World No 1 Simona Halep battled back after a disastrous opening set to beat Alison Riske 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 in their delayed French Open first-round match on Wednesday, while Petra Kvitova impressed in reaching the third round
Halep, the runner-up in Paris in 2014 and 2017, slumped 0-5 down in the opening set to world No 83 Riske whose only win at the tournament came in 2014.
The Romanian committed 16 unforced errors in the set but stepped up a gear from that point on to book a second-round match against Taylor Townsend of the United States.
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"It's always difficult in the first round of a grand slam, you are always nervous," Halep said.
"But I started to run more, played better and kept more balls in play."
The 26-year-old, who is still looking for a first grand slam title, will play for the second straight day today, after the match with Riske was pushed back from Tuesday due to rain.
"I think I'll be ready tomorrow, I feel strong in my legs," the top seed said.
"Anything can happen with the rain so all we can do is rest and try to be at our best when we step on the court."
Halep needs to reach the semi-finals or better if she is to retain the top ranking
Eighth seed Kvitova eased into the third round with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Spain's Lara Arruabarrena on Court 1.
The two-time Wimbledon champion has now won 13 consecutive matches on clay after claiming titles in Prague and Madrid, and will face Estonia's 25th seed Anett Kontaveit for a place in the last 16.
Czech Kvitova has not reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros since a run to the last four in 2012.
The 28-year-old raced through the opening set in only 24 minutes, and although she was pegged back after an early break in the second, a booming forehand sealed victory with a third straight game.
Ukrainian fourth seed Elina Svitolina reached the last 32 for the fourth consecutive year by brushing aside Viktoria Kuzmova in straight sets.
The 23-year-old, who arrived in Paris having won her second straight Italian Open title, saw off her Slovakian opponent 6-3, 6-4.
Svitolina, a two-time quarter-finalist at Roland Garros, will take on Romanian 31st seed Mihaela Buzarnescu in the last 32.
Elsewhere, charismatic Japanese 21st seed Naomi Osaka came through a tight match with Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas 6-4, 7-5.
The 20-year-old Osaka is seeded for the first time at a major tournament, having lifted the prestigious Indian Wells title earlier this year before beating Serena Williams in Miami the following week.
In one of the later matches, second seed Caroline Wozniacki cruised through her second round encounter with Spain's Georgina Garcia-Perez.
The 27-year-old Dane dropped just one game en route to a 6-1, 6-0 victory in just 54 minutes to progress to the last 32.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Emergency
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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
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If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
MATCH INFO
Leeds United 0
Brighton 1 (Maupay 17')
Man of the match: Ben White (Brighton)
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
SPECS
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
