2020 Strasbourg
In pictures: The story of Strasbourg 2020
From an iconic photo to honor the WTA's Original 9 to Elena Rybakina finding her groove and Elina Svitolina picking up her 15th title, all the best photos from the 2020 Internationaux de Strasbourg.
01
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To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Original 9 signing a $1 contract, Blinkova, Sabalenka, Pavlyuchenkova, Rybakina, Alexandrova, Bertens, Svitolina, Hibino, Cornet and Linette recreated their famous picture with a 2020 twist.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
02
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18-year-old qualifying wildcard Diane Parry showed off her rare one-handed backhand in her first match against Ellen Perez.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
03
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However, Perez came through 6-2, 6-3 over Parry, thus qualifying for her third WTA main draw of the year.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
04
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Greet Minnen also successfully came through qualifying, snapping a seven-match losing streak with a straight-sets defeat of Michaela Bayerlova.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
05
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Lexington finalist Jil Teichmann, twice a WTA titlist on clay in 2019, kicked off main draw action with a 6-2, 6-3 upset of No.6 seed Amanda Anisimova.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
06
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Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, whose most recent title came at Strasbourg 2018, saved two set points in the second set before overcoming Alison Van Uytvanck 6-3, 7-5 in the first round.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
07
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There was joy for 19-year-old wildcard Clara Burel as the former junior World No.1, who missed most of the 2019 season due to a wrist injury, captured her first WTA main draw win over Kateryna Bondarenko in three sets.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
08
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Fifth seed Elena Rybakina needed to save a set point in the first set against qualifier Greet Minnen, but successfully navigated her opening match 7-5, 6-4.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
09
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Alizé Cornet, the 2013 Strasbourg champion and 2012 runner-up, found her feet on home soil once again with a straight-sets first-round defeat of Polona Hercog.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
10
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Anna Blinkova was another first-round victor, needing only 57 minutes to power past lucky loser Myrtille Georges 6-1, 6-2.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
11
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Qualifier Christina McHale came through a tight opening set in a tiebreak over Zarina Diyas, then advanced to a sizeable 4-0 second-set lead, on the brink of her second straight win over the Kazakh.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
12
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However, Diyas roared back to claim a 6-7(4), 7-5, 7-6(3) marathon win over McHale in three hours and eight minutes, claiming Monday's Shot of the Day with a marvellous pickup at full stretch to reach her first match point.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
13
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For the second day in a row, an American seed suffered a first-round upset, with Nao Hibino dismissing No.8 Sloane Stephens - who is yet to beat a Top 100 player this year - in three sets.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
14
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Fourth seed Aryna Sabalenka got off to a brighter start, triumphing in straight sets over qualifier Ellen Perez.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
15
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The first round saw Bernarda Pera take a set lead over Katerina Siniakova, but swiftly fall behind 0-4 in the second set.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
16
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Siniakova would need six set points to close the second set out in a tiebreak, but once she had that under her belt dominated the decider to defeat Pera 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1 - her fourth win in as many pro meetings against the American.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
17
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Former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko was in fine form as she captured her first win of the Tour resumption over Lauren Davis in straight sets.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
18
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Second-round action began with Jil Teichmann edging through two tight sets over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-6(3), 7-5, coming from 3-5 down in the second, to reach her second quarterfinal of the year.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
19
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Second seed Elina Svitolina kicked off her campaign by a near-identical scoreline, saving a set point in the second act before defeating Magda Linette 7-6(0), 7-5.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
20
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Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova's loss meant that Alizé Cornet was the last former champion remaining, and the Frenchwoman fought to stay in Strasbourg, saving the first four match points she faced against Elena Rybakina.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
21
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Rybakina, though, had lost from a set and 5-2 up in Rome last week to Yulia Putintseva and was mindful to avoid the same fate, holding off Cornet 6-3, 7-6(8) by taking her fifth match point.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
22
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Like every other victor on Tuesday, qualifier Zhang Shuai had to mount a second-set comeback to wrap up victory in straights, saving two set points before quelling Clara Burel 6-3, 7-6(3) to seal her first quarterfinal since the Tour's resumption.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
23
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Nao Hibino was the first winner of Wednesday as she swept past Zarina Diyas in straight sets to reach her second WTA claycourt quarterfinal following Istanbul 2016.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
24
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Jelena Ostapenko initially suffered at the hands of Kiki Bertens as she dropped the opening frame.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Chryslène Caillaud
25
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The Latvian recovered superbly to lead by a break in the decisive set when the No.3 seed was forced to withdraw injured.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
26
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Katerina Siniakova lets out a roar as she moved into the quarterfinals at the expense of Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Chryslène Caillaud
27
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Aryna Sabalenka was all smiles after her victory over Anna Blinkova, but she was made to work hard for her success as she dropped the opening set.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
28
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Bidding for her first claycourt semifinal since winning Roland Garros in 2017, Jelena Ostapenko led 4-2 in the first set and 5-2 in the second against Nao Hibino.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
29
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However, Hibino battled back to win both sets in tiebreaks, and was overjoyed to defeat Ostapenko and reach her first WTA semifinal on clay, and seventh overall.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
30
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Elena Rybakina was her habitually impassive self as she dismissed Zhang Shuai in straight sets - a reprise of January's Hobart final - to reach her first semifinal since the Tour's resumption.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
31
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Elina Svitolina also reached her first semifinal since returning to action post-shutdown, moving past Jil Teichmann in straight sets.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
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Elena Rybakina was the first player into the final, overcoming Nao Hibino, 6-3, 6-4.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Chryslène Caillaud
33
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The No.5 seed took just 87 minutes to book her place in a fifth final from her last 10 tournaments.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Chryslène Caillaud
34
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Aryna Sabalenka had a busy day. After coming from a set down to beat Katerina Siniakova, she was unable to repeat the trick against No.2 seed Elina Svitolina.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Chryslène Caillaud
35
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In a three-set final, delayed by rain for two hours early on Saturday, Elina Svitolina captured her second title of 2020 with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 victory.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
36
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Svitolina extended her impressive record in finals, which now stands at 15-3, while Rybakina fell to 2-5, albeit the last three losses all coming to Top 10 players and all seven of the Kazakh's finals coming in the past 15 months.
Photo by Internationaux de Strasbourg/Michel Grasso/C'est qui Maurice?
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