Marta Kostyuk and Wang Xinyu Advance at French Open
Quick Look
- Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine and China's Wang Xinyu secured early victories at the French Open on Sunday.
- Kostyuk advanced despite news of a missile strike near her parents' home, while Wang defeated Austria's Lilli Tagger.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The French Open tennis tournament has begun at Roland Garros. Ukrainian player Marta Kostyuk and Chinese player Wang Xinyu were among the early winners.
Marta Kostyuk, the 15th seed from Ukraine, and China’s 32nd-ranked Wang Xinyu were among the early winners as the French Open got under way under a blazing sun at Roland Garros on Sunday.
Wang, China’s top-ranked player in Paris after Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen crashed out of the top 50 in the latest rankings, beat Austria’s Lilli Tagger 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in just over two hours.
The 24-year-old from Guangdong will now face either Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch or Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo in the second round.
Another Chinese player, qualifier Wang Xiyu, defeated Danka Kovinic of Montenegro 6-3, 6-1, and will now play either 26th-seed American Hailey Baptiste or Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic.
Kostyuk made short work of Oksana Selekhmeteva with a 6-2, 6-3 win and said she was proud of how she remained focused even as the effects of the war in her country hit closer to home.
The 23-year-old Rouen and Madrid champion extended her winning streak on clay this season to 12 matches but said the result was overshadowed by news of a missile strike near her parents’ home in Ukraine earlier on Sunday.
Open Questions
- What is the current status of the missile strike near Kostyuk's parents' home?
- What are the specific implications of the war on other Ukrainian athletes?
- What are the projected outcomes for the mentioned players in subsequent rounds?
