Paris: Ashleigh Barty has survived a bumpy ride to book her spot in the French Open second round.
The eighth seed beat American Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-3 to make it three from three for Australians, after Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin's earlier victories on the Paris clay.
Samantha Stosur followed suit later in the day, beating Czech Barbora Strycova in a tiebreak to win 6-2, 7-6. The 35-year-old veteran – attempting to reach the third round at Roland Garros for the 11th straight year – will now play Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.
It was far from conventional from Barty, the top-ranked Australian though, who let handy leads slip in both sets, before recovering in time to claim the scrappy win in exactly an hour.
Advertisement
Barty led 4-0 in the first set before being broken twice by the free-swinging world No.72.
Loading
Order looked to be restored when the Australian broke again to claim the set and move ahead 2-0 in the second stanza.
But again she wandered from the path, Pegula breaking back and suddenly finding herself 0-40 on Barty's serve and ahead 3-2.
The Miami Open champion flicked the switch at that point though, salvaging a hold of serve and powering to victory without conceding another game.
The win takes her to 25-5 this season, having skipped last week's Strasbourg International to manage an arm injury she says should not impact her performance in Paris.
"A little bit scratchy, but solid enough when I needed it," Barty summed up afterwards.
"There were moments in the match when it was tighter, but I was able to be really solid again and do the basics well. I think I just did enough to give myself an opportunity to play another match."
Loading
Replay
That will be against a more accomplished opponent in Australian Open semi-finalist Danielle Collins.
The American, the world No.36, charged to the final four in Melbourne and dropped just two games against Tatjana Maria on the way into the second round on Monday.
Barty beat Collins 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 earlier this month in Madrid.
Loading
Stosur, meanwhile, looked right at home on the new Simonne Mathieu arena, wrong-footing Strycova with her deadly combination of heavy topspin and spearing slice from either wing.
The theatrical Czech did everything to will herself back into the contest, with Stosur forced to rally from a break down in the second set to ensure an early night.
She did just that, with Strycova saving one match point on serve before Stosur again ran her down from 2-0 down in the tie-break.
A deft drop volley was followed by a clean forehand winner before Stosur, who hit 35 winners to her opponent's 19, sealed it in one hour 41 minutes.
Astra Sharma is the only Australian casualty to date, bowing out in a 6-3, 6-3 loss to American comeback kid Shelby Rogers on Monday.
AAP
