World number two Aryna Sabalenka said beating former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova in the second round of the tune-up event in Stuttgart will boost her preparation for the Roland Garros Grand Slam.
Sabalenka defeated Krejcikova 6-2 6-3 in one hour and 15 minutes on Wednesday, becoming the first player to book her spot in the quarter-finals.
The Belarusian said the victory over the 2021 French Open winner handed her a confidence boost ahead of the May 28-June 11 major on the Parisian clay.
“It’s tough but an interesting challenge to play the first match against a Grand Slam champion,” Australian Open winner Sabalenka, who received a bye in the opening round, told reporters.
“It is something unique like you’re never going to play the first round against a Grand Slam champion in the bigger tournament. “I think it’s a good preparation before the bigger tournament.
You play only tough matches from the first round, so I think it’s a good tournament to play before going into the big tournaments.“
Sabalenka has never reached the second week at the French Open, bowing out in the third round at the last three editions, but the 24-year-old said earlier in the week the Parisian clay was not the problem.
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“I was just struggling with the Grand Slams before and it was more about me really wanting to win a Grand Slam and me getting really crazy on matches than something about the clay,” she said on Tuesday.
“Because clay is good there and it’s one of the best clay courts there. I really like the courts, and hopefully this year I’ll be able to do well.”
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