Top-seeded American Madison Keys rallied from one set and 5-0 down to beat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 4-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0) and reach the quarterfinals of the Strasbourg International on Wednesday. On the brink of defeat, Keys took plenty of risks and the strategy paid off as Lucic-Baroni failed to serve out the match.
”I was definitely thinking that I would be heading to Paris,” where the French Open starts on Sunday, Keys said. ”Mirjana was playing well and I wasn’t playing great, and I was just really happy that I was able to find it and figure it out.”
Keys was more cautious in the tiebreaker of the 2nd set and took advantage of her Croatian opponent’s mistakes to seal it.
Lucic-Baroni missed her chance to serve out the match for a third time at 5-4 in the deciding set and her game collapsed in the tiebreaker.
”For sure, my mental toughness was important.” Keys said. ”Even at 5-0 I was trying hard and putting in all of my effort. My game was there, it was just a couple of points here or there that hadn’t been going my way. It was a battle to the very, very end, and I’m very relieved with this victory.”
Key’s next opponent is Kristina Mladenovic, who advanced past Alison Riske 7-6 (4), 6-2.
Russia’s Elena Vesnina also advanced with a 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 win over fourth-seeded Alize Cornet, with Virginie Razzano waiting for her in the next round after upsetting former French Open winner Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-3.
James Ward went out in the 2nd round of French Open qualifying with a three-set defeat by Sweden’s Christian Lindell.
The British number 3 was two points from victory in the second set but lost 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.
Compatriot Liam Broady went down 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 to Moldova’s Radu Albot in round one.
In the women’s draw, Jo Konta and Naomi Broady both won their first-round matches.
Konta, the British number two, beat Serb Jovana Jaksic 6-0 6-3, before Broady saw off Cagla Buyukakcay of Turkey 6-1 7-6 (7-4).
They will play their second-round matches on Thursday, along with fellow Britons Brydan Klein and Kyle Edmund in the men’s draw.
Ward, 28, made it through qualifying to the main draw last year and was seeded eighth in qualifying this time, but he let a winning position slip on a rain-interrupted day in Paris.
The Londoner twice led by a break in the second set only to hand the advantage straight back, and then could not convert from 5-5 in the tie-break.
Lindell, ranked 94 places lower at 200, grew stronger in the decider as his opponent faded, sealing victory at 8pm local time.
Andy Murray, Aljaz Bedene and Heather Watson have all qualified directly, with the draw to take place on Friday.
Madison Keys beats Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, James Ward defeated by Christian Lindell
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