French Open: Osaka and Halep through in three

Naomi Osaka continued to live dangerously at the French Open but her hopes of a third successive Grand Slam title remain intact after a comeback win against Victoria Azarenka.

The 21-year-old lost the first set 6-0 against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in her match on Tuesday and was two points from defeat.

Things did not get quite so hairy against former world No.1 Azarenka in a high-quality match but the top seed was a set and a break down before recovering to win 4-6 7-5 6-3 on Thursday.

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Title holder Simona Halep also made life difficult for herself before beating Poland’s Magda Linette 6-4 5-7 6-3 to reach the third round.

Third seed Halep wasted three match points in the second set before clinching a ninth victory in a row at Roland Garros in two hours 11 minutes over her 87th-ranked opponent.

The Romanian revealed she is struggling with illness, saying: “I didn’t feel that great. I’m a little bit sick. I’m really happy I could fight until the end and win this difficult match.”

All heart ????@Simona_Halep hangs tough to hold off Linette 6-4 5-7 6-3.#RG19 pic.twitter.com/Rb3iK39Z7q

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2019

Halep and Osaka join Australian Ash Barty and Serena Williams in the next round.

Osaka, who said she had never been more nervous during a match than against Schmiedlova, again made a poor start, with Azarenka winning the first four games.

“The first set I got rolled,” she said.

“I made a little bit of a comeback in the end of the first set, but technically, she kind of killed me in the first set, and I just kept trying to find a way to stay positive and, like, jump around.”

Two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka has been getting closer to her best form having finally returned full-time to the tour last spring following a bruising custody battle over her toddler son.

She weathered an Osaka fightback to take the opening set, then opened up a 4-2 lead in the second. But Osaka dug her way back into the match before racing out to a 5-1 lead in the decider.

Azarenka put up more resistance at the end but ultimately Osaka was just too strong.

She will next face Katerina Siniakova hoping for a less problematic route into the fourth round for the first time.

Osaka remains in line for quarterfinal match up with Barty, who is on the verge of breaking into the top five after her 7-5 6-1 demolition of American Danielle Collins.

Williams, who is chasing a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title, easily dispatched Japan’s Kurumi Nara 6-3 6-2 to move into the third round where he will meet young American Sofia Kenin.

Williams has been struggling with a knee problem and this is the first tournament since the Australian Open in which she has completed two matches.

She was asked afterwards about a picture taken on the eve of the tournament at Disneyland showing Williams in a wheelchair.

Asked about it after the win over Nara, she said: “I’m not going to get into that. I’m playing, and all’s good.”

Elsewhere, American teenager Amanda Anisimova upset 11th seed Aryna Sabalenka as she did at the Australian Open, 6-4 6-2.