Victoria Azarenka narrowly avoided becoming the first top seed to lose in the French Open first round on Monday as Roger Federer celebrated his 50th straight major with a record-equalling 233rd Grand Slam win. World number one Azarenka had to come from a set and 4-0 down to defeat Italian world number 105 Alberta Brianti 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-2 and will face German qualifier Dinah Pfizenmaier for a place in the last 32. But for much of her rollercoaster 2hr 16min battle with 32-year-old Brianti, who had never won a match in four previous main draw appearances at Roland Garros, Azarenka struggled. Brianti was on the verge of a 5-0 lead in the second set when Azarenka sent down a second serve ace to stay in contention, the point proving to be the significant moment in the tie. Australian Open champion Azarenka, who finished with 60 unforced errors, came into Roland Garros nursing a shoulder injury and it appeared that she was heading for a shock exit until she reeled off 12 of the last 14 games.
“I started well but my game just collapsed,” admitted 22-year-old Azarenka, twice a quarter-finalist in Paris. “I tried to stay concentrated. I don’t know how I got out of it.” Meanwhile, defending women’s champion Li Na of China advanced to the second round with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, a quarter-finalist in 2009. Federer, the 2009 champion and four times runner-up to Rafael Nadal, endured few problems getting past Germany’s Tomas Kamke, the world number 78, winning 6-2, 7-5, 6-3. His win, achieved on a sixth match point, also took him level with Jimmy Connors’ record for most Grand Slam match wins of 233. The 16-time Grand Slam title winner next faces either David Nalbandian of Argentina or Adrian Ungur of Romania. Federer, seeded three, is scheduled to meet world number one Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. Top seed Djokovic kicks off his bid for an historic Grand Slam later on Monday when he tackles Italian claycourter Potito Starace.
Quickfire Li Na into French Open second round
Chinese defending champion Li Na overpowered Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 6-1 on Monday to advance to the second round of the French Open, sustaining Asia’s hopes of another Grand Slam title. The 30-year-old, world number seven, took just 58 minutes to dispose of the 22-year-old Cirstea, ranked 43, with a display of superior cross-court ball striking. Li is bidding to become the first champion since Justin Henin in 2007 to defend the women’s singles title at Roland Garros. “I’ll just try my best,” Li said, when asked to rate her chances of a successful defence, adding that she worked hard on her footwork in the runup to the French Open. “It’s tough for me to stay at the same level all the time,” she said. The sight of a Chinese flag as she walked into centre court boosted her confidence before facing Cirstea.
