French Open: Karolina Pliskova advances to 2nd round

Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova returns the ball to Egypt's Mayar Sherif during their women's singles first round tennis match on Day 3 of The Roland Garros 2020 French Open tennis tournament in Paris on September 29, 2020. Credit: AFP Photo

Second-seeded Karolina Pliskova advanced to the second round of the French Open by beating Mayar Sherif 6-7 (9), 6-2, 6-4.

Sherif was the first Egyptian player to qualify for the main draw at Roland Garros. She saved five break points in the seventh game of the third set. Pliskova finally broke and then held to love for a 5-3 lead on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Pliskova clinched victory with an ace on her first match point.

The former top-ranked player reached the semifinals at Roland Garros in 2017 and next faces Jelena Ostapenko. The big-hitting Latvian player won the French Open that year.

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