Jeanjean, revelation of the women’s draw, eliminates Pliskova

Leolia Jeanjean was a complete unknown when last Tuesday she beat Nuria Párrizas in the first round of Roland Garros. The Frenchwoman, 26th and 227th in the world, had never played against a top-100 rival and won the Spanish in two sets (6-4 and 6-3). This Thursday, she increased her stock price and her position in the ranking (up 79 positions, up to 148) after beating the eighth seed, Karolina Pliskova, by a double 6-2 in 75 minutes. “It seems that my level of play disturbs them,” he says. So far, in just two rounds, six top-10s have fallen: Krejcikova (2), Sakkari (4), Kontaveit (5), Jabeur (6), Pliskova (8) and Muguruza (10).

The local tennis player finished the work that her compatriot Andrianjafitrimo had tried to complete, who put the Czech, a semifinalist in the four Grand Slams and former number one, on the ropes, currently in low hours. The best virtues of Jeanjean are the leaves and its consistency. In this match he only committed 12 unforced errors. Serenity is an aspect that he has worked on a lot, which is why he says: “I’m quite surprised to stay calm, to be so focused. Normally I get angry easily. I try to hold my breath, not scream, because that would actually undermine my performance.”. Now another challenge awaits her, but she is in a cloud and it appears affordable, the Romanian Begu, who was able to with the Russian Alexandrova (6-7 (3), 6-3 and 6-4) after messing it up by shooting against her bench a racket, which bounced into the stands and almost hit a child. “I never imagined that I could go this far, but the fact is that I never gave up, I always believed in myself,” says Leolia.

Pegula, Kasatkina, Rybakina and Swiatek advance

Other favorites did not suffer the same fate as Pliskova. The American Jessica Pegula (11th) beat the Ukrainian Kalinina with some trouble (6-1, 5-7 and 6-4 in 2h26) and will face the Slovenian Zidansek in the third round, who passed through the resignation of the Egyptian Sherif. She also advanced the Russian Daria Kasatkina, by winning 6-0 and 6-3 in 56 minutes against the Mexican Contreras. She will meet an American: Rogers or Collins. The Kazakh Elena Rybakina got rid of the American Volynets with amazing ease, whom she won 6-4 and 6-0 in 67 minutes. Rybakina, who is the year’s leader in aces (150, two this Thursday), will run into another American on Saturday, Madison Keys, who defeated France’s Caroline Garcia (6-4, 7-6 (3)). Iga Swiatek, number one in the world, won her 30th consecutive victory by beating American Riske 6-0, 6-2, which he had already surpassed in his previous duels. The Polish added her 15th donut of the season (she is the leader in that section) and will face the Montenegrin Danka Kovinic.