Page 46 - MIN VOS - MAY 28,2015
P. 46
SPORTS A21
Thursday 28 May 2015
Last year’s runner-up Halep exits French Open
of weeks.” “Fortunately I played a lot
Sharapova’s main focus at of tennis in the previous
the moment is to fully re- two tournaments and this
cover from her cold after is not a stage where you’re
winning the Italian Open. trying to fix things or work
“For me right now it’s really on things. It’s really about
about recovery and just maintenance and recov-
being healthy for the next ery and getting ready for
round,” said Sharapova, the next match,” she said.
who is bidding to become Among other seeded
the first player to retain her women to advance were
title in Paris since Justine No. 11 Angelique Kerber,
Henin in 2007. She also won No. 13 Lucie Safarova and
in 2012. No. 20 Sabine Lisicki.q
Romania’s Simona Halep looses her balance in the second round match of the French Open
tennis tournament against Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni at the Roland Garros stadium, in Paris,
France, Wednesday, May 27, 2015. Lucic-Baroni won in two sets 7-5, 6-1.
Associated Press
SAMUEL PETREQUIN pion Maria Sharapova boasting a 14-2 career re-
AP Sports Writer limited her mistakes to just cord against the Australian
PARIS (AP) — Simona Halep eight unforced errors as veteran.
became the highest seed- she beat Russian Fed Cup “Playing Maria is always a
ed player to exit the French teammate Vitalia Diatch- big challenge for me,” Sto-
Open so far as last year’s enko 6-3, 6-1. sur said. “No matter what
runner-up lost 7-5, 6-1 to She will now get an early surface it’s on, I don’t have
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the test in her bid for a third a very good record at all.”
second round on Wednes- French Open title, having But Stosur can take con-
day. set up a third-round match fidence from their previ-
The third-seeded Halep, against 2010 French Open ous match on the Parisian
who reached her first ma- finalist Samantha Stosur. clay in the fourth round last
jor final at Roland Garros The Australian swept to a year, when she led 6-3, 4-3
in 2014, struggled from the 6-0, 6-1 victory over French before Sharapova won the
start on Court Suzanne Len- wild card entry Amandine next nine games.
glen and was overpow- Hesse. “It’s one of those matches
ered in the second set, The rout extended Stosur’s that’s a tough matchup,
slumping to her second winning streak to seven but I know I’ve got the
straight defeat against her matches after she arrived game that can trouble her,
70th-ranked opponent. The in Paris on the back of her and hopefully I can do it
Croatian had also beaten first title this year in Stras- well and we will see what
Halep at the U.S Open last bourg. happens,” Stosur said.
year. In men’s play, second- After reuniting last month
“It was difficult because I seeded Roger Federer with former coach David
didn’t feel the game,” Ha- made light work of Marcel Taylor, Stosur is hitting form
lep said. “I don’t have a Granollers, winning 6-2, 7-6 at the right time. Before
good feeling of my game, (1), 6-3, while 2014 Aus- Strasbourg, where the 2011
and that’s why I couldn’t tralian Open winner Stan U.S. Open champion won
change something.” Wawrinka reached the a seventh career title, Sto-
Lucic-Baroni hit an ace on third round with a 6-3, 6-4, sur had won back-to-back
match point and raised 5-7, 6-3 defeat of Dusan La- matches just once in 10
both arms in delight. She jovic. No. 5 Kei Nishikori, No. tournaments.
finished with 29 winners, 12 Giilles Simon and 14th- She said her good spell of
compared to five for Ha- seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga form is mainly due to her
lep. advanced in straight sets. renewed partnership with
“It’s incredible, she’s just a Gael Monfils was given a Taylor.
great champion and I re- hard time on center court “I think going back with
spect her so much,” Lucic- by Diego Schwartzman be- Dave, that’s given me
Baroni said. “It’s such a fore rallying past the 62nd- confidence,” Stosur said.
huge win.” ranked Argentine 4-6, 6-4, “That’s probably a con-
Up next for the Croatian is 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. tribution, and then play-
local favorite Alize Cornet. The 26th-seeded Stosur ing on a surface that I feel
“I wish at least three peo- has not beaten Sharapo- good on. Been able to get
ple will cheer for me in that va since a match on hard over a couple of injuries
match,” Lucic-Baroni said. court in Tokyo three years again. It all I guess makes
Earlier, defending cham- ago, with Sharapova for a better kind of couple
