Karolína Plísková also failed to win a Grand Slam tournament on her 38th attempt. The number eight in the world surprisingly lost in the second round of Roland Garros on Thursday against Léolia Jeanjean, the global number 227.
Jeanjean received a wild card from the Roland Garros organization, which means that the 26-year-old Frenchwoman makes her Grand Slam debut in her own country. Against Plísková there was nothing to see of the difference in experience at the highest level. Jeanjean won in fifteen minutes: 6-2 and 6-2.
Plísková played very sloppy on the Court Simonne-Mathieu. The thirty-year-old Czech recorded 28 unnecessary mistakes, compared to only twelve for her opponent.
For Plísková, another Roland Garros campaign comes to an early end. The former number one in the world reached the semifinals in Paris in 2017, but did not progress beyond the third round in her other ten entries.
The sixteen-time tournament winner on the WTA Tour is considered one of the best active tennis players without a Grand Slam title. Plísková was twice a losing finalist in a major: in 2016 at the US Open and last year at Wimbledon.
In recent years, Jeanjean has especially impressed in the university tennis in the United States. She will play in the third round of Roland Garros against the thirtieth seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova from Russia or the Romanian Irina Begu.
Léolia Jeanjean is making a dream debut at Roland Garros for the time being.
Léolia Jeanjean is making a dream debut at Roland Garros for the time being. Photo: Reuters
Badosa and Pegula prevent shutdown
Paula Badosa and Jessica Pegula managed to avoid elimination in the second round, albeit with a lot of effort.
Third seed Badosa, quarterfinalist in Paris last year, dealt with Slovenian Kaja Juvan (WTA-68) in three sets: 7-5, 3-6 and 6-2. In her next match, the Spanish will meet the Russian Veronika Kudermetova (WTA-29), who was too strong for Aleksandra Krunic: 6-3 and 6-3.
Pegula, ranked eleventh, just like Badosa, needed more than two hours to reach the third round. The 28-year-old American defeated Anhelina Kalinina from Ukraine (WTA-36): 6-1, 5-7 and 6-4.