Baptiste outlasts Krejcikova after saving match points at Roland Garros

American Hailey Baptiste is gaining a reputation as one of the toughest players to put away on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz. Weeks after saving six match points to beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Madrid, Baptiste saved two match points to defeat former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova in the first round of this year's tournament.

Baptiste and Krejcikova went toe-to-toe through the opening two sets. There were no breaks of serve in the first set, with Baptiste earning the only break point before Krejcikova saved it. The American then held a set point in the tiebreak, but Krejcikova fought back to claim it 9-7.

In the second set, the Czech broke early to move ahead 2-0, but Baptiste battled back to level the set. Krejcikova saved two set points in the 12th game to force another tiebreak. She led 6-4 and earned two match points, but Baptiste responded by winning four straight points to force a deciding set.

With the momentum in her favor, Baptiste broke twice in the third set to race to a 4-0 lead and comfortably closed out a 6-7 (7), 7-6 (6), 6-2 victory in just under three hours.

The American, who reached the fourth round in Paris last year, has now won six main-draw matches at the French Open - tied for her most at any WTA event alongside Miami.

For Krejcikova, it was another early exit in Paris. Since winning the title in 2021, she has advanced beyond the first round only once in the past five editions of the tournament.