Andreeva avenges loss to Krueger, advances to Roland Garros third round

For the second straight match at Roland Garros, Mirra Andreeva shook off a slow start. The No. 6 seed came from 3-1 down in the first set Thursday to defeat Ashlyn Krueger 6-3, 6-4, advancing to the third round for the third time in as many appearances.

Roland Garros: Draws | Scores | 411

No. 35-ranked Krueger had scored a win over Andreeva on a Grand Slam stage before in their only previous meeting, upsetting her 6-1, 6-4 in the second round of last year's US Open. The 21-year-old American has continued to rise this year, reaching her first WTA 500 final in Abu Dhabi in February.

But Andreeva's improvement in 2025 has been even more spectacular. The 18-year-old has ascended into the Top 10 after winning her first two WTA 1000 titles, in Dubai and Indian Wells. Having overturned a 3-0 double-break deficit against Cristina Bucsa in her first round, Andreeva again demonstrated her ability to think her way back into a match against the powerful Krueger.

"This match wasn't easy," Andreeva said in her on-court interview. "I lost to her at the US Open, so I knew this match would be very tough. She's a very powerful and aggressive player, so I knew I had to play very good today. I just tried to do everything I can. I suffered a little bit with my serve, but I'm happy I found a way in the end and I stayed calm."

Last year's semifinalist Andreeva will next face No. 32 seed Yulia Putintseva as she bids to make the second week of a major for the fifth time in just nine main-draw appearances. Putintseva held off qualifier Joanna Garland 7-6(5), 6-3 over a hard-fought, closely-contested match that pitted the two-time quarterfinalist's clay-court wiles against the Chinese Taipei newcomer's power.

Putintseva held her first two set points at 5-3 in the first set, only for Garland to save both with clean winners and force a tiebreak, where she took a 4-1 lead. But Putintseva's signature drop shot aided her in taking six of the next seven points, then keeping her nose in front to take the second set as well.

Saturday's clash will be the first meeting between Andreeva and Putintseva. 

First-set comeback, second-set magic moments: Krueger barely put a foot wrong through the first five games of the match, keeping impeccable depth on her groundstrokes while keeping Andreeva at bay with controlled aggression.

But serving at 3-2, she threw in a loose service game -- three cheap unforced errors and a double fault -- and Andreeva needed no further encouragement. Quickly finding her range with her backhand and drop shot, the teenager rolled through six straight games from 3-1 down to lead by a break at 1-0 in the second set.

The opening half of the second set was scrappy as both players struggled with double faults -- Andreeva tallied six and Krueger four -- and four consecutive service breaks ensued. But Andreeva raised her level midway through to thrill Court Simonne-Mathieu with some delightful hot shots -- a defensive drop shot out of nowhere in the eighth game, then some spectacular defense finished by a running forehand on the baseline en route to breaking for 5-4.