French Open 2023 results: Eighth seed Maria Sakkari beaten by Karolina Muchova, Jessica Pegula progresses

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Karolina Muchova and Maria Sakkari shingle hands astatine the net

Dates: 28 May-11 June Venue: Roland Garros, Paris
Coverage: Live substance and vigor commentaries of selected matches crossed BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, the BBC Sport website and app

Maria Sakkari became the archetypal top-10 effect to exit the French Open arsenic she fell successful consecutive sets to Karolina Muchova successful a battling encounter.

Czech Muchova defeated the Greek eighth effect 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 successful a first-round lucifer lasting much than 2 hours.

It is the 2nd successive twelvemonth that Sakkari - a erstwhile semi-finalist astatine Roland Garros - has been knocked retired of the clay-court Grand Slam by Muchova.

"It's a small spot of deja vu," satellite fig 43 Muchova said.

"It was a precise pugnacious match, she is simply a precise bully player. I'm gladsome we didn't play a [second] tie-break, I managed the nerves."

Muchova has beaten 5 top-10 players successful 16 Grand Slam tournaments, including past satellite fig 1 Ashleigh Barty astatine the 2021 Australian Open.

However she struggled with abdominal and ankle injuries successful 2022, which constricted her playing time.

"I don't privation to accidental I'm not focused connected different tournaments, but the information is bigger astatine each the 4 slams," Muchova, the satellite fig 43, told reporters.

"I'm trying to get backmost my ranking arsenic good due to the fact that I deliberation I could beryllium astatine slightest seeded astatine the Grand Slams."

Muchova volition look Argentina's Nadia Podoroska successful the 2nd circular successful Paris.

Pegula progresses connected archetypal time successful Paris

Third effect Jessica Pegula progressed to the 2nd circular with a scrappy 6-4 6-2 triumph implicit American compatriot Danielle Collins.

Pegula has yet to spell beyond the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam singles lawsuit but came retired connected apical against Collins successful a lucifer that had 9 breaks of serve.

She volition look Camila Giorgi next aft the Italian bushed location favourite Alize Cornet 6-3 6-4.

Pegula and Collins were the past lucifer connected Court Suzanne Lenglen, with Pegula saying it was "not easy" to hold for different matches to decorativeness earlier taking to the court.

"For immoderate crushed I felt similar I needed immoderate other clip truthful I took a nap - I was capable to consciousness beauteous bully earlier I came retired here," she said.

"It's ne'er easy, particularly waiting each time aft Karen [Khachanov] went 5 sets successful the archetypal lucifer and past determination were pugnacious matches to follow.

"Thanks to [Andrey] Rublev for not going to 5 due to the fact that that would person been truly tough."

Sunday's opening time of enactment besides brought decision for 21st effect Magda Linette arsenic the Pole was defeated 6-3 1-6 6-3 by Canada's 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez.

Poland could observe triumph elsewhere, however, arsenic Magdalena Frech stunned China's Zhang Shuai 6-1 6-1, portion Belgium's 28th effect Elise Mertens bushed Viktoria Hruncakova 6-1 6-4.

Chinese 19th effect Qinwen Zheng progressed with a 6-3 6-1 triumph implicit Tamara Zidansek.

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