French Open: Victoria Azarenka thrashed in second round at Roland Garros
This month’s US Open finalist was beaten in straight sets on the Paris clay
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Your support makes all the difference.Victoria Azarenka's unhappy French Open campaign ended on Wednesday as the former world No1 was beaten 6-2 6-2 by Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the second round.
The Belarussian, who moaned about the cold and damp Paris conditions in her opening-round win, capitulated in feeble fashion against her 161st-ranked opponent.
Schmiedlova, who is playing with a protected ranking after undergoing knee surgery in 2019, has enjoyed a stunning return to form in Paris, having beaten Venus Williams in round one at Roland Garros.
That win over Williams ended a run of 12 consecutive first-round losses in Grand Slams and she backed that up with a commanding display against an error-prone Azarenka.
Tenth seed Azarenka, runner-up at the US Open this month, double-faulted to drop serve in the opening game when play finally started on Court Simonne-Mathieu after yet another rain delay. And it did not get much better for the 31-year-old.
Schmiedlova, 26, only experienced one real moment of alarm – at 1-1 in the second set – when she slipped and landed heavily on her left knee and required treatment.
But she showed no ill-effects as she moved into a 5-2 lead with a couple of breaks of serve.
Schmiedlova brought up match point with a forehand winner and sealed victory as Azarenka fired a 37th unforced error.
Earlier in the day, Serena Williams announced her withdrawal from the tournament
Reuters
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