Samantha Stosur has some welcome company in the second round of the French Open after Jarmila Gajdosova blasted past former compatriot Magdalena Rybarikova.
The forgotten girl of Australian tennis was thumping Rybarikova 6-3 4-1 when the Slovak called it quits complaining of an injured back.
Gajdosova’s victory booked a date on Thursday with fallen former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki.
Gajdosova has slumped from a career-high No.25 in the world this time last year to 72nd in the standings after winning only eight of her previous matches in 2012.
But she was a class above her 112th-ranked rival on Tuesday, overpowering Rybarikova with her baseline brute.
Gajdosova bludgeoned a series of booming forehand winners to break Rybarikova in the sixth game before taking the opening set and was a double break up in the second when the Slovak packed it in.
Earlier on day three, Australian teenager Ashleigh Barty’s maiden campaign in Paris ended in a 6-1 6-2 first-round defeat at the hands of Czech fourth seed Petra Kvitova.
Playing the reigning Wimbledon champion on Court Suzanne Lenglen was always going to be a tall order for the youngest player in either of the singles draws for the claycourt grand slam.
And it was all over in 54 minutes as Kvitova capitalised on Barty’s obvious butterflies.
“You’re always going to feel a little bit nervous going out,” Barty said.
“Experience is the biggest thing I got out of it … I didn’t play my best tennis, but she didn’t allow me to.
“But it was definitely enjoyable. I’m out there playing on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
“It’s an amazing court and hopefully I can come back in the years to come and play out there again and maybe get a win next time.”
Stosur resumes her title quest on Wednesday (7pm AEST) after a two-day wait, the sixth seed taking on American Irina Falconi.
The US Open champion is confident of progressing after conceding just three games to Falconi in their only previous encounter two months ago at Indian Wells.
Stosur only has singles to worry about now after her and German partner Julia Goerges lost their first-round doubles match on Tuesday 6-4 6-2 to Russian sixth seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina.