Marta Kostyuk, the 15th seed from Ukraine, and China’s 32nd-ranked Wang Xinyu were among the early winners as the French Open got under way under a blazing sun at Roland Garros on Sunday.Wang, China’s top-ranked player in Paris after Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen crashed out of the top 50 in the latest rankings, beat Austria’s Lilli Tagger 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in just over two hours.The 24-year-old from Guangdong will now face either Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch or Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo in the second round.Kostyuk made short work of Oksana Selekhmeteva with a 6-2, 6-3 win and said she was proud of how she remained focused even as the effects of the war in her country hit closer to home.The 23-year-old Rouen and Madrid champion extended her winning streak on clay this season to 12 matches but said the result was overshadowed by news of a missile strike near her parents’ home in Ukraine earlier on Sunday.Marta Kostyuk extended her winning streak on clay this season to 12 matches. Photo: AFP“I’m incredibly proud of myself today,” an emotional Kostyuk said during her on-court interview.
China’s Wang wins French Open opener as Ukraine’s Kostyuk keeps focus in Paris
China’s top-ranked player beats Austria’s Lilli Tagger while Ukrainian says her parents’ house was almost hit by a missile earlier in the day.
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