Former champions experienced contrasting outcomes at the Internationaux de Strasbourg on Monday. No.5 seed Liudmila Samsonova defeated 2021 winner Barbora Krejcikova 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-4 in a marathon match lasting exactly three hours. Defending champion and No.7 seed Elina Svitolina, meanwhile, overcame Diane Parry with a 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Samsonova now leads their head-to-head 3-1, surviving numerous twists in their first three-set encounter. She initially dominated, taking a 6-2, 5-2 lead. However, as errors crept in, Krejcikova saved a match point and led 3-1 in the third set. Ultimately, Samsonova won five of the last six games despite committing 51 unforced errors. Krejcikova’s 59 unforced errors, including 16 double faults, overshadowed her 10 winners. Battling illness and injury in 2024, Krejcikova is on a four-match losing streak. Samsonova advances to face Leylah Fernandez.

Svitolina, leading 4-2 when the match was suspended overnight due to darkness, efficiently closed out against Parry. She will face Clara Burel in the second round, a rematch of their 2023 semifinal thriller.

From the editorial board of WSB