Tennis News

Serena Williams’ march towards history turns to Paris, as the World No. 1 and defending champion looks to win her fourth French Open title and 22nd overall major title to tie Steffi Graf’s Open Era record.

With the tournament set to begin on Sunday, WTA Insider Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen and Web Editor David Kane analyze the top-heavy draw, which sees Serena surrounded by some big names in the top half of the draw, but contrary to popular opinion, her path to the title may not be as rough as people think. Out of the bottom half of the draw, can Garbiñe Muguruza and Simona Halep make good on their favorable draws? Or is this the year World No.2 Agnieszka Radwanska finally solves the terre battue?

You’ll also hear from the top seeds themselves as we take you inside the Roland Garros press room, as the likes of Serena Williams, Agnieszka Radwanska, Victoria Azarenka, Simona Halep, Garbiñe Muguruza, and Angelique Kerber give you some insight into their mindset as they head into the second major of the season. Who sounds confident? Who sounds unsure of themselves? We’ll let you be the judge.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on any podcast app of your choice and reviews are always helpful, so if you like what you’ve heard so far, leave us one. You can also get new episode alerts by following us on Twitter @WTA_Insider.

PARIS, France – Co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza are just five matches away from a Non-Calendar Year “Santina” Slam, and the top seeds opened with a statement first round win at the French Open, defeating Daria Kasatkina and Alexandra Panova, 7-6(4), 6-2.

Kasatkina was one half of the team who ended Santina’s 41-match winning streak at the Qatar Total Open, edging past the reigning Wimbledon, US Open, and Australian Open champions alongside Elena Vesnina in a match tie-break, but fresh off of their first career red clay court title at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Hingis and Mirza were all business to start, racing out to a 5-0 lead in the opening set.

The Russians clawed their way back to level and saved two set points in the 12th game to force a tie-break. On serve through the first six points, Santina broke away from there, winning four of the last five points to all but extinguish any hope of an upset.

Clinching victory in just over 90 minutes, Hingis and Mirza booked a second round meeting with either Karin Knapp and Mandy Minella, or Japanese duo Nao Hibino and Eri Hozumi.

A 35 ans Martina Hingis se fait plaisir sur le court associée en double à Samia Mirza ?? #RG16 pic.twitter.com/eTGyM1gBfI

— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) May 25, 2016

Later in the day, unseeded but looming 13-time Grand Slam champions Venus and Serena Williams played their second doubles match of the season, turning around a disappointing defeat in Rome to dispatch Jelena Ostapenko and Yulia Putintseva, 6-2, 6-2.

The last team to capture a Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam at the 2010 French Open, the Williamses were down an early break to start, but came through several tense games to ease past the fiery youngsters in just under 90 minutes. Drawn into the same section of the draw as No.2 seeds and defending champions Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova, the pair next play either No.14 seeds Irina-Camelia Begu and Monica Niculescu, or Vitalia Diatchenko and Galina Voskoboeva.

American Madison Brengle and Tatjana Maria earned the biggest upset thus far when they took out Spanish pair and No.13 seeds Anabel Medina Garrigues and Arantxa Parra Santonja, 6-2, 6-3. No.4 seeds Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova avoided a similar fate at the hands of sister act Anastasia and Arina Rodionova, recovering from a set down to win, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. No.9 seeds and Australian Open semifinalists Xu Yu-Fan and Zheng Saisai continued their solid season with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Han Xinyun and Varvara Lepchenko, while No.10 seeds Julia Goerges and Karolina Pliskova overcame an experienced team in Anna-Lena Groenefeld and former doubles No.1 Kveta Peschke, 6-4, 6-1.

Les sœurs Williams, sur le court numéro 2, remportent le premier set de leur premier tour de double, 6-2. #RG16 pic.twitter.com/lgyNEZuLhX

— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) May 25, 2016