PARIS (Reuters) – Twice Grand Slam champion Viktoria Azarenka slumped out of the French Open after Swiss 23rd seed Jil Teichmann battled from a set down to win 4-6 7-5 7-6(5) and secure a spot in the fourth round on Friday.
The Belarusian 32-year-old former world number one, seeded 15th in Paris, powered from 3-0 down at the start of the first set and then again from 4-3 behind to win the next three straight games to secure the opening set.
Azarenka looked to be cruising to a comfortable victory when she broke Teichmann to go 4-2 up in the second with her powerful baseline play and continuous drop shots dictating the game.
But in a reversal of the opening set, it was the 24-year-old Swiss left-hander’s turn to battle back, mixing it up and clinching five of the next six games to force a decider.
Teichmann kept up the pressure and, after the pair traded two breaks each, won the tiebreak following more than three hours to reach a Grand Slam fourth round for the first time.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ken Ferris)
