NEW DELHI: Caroline Garcia, a favorite among the French crowd, battled her way into the second round at Roland Garros with a hard-fought victory over China's Wang Xiyu.
The match proved to be a tense affair, with Garcia prevailing 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-4 in Paris on Monday.
Although Garcia faced early difficulties, the weight of expectations as France hopes for its first Roland Garros singles champion since Mary Pierce in 2000, she relied on her experience to turn the tide in her favor.
She clinched the first set in a tie-break, displaying her prowess with a powerful ace and a fierce forehand down the line.
Wang, however, continued to exhibit her aggressive style of play and earned an early break in the second set, successfully maintaining her advantage to level the match.
In the decisive third set, with Wang serving to stay in the contest at 5-4, she succumbed to the pressure and made a crucial error by hitting a forehand long, ultimately ending her campaign in the tournament.
Garcia's hard-fought victory demonstrates her resilience and determination, setting the stage for her future matches as she aims to make a deep run in the tournament and fulfill the hopes of the home crowd.
"Being here means a lot to me," said Garcia.
"When I was coming here before I would see the fans cheering for the French but I was closing myself up and could not take the energy from the crowd," the WTA Finals champion, who also reached the semi-finals at the US Open last year," she added.
Garcia next faces Russian Anna Blinkova in the second round.
