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The Times of India
The Times of India
Sport
TIMESOFINDIA.COM

French Open: Anna Blinkova overcomes Caroline Garcia's resilience to reach third round

Russian tennis player Anna Blinkova displayed immense determination as she battled through a marathon match against Caroline Garcia, ultimately securing her place in the third round of the French Open on Wednesday.

In a gripping encounter, Blinkova required nine match points to defeat the home favourite, with Garcia valiantly saving eight match points on Blinkova's serve in the deciding set. However, Blinkova emerged victorious with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 win.

Reflecting on her hard-fought victory, the 56th-ranked player in the world expressed her relief and satisfaction. "It was very, very hard. This victory is a very important thing for me," Blinkova remarked.

The triumph sets her up for a last-16 clash with Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, setting the stage for a rematch of the recent Strasbourg final won by Svitolina.

Remaining focused on the task at hand, Blinkova acknowledged the uniqueness of each match. "Every match is different. I need to stay concentrated match by match and day by day," she emphasised, recognizing the need to take each challenge as it comes.

It is worth noting that Svitolina's compatriot, Marta Kostyuk, received boos from the French crowd for refusing to shake hands with Belarusian player Aryna Sabalenka due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In a similar vein, Svitolina also declined to shake hands with Blinkova after their encounter in the Strasbourg final.

As Blinkova continues her journey at the French Open, she will undoubtedly draw upon her resilience and fighting spirit to face the upcoming challenges in pursuit of further success on the clay courts of Roland Garros.

(With inputs from AFP)

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