PARIS :Former French Open runner-up Sofia Kenin showed her fighting qualities to beat unseeded Belarusian Victoria Azarenka 7-6(5) 6-4 in an intriguing meeting between Grand Slam champions on Thursday and moved into the Roland Garros third round.
The American 31st seed, who reached the Paris final in 2020 and fell to Iga Swiatek, rallied from 5-2 down in the first set against fellow former Australian Open champion Azarenka and won a tight tiebreak to gain the upper hand in the clash.
Kenin, who has climbed back up the world rankings to number 30 after plummeting to 235 in 2023 due to injuries, illness and off-court issues, went toe-to-toe with Azarenka again in the next set as another tiebreak seemed inevitable.
The American secured the crucial break in the 10th game, however, and wrapped up the match to book an encounter with her compatriot and reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys after the seventh seed beat Katie Boulter 6-1 6-3.
