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Origin I LIVE from 9pm tonightSabalenka races into French Open second round
Reuters • May 27th, 2026 12:15 am
Aryna Sabalenka has advanced to the second round of the French Open, beating Jessica Bouzas Maneiro | Photo: AP
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has breezed through her opening round at the French Open, brushing aside Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4 6-2.
Sabalenka raced to a 4-0 lead on a sun-kissed Court Philippe Chatrier on Tuesday before unforced errors crept into her game, which allowed her opponent to pull two breaks back and serve for 5-5.
A double fault, however, handed the top-seeded Belarusian the first set and she opened up a 5-0 advantage in the second.
Sabalenka was on-song in warm conditions in Paris, winning in 75 minutes | Photo: AP
Bouzas Maneiro got to survive another couple of games when she held and then broke for 5-2 but a double fault gave Sabalenka a routine win in 75 minutes.
"That's the most enjoyable part of the game that I can come to the net to play points there, it's so much fun," last year's runner-up Sabalenka said.
"I'm so happy I was able to improve on that part of the game and bring it on court."
Sabalenka will next play the winner out of Czech qualifier Linda Fruhvirtova and France's Elsa Jacquemot.
