Mixed fortunes for Brit stars
BRITISH No1 Andy Murray overcame gusty conditions to book his place in the third round of the French Open, but compatriots Heather Watson and Elena Baltacha were blown away at Roland Garros.
Murray laboured at times in a 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 7-5 victory over Simone Bolelli, and while the Italian created no shortage of hazards, the Scot also had to do battle with the elements.
“The wind was swirling the whole time so sometimes you’d throw the ball up to serve and you’d feel like the wind was blowing in towards you, then it would change and the ball blows forward,” he said.
Watson, 19, who came through the qualifiers, proved unable to continue her fairytale run in Paris, losing 6-1, 6-3 to 16th seed Kaia Kanepi.
Baltacha, the top ranked British woman, fared marginally better against American Vania King but also waved goodbye to Paris with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 defeat.
In a huge shock second seed Kim Clijsters crashed out to unseeded 20-year-old Arantxa Rus, ending her hopes of winning a third successive grand slam. Rus, of Holland, won 11 of the last 12 games to seal the biggest win of her career. In the men’s draw, defending champion Rafael Nadal again looked shaky as he overcame fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar.