PARIS – Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva showcased her claycourt prowess by dismantling Ashlyn Krueger at the French Open, while fellow Americans Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Novak Djokovic—seeded second and third, respectively—also advanced to the third round despite Gauff facing some resistance from unseeded Czech Tereza Valentova.
Andreeva, a surprise Roland Garros semifinalist in 2024, confirmed her calibre on the sport’s slowest surface with runs to the Madrid and Rome quarter-finals this season, and she had to be at her inventive best to beat the powerful Krueger 6-3 6-4.
The 18-year-old sixth seed found herself an early break down on Court Simonne Mathieu but fought back to secure the first set, before mixing up her game with exquisite sliced forehands in the next to see off her American opponent.
“This match wasn’t easy, I’d lost to her at the US Open,” Andreeva said, reflecting on her second-round defeat by Krueger in New York last August.
“She’s a powerful and aggressive player. I knew I had to play well … I suffered and struggled with my serve, but I’m happy I found a way to stay calm.
“I pushed myself to fight until the end,”Andreeva added according to Reuters.
Pegula, Krueger’s frequent doubles partner this season and French Open third seed, had to battle hard against fellow American Ann Li but found her best level when it mattered to prevail 6-3 7-6(3) in windy conditions.
Second seed Coco Gauff moved into the third round by beating unseeded Czech Tereza Valentova 6-2 6-4 although the American did not have things all her own way.
Gauff came under threat from the 18-year-old Valentova’s powerful serve but found a way past her thanks to her relentless returning and powerful groundstrokes.
“She’s very young and I knew it would be a tough match,” 2022 runner-up Gauff said.
The 21-year-old took the opening set in 35 minutes but a string of service breaks, three in total, made the second a lot more competitive as her Czech opponent refused to go down quietly.
Gauff, a finalist in Madrid and Rome this year, will next take on Marie Bouzkova.
Elsewhere, Stefanos Tsitsipas appointed Goran Ivanisevic as his new coach, as the former world No 3 looks to resurrect his career after a string of disappointing results at the Grand Slams.
Former French Open finalist Tsitsipas suffered a second-round defeat by qualifier Matteo Gigante at Roland Garros, the 26-year-old Greek player making his earliest departure from Paris since 2018.
With two match wins in total in his last four Grand Slams, Tsitsipas has turned to the former coach of Novak Djokovic to turn his fortunes around.
“This exciting collaboration comes just in time for the 2025 grass court season, as the Greek star looks to elevate his performance on one of the most prestigious surfaces in the sport,” read a statement from the Iconico Talent Agency, which Tsitsipas posted on Instagram.
Ivanisevic helped Djokovic claim nine of his 24 Grand Slam titles before leaving his team in March last year and then had a short stint with Elena Rybakina this 2025 season.
