Léolia Jeanjean and Hugo Gaston without shaking, Iga Swiatek and Medvedev at the rendezvous

The second round of the Roland-Garros tournament continues on this Ascension Thursday. After Diane Parry, the day before, Léolia Jeanjean and Hugo Gaston also won their ticket for the 16^es of final. Caroline Garcia, on the other hand, stops there.

Among the headliners, the Polish Iga Swiatek, world number one, and the Russian Daniil Medvedev, world number two, went without difficulty, while the qualification was a little more complicated for the Spaniard Paula Badosa, number three world.

Léolia Jeanjean during her match against Karolina Pliskova Thursday, May 26.

“I wanted to come back so as not to regret anything. I think I made the right choice.”. Frenchwoman Léolia Jeanjean, who only returned to high-level tennis at the end of 2020, playing on the secondary circuit, gave herself the right to continue dreaming.

Beneficiary of an invitation, she had dismissed, Monday, for her entry into the running in the Parisian competition, the Spaniard Nuria Parrizas-Diaz (45^e world). Thursday, she did not leave space for the Czech Karolina Pliskova, former world number one, now seeded number 8, beaten in straight sets (6-2, 6-2). “I don’t really realize what’s going on. I find it just amazingshe said after her victory. I’m already happy to be here and to be able to play. »

Léolia Jeanjean therefore continues her path in the Parisian competition, the first Grand Slam tournament that she is called upon to play, at 26 years old. A great comeback for the former great hope of French women’s tennis, whose career has gone through a few twists and turns. The one who, as a teenager, had been described as “ Mozart you tennis » par Tennis Magazinehad been the victim, in 2010, of an injury (triple dislocation of the left patella), which had stopped his trajectory.

Leaving for the United States for her studies, Léolia Jeanjean had however continued to practice tennis there at the university level. Returned to France, she settled in September 2020 in Toulouse where Kevin Blandy, physical trainer at the Toulouse Stadium, tennis section, who also trains Hugo Gaston, took care of her. So ranked at 1002^e world rank, it has since risen to 227^e place.

Paula Badosa during her match against Slovenian Kaja Juvan, Thursday May 26.

The Spanish Paula Badosa, who had swept the French Fiona Ferro in two sets, Tuesday, in the first round, had more difficulties against the Slovak Kaja Juvan. It took three hung sets (7-5, 3-6, 6-2) for the world number three to win her ticket for the third round.

“It was a very difficult match. I still need games here to feel a bit better, but I’m really happy with the fight I fought on the court.”explained the 24-year-old Spaniard, winner of Roland-Garros juniors and who went to the quarter-finals last year in the Parisian tournament.

The “walks” of the day

The Polish Iga Swiatek, world number one, made short work of the American Alison Riske (6-2,6-2). This is his 30th win in a row.

The day was also uneventful for the Norwegian Casper Ruud, who needed four sets on Tuesday to get rid of the future retiree of the courts Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, took place against the Finn Emil Ruusuvuori. The world number eight won in three sets (6-3, 6-4, 6-2).

Daniil Medvedev Thursday May 26 during his match against Serbian Laslo Djere.

Even lacking in rhythm when arriving at the Paris tournament (he underwent hernia surgery in April), the Russian Daniil Medvedev didn’t drag too much on the court either. The world number two dismissed in three sets (6-3, 6-4, 6-3) the Serbian Laslo Djere, author of numerous faults.

The American Madison Keys, world number 22, did not give up, or almost, against the Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia which she beat in two sets (6-4, 7-6).

And the grand prize of the public (of the day) is awarded to…

… Hugo Gaston, who feels a bit like home at Roland-Garros. For his fifth participation in the French Open – and even if between each edition he does not necessarily shine on the courts – he has once again demonstrated that he is one of the darlings, if not the darling of the Parisian public.

His game made the spectators of the Suzanne-Lenglen court stand up several times, all won over to his cause. And, after defeating the No. 19 seed, Australian Alex de Minaur, on Tuesday, after a match of four hours and five sets, he dominated in three sets the Argentinian Pedro Cachin, ranked at the 153^e rank at ATP (6-4, 6-2, 6-4).

Hugo Gaston Thursday May 26 during his match against Pablo Cachin.

The bad bounce of the day

You have to be wary of bad rebounds… Especially when it’s a racket! The Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu had a narrow escape on Thursday during her match against the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova: she came close to disqualification. At one point during the match, unhappy when she went to her chair, she threw her racket, which bounced on the ground into the audience. The player went unpunished, only receiving a warning for breaching the code of conduct (and eventually won 7-6, 6-3, 6-4).

Irina-Camelia Begu just bounced her racket into the crowd, supervisor has been called. https://t.co/EiIBNDAH2I

— damiankust (@Damian Kust)

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The Czech Karolina Pliskova is the sixth member of the women’s top 10 who will not see the third round Porte d’Auteuil, after the early eliminations of Maria Sakkari, 3^e and semi-finalist in Paris in 2021, Barbora Krejcikova (number 2 and defending champion), Anett Kontaveit (number 5), Ons Jabeur (number 6) and Garbine Muguruza (number 10).