In the women’s doubles opener Victoria Azarenka paired with Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia defeated Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi and Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova, 6-0, 6-1.