Kanepi Heads to Round 2, Zopp Knocked Out in French Open
Kaia Kanepi, ranked 23rd in the WTA, moved on to the second round of the French Open on Tuesday, defeating Russia's Alexandra Panova, ranked 74th, with a final score of 6-3, 6-3.
In the second round, Kanepi will meet with either Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu, ranked 58th, or Aravane Rezai from France, ranked 130th.
“I wasn't feeling at the top of my game on the court today,” Postimees reported Kanepi as saying. “Sometimes it just happens. The court here seems much faster than, for instance, in Brussels. It feels more like a hard court. It was a bit uncomfortable. There were a few nice points and a few blunders, but the opponent had a strong serve as well.”
Meanwhile, in the men's tournament, Jürgen Zopp, ranked 105th, lost in the opening round against Frenchman Richard Gasquet, ranked 20th.
It was the first time that Estonia's top male player made it to the main tournament in Paris. Despite aggressive play by Zopp, Gasquet improved consistently with each set and won with a score of 3-6, 4-6, 6-7 (4-7).