Paris [France], May 28 : Karolina Muchova knocked out a Top 10 player on Day one of the ongoing French Open 2023, as the Czech defeated No.8 seed Greece's Maria Sakkari 7-6(5), 7-5 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Muchova, currently ranked No.43, defeated Sakkari at the French Open for the second straight year, by a nearly identical scoreline. Muchova also upset Sakkari in the second round last year in two tiebreak sets, and she now leads their overall head-to-head 3-1.
Muchova will face a former Roland Garros semifinalist Nadia Podoroska of Argentina in the second round.
Elsewhere, Canada's Leylah Fernandez also knocked out No.21 Magda Linette of Poland 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in two hours and 11 minutes. Fernandez is in the same section of the draw as Muchova, where they could possibly meet in the Round of 16.
From 3-1 down, Fernandez won five straight games to take a one-set lead. Linette, an Australian Open semifinalist this year, surged through the second set, winning with a backhand winner.
In the third set, each player saved numerous break opportunities before Fernandez broke through with a forehand winner to take the lead 5-3. Fernandez double-faulted on her first match point, but she forced a long mistake on her second opportunity to seal the victory.
In the second round, Fernandez will face Danish qualifier Clara Tauson, a rematch of the 2019 Junior Australian Open final, which Tauson won. Tauson, who is coming off an injury-plagued 2022 season, defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2, 6-0 on Sunday.
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