Kenin gains momentum as she reaches French Open third round

PARIS: Last year's runner-up Sofia Kenin eased into the third round of the French Open with a 7-5 6-3 victory over fellow American Hailey Baptiste on Thursday as her claycourt form continued to improve.

The fourth seed, who has been struggling this season, notably losing all of her three matches on clay before Roland Garros, will next face another American, 28th seed Jessica Pegula.

Kenin made 18 unforced errors in an unconvincing first-set display but broke decisively in the 11th game with her sixth consecutive point as she bagged seven games in a row to open up a 4-0 lead in the second.

The 2020 Australian Open champion, however, suffered a dip in concentration and allowed her opponent to win three consecutive games before regaining her composure to wrap it up in straight sets on Court 14, having made only four unforced errors in the second set.

Kenin has had a rough year, and her victory marked only the third time in 2021, and the first time since the Yarra Valley Classic in February, that she has won consecutive matches.

Earlier this month, she announced that she was parting ways with her father as a coach to put together a 'new technical team'.