Stosur advances to the third round of French Open
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From 3-5 down in the second set, Stosur turned the screws, forced a tie-breaker and raced through it for the loss of just one point to seal victory with a scorching forehand pass after one hour and 38 minutes.
It was an inspired performance under immense pressure from Stosur, who is trying to defend the swag of rankings points amassed for reaching the fourth round last year.
Defeat for Stosur – a day after fist-pumping her way into the doubles second round with Pavlyuchenkova – would have sent Australia’s only grand slam singles winner in the past 15 years spiralling out of the world’s top 100. But the 34-year-old rose to the occasion in hot and fizzing conditions that have proven so much to her liking since making her breakout run to the semi-finals for the first time a decade ago.
Stosur, who struck 27 winners and broke Pavlyuchenkova five times, is making no secret of her enduring love affair with Roland Garros.
‘‘The courts, they’re just so good,’’ Stosur said.
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