\u201cHonestly, hard to describe, I\u2019m super-happy,\u201d said the world No 55 Starodubtseva after beating a top-10 opponent for the first time.<\/p>\n
Jones, who on Sunday had completed a brilliant comeback<\/a> to win a grand slam main-draw match for the first time, defeating the former top-10 player Beatriz Haddad Maia in three sets. Jones had similarly started incredibly slowly, trailing 1-6, 0-2 before recovering to win. Here, she found herself in an even worse position. Bouzkova is tough to break down, one of the most durable and consistent players on the tour. She is, as some say, a gatekeeper: no matter the surface, opponent or conditions, if you do not perform at a high level against Bouzkova, you will lose.<\/p>\n For the better part of an hour, the 25-year-old Jones fell far short of the standard required. Still, she maintained her fiery, resolute attitude, and rapidly began to reel off games. Her most distinctive weapon is her heavy topspin forehand, which is even more challenging to deal with in such hot, high-bouncing conditions.<\/p>\n Her forehand was the dominant shot on the court for a while, allowing her to reel off four games in a row. \u201cI think I\u2019m always going to make opponents feel uncomfortable,\u201d Jones said. \u201cI don\u2019t care what the score is. I will throw everything at you. I will throw every ounce of my mentality I\u2019ve got at you, physically what I can.\u201d<\/p>\n She had her chances, serving at 5-4 and 6-5 to take it to a third set before leading 3-1 in the tie-break. However, not once did Bouzkova show a hint of negativity.<\/p>\n Fran Jones recovered well in the second set but could not stop Marie Bouzkova. Photograph: Dan Istitene\/Getty Images<\/p>\n She forced her opponent \u2013 Jones is ranked outside the world\u2019s top 100, Bouzkova inside the top 30 \u2013 to work for every point and soon emerged with the victory.<\/p>\n Jones holds herself to incredibly high standards. \u201cObviously it\u2019s great to get one match, but I\u2019m not here to get one match,\u201d she said. \u201cAs much as I might look like I\u2019m taking it well, I\u2019m pretty peed off.\u201d<\/p>\n She leaves Roland Garros having taken a step forward with her win over Haddad Maia. Navigating the tennis circuit with what she describes as her \u201cunique selling point\u201d, the rare genetic condition ectrodactyly ectodermal dysplasia that means she has only seven digits between her two hands<\/a>, is a remarkable achievement in itself but her various difficulties this year have not necessarily even related to the condition.<\/p>\n Quick GuideRoundup: Korpatsch to face Svitolina after heated contestShow Tamara Korpatsch snubbed a handshake with Wang Xinyu after beating the 32nd seed in a match where tensions flared over a line call. Late in the opening set, Wang\u00a0struck a shot she believed had landed inside the baseline, only for her opponent to point to a ball mark outside the court.<\/p>\n The argument escalated when Wang crossed the net to inspect the mark on Korpatsch\u2019s side, drawing a code violation from the chair umpire for unsporting conduct. ‘I can\u2019t say I\u2019ll gift her the point,’ Korpatsch said after her 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win. ‘I\u2019m a bit surprised, because we have a good relationship, we\u2019re not enemies.’<\/p>\n ‘I didn\u2019t offer her my hand because that\u2019s not fair for me,’ the German concluded. ‘She was unfair to come on my side, and I\u2019m not an unfair player.’ Korpatsch [pictured, right] will next face Elina Svitolina, who eased past Spain’s Kaitlin Quevedo 6-0, 6-4. <\/p>\n Elsewhere, Iga Swiatek breezed to a 6-2, 6-3 win over Czech player Sara Bejlek. The five-times former champion will face Polish compatriot Magda Linette in the third round, after she defeated Jelena Ostapenko in three sets. The No 8 seed, Maria Andreeva, rallied for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory over Marina Bassols Ribera.<\/p>\n Argentina\u2019s Solana Sierra engineered a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 upset of former finalist Jasmine Paolini, who struggled with a foot injury.\u00a0Hailey Baptiste retired during her first set against Wang Xiyu after injuring her left leg in a fall. Marta Kostyk of Ukraine overcame a slow start to beat Katie Volynets 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3. Agencies<\/p>\n Photograph: Ella Ling\/Shutterstock Editorial<\/p>\n Thank you for your feedback.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3339.jpg\")
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