In a repeat of their encounter at last year's Indian Wells Open, Aliaksandra Sasnovich once again stunned Emma Raducanu, this time in the second round of the 2022 French Open. Relying on powerful offensive play, the world no. 47 secured a decisive victory over the British number one. Despite losing the opening set, Sasnovich stepped up her game and fought back to beat the 12th seed 3-6, 6-1, 6-1. Following two hours of intense competition, the Belarusian player proved to be the stronger force. Her reward is a tough third-round match against Angelique Kerber at Roland Garros.
Aliaksandra Sasnovich delivered a repeat of her upset win at the Indian Wells Open last year by beating Emma Raducanu in the second round of the 2022 French Open. World no.47 Sasnovich surprised the British no.1 player with her attacking power and secured a convincing win. Sasnovich, who was down a set, raised her levels up to make an excellent came back to take out the 12th seed 3-6, 6-1, 6-1. The Belarusian player outclassed Raducanu after battling it for two hours. Sasnovich will now face a stern test against Angelique Kerber in the third round at Roland Garros.
The French Open served as the final Grand Slam debut for Emma Raducanu. Although she appeared to be dominating the match during the first set, the young player struggled to react when Sasnovich began to seize control in the second. The disparity in their offensive output was evident, with Sasnovich recording 45 winners compared to Raducanu's 17.
Raducanu started the match feeling powerful, hitting the ball with freedom and ease. Her rhythm was spot on and her movement on the clay looked fluid, leading her to believe she would breeze past the Belarusian. However, the tide turned in the second and third sets as Sasnovich significantly raised her intensity, while Raducanu began to struggle with frequent unforced errors.
The Brit took early control, breaking her opponent in the fifth game of the first set and appearing far more composed. Raducanu utilized her reliable backhand to keep Sasnovich moving across the court, eventually securing a break with a brilliant forehand winner. She then closed out the set with a second break of serve.
The second set took a sharp turn when Raducanu opened with two double faults—her first of the match. Sasnovich capitalized immediately, securing a double break to jump to a 4-0 lead. The Belarusian was clinical, winning 89% of her first-serve points and striking 19 winners to Raducanu's four, all while keeping her own mistakes to a minimum to clinch the set.
During the final set, Raducanu's frustration became visible after hitting a backhand into the net, leading her to cover her face with her racket. Shortly after, the 19-year-old miscalculated a forehand, resulting in another break of serve. Sasnovich completely dominated the closing stages, leaving Raducanu unable to stop the barrage of winners.
In another highlight of the tournament, the rising star Leylah Fernandez cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Katerina Siniakova, the world's top-ranked doubles player, finishing the match in just over an hour. Fernandez will now move on to face Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic in the third round.