Amanda Anisimova returns to motion, win first-round match in Paris

Amanda Anisimova needed some time to shake off the rust on Monday during her first-round match at the French Open.

It was nine weeks to the day that Anisimova last played a competitive match. But once the No. 6 seed found her form, she rolled to a 6-3, 6-1 victory over France’s Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah on a scorching hot day in Paris.

Anisimova had 24 winners and 24 unforced errors and needed just 69 minutes to complete the victory.

Anisimova’s hiatus was due to a left wrist injury that she described as “nothing too serious.” Her last action was at the Miami Open and on Monday, she was happy to be running around the court at Roland Garros.

“I tried to not really overthink anything,” Anisimova said. “I was super excited to be here, to be fit to play, honestly, and that was the only thing I really thought about is what a great opportunity. … I’m just super relieved that all is good and that I’m ready to play.”

Rakotomanga Rajaonah had 11 winners and 19 unforced errors in defeat.

Anisimova next plays Austria’s Julia Grabher, who registered a 6-2, 6-2 win over Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova.

No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan and No. 3 Iga Swiatek rolled to straight-set wins.

Rybakina had 27 winners and 27 unforced errors while beating Slovenia’s Veronika Erjavec 6-2, 6-2. Swiatek carded 17 winners and 16 unforced errors in a 6-1, 6-2 win over Australia’s Emerson Jones.

Swiatek would have preferred the temperatures weren’t in the low 90s, atypical weather for Paris in May.

She said the heat couldn’t be compared to when the Summer Olympics were held in Paris in late July and early August of 2024.

“It is much different,” Swiatek said. “Maybe it was that hot in the Olympics, but the balls were different, so I wouldn’t treat it as the same tournament.”

No. 7 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine lost the first set and had to win a third-set tiebreaker to land a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3) victory over Hungary’s Anna Bondar in two hours, 26 minutes.

Svitolina ended a two-match losing streak against Bondar and now leads the head-to-head competition, 3-2.

“When you are competing at your highest level, it’s all about the small details,” Svitolina said. “It’s physical freshness, it’s mental freshness and, you know, just being strong and collected in these moments.”

Czech 10th seed Karolina Muchova took care of Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova 7-5, 6-2. Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, seeded No. 13, notched a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.

Camila Osorio of Colombia upset No. 14 Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 6-4, and Switzerland’s Jil Teichmann knocked off Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova, the No. 20 seed, 6-4, 6-4.

No. 23 Elise Mertens of Belgium beat Germany’s Tatjana Maria 7-5, 6-0 and No. 28 Anastasia Potapova of Russia was a 6-1, 6-2 winner of Maya Joint of Australia.

Meanwhile, American Alycia Parks upset No. 24 seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada 6-4, 6-4, with a 26-10 edge in total winners. No. 25 seed Diana Shnaider of Russia had an easier time beating Mexico’s Renata Zarazua 6-4, 6-1.

No. 29 Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia posted a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Ella Seidel of Germany. Swiss qualifier Susan Bandecchi beat No. 31 Cristina Bucsa of Spain 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

In other first-round matches, Poland’s Maja Chwalinska defeated China’s Zheng Qinwen 6-4, 6-0; Eva Lys of Germany defeated Croatia’s Petra Marcinko 6-3, 6-0; and Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland rolled to a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Panna Udvardy of Hungary.

Daria Kasatkina of Australia defeated Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez 6-4, 6-4. Spain’s Kaitlin Quevedo beat France’s Leolia Jeanjean 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2), and Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan knocked off Talia Gibson of Australia, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Uzbekistan’s Kamilla Rakhimova outlasted Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, and Brit Katie Boulter outlasted American Akasha Urhobo 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

–Field Level Media