Paris, May 31 (UNI) Daria Kasatkina has emerged from a battle of two gifted artists to deny former finalist Marketa Vondrousova in the second round at Roland-Garros.
In a captivating spectacle of shot-making on Court Suzanne-Lenglen the ninth seed punched her ticket 6-3, 6-4.
Vondrousova first stamped her Grand Slam credentials four years when unseeded she went on a tear in Paris before succumbing to Ashleigh Barty in the final.
Yet to pass the quarter-finals at a major since, she is back on the ascent with three of her nine top-10 wins coming this year alone.
While the Czech was sidelined due to wrist surgery during last year’s Roland-Garros, Kastakina went on a roll in Paris.
The ninth seed notched her maiden major semi-final and with points to defend this fortnight, the 26-year-old soon took control.
Despite falling behind an immediate break, Kasatkina knew she could not let the Czech lefty dictate and set about out- manoeuvring her opponent.
Both were masters at exploring every angle of the court and after almost an hour, it was Charleston semi-finalist Kasatkina who snuck the one-set advantage.
Brimming with confidence at 2-3, 30-all in the second set, she pulled off a crosscourt tweener passing shot, lifting the Court Suzanne-Lenglen crowd on her way to a 3-all hold.
The ninth seed barely blinked again, sealing a showdown with American Peyton Stearns after an hour and 44 minutes.
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