The second round of the Saint-Malo tournament ended this Thursday, May 1st. We analyze the performances of Maralpines Fiona Ferro and Diane Parry.
It’s not Labor Day for everyone. At the Open de Saint-Malo, the second round ended this Thursday, May 1st. Fiona Ferro and Diane Parry were set to compete on the central court, facing Emeline Dartron (25 years old, world No. 323) and former world No. 1, Naomi Osaka (27 years old, world No. 55), respectively.
The first to start the exchanges was the Valbonne native Fiona Ferro. Having defeated the Lucky Loser, Noma Noha Akugue after saving two match points, the French player needed to raise her game to seek a place in the quarter-finals. That’s exactly what she did, at least during the crucial moments. Starting the match well, Fiona Ferro broke serve at the outset. Despite struggling with her serves, she managed to maintain her lead until the middle of the first set. At 4-3, Emeline Dartron caught up due to a completely missed service game by Fiona Ferro. In a pivotal moment, the player from the Côte d’Azur re-motivated herself to regain the advantage immediately. Her opponent hesitated, and even though she managed to create opportunities to extend the first set, Fiona Ferro secured it, albeit with difficulty (6-4).
The second set followed a similar pattern. Both players played somewhat inconsistently. Fiona Ferro remained steadfast and eventually destabilized her opponent, pushing her to the limit. Emeline Dartron, on edge, eventually lost her composure, making several unforced errors. Fiona Ferro capitalized on this, breaking serve and racing toward victory. She concluded the match with yet another unforced error from Emeline Dartron (6-4/6-4) after needing five match points; nonetheless, the result was achieved. In the quarter-finals, she will face another French player, Léolia Jeanjean.
Diane Parry affected by thigh injury
Right after, it was Diane Parry’s turn to step onto the court against Naomi Osaka. The four-time Grand Slam winner is the headliner of this Saint Malo tournament. The No. 2 seed hardly favors clay courts. An opportunity for Diane Parry to achieve a good result against a high-caliber player. The start of the match reflected this. Naomi Osaka was at a loss against the highly motivated player from Nice. Focused, she disrupted the Japanese player with her nearly surgical precision in forehand strokes. Quite effective on the first serve, Diane Parry returned well on her opponent’s second serves, securing a double break against a somewhat discouraged Naomi Osaka. Diane Parry didn’t falter and won the first set in 27 minutes (6-2).
More mobile in the second set, Naomi Osaka destabilized Diane Parry, who took time to recover. The player from Nice saved five break points before conceding the sixth. Caught in a false rhythm, she struggled to find solutions to catch up. After a break, Naomi Osaka led 5-0. The match seemed to have completely shifted as the forehand of the former world No. 1 clicked. With powerful strokes, she seemed poised to take the set when suddenly, she relaxed. Diane Parry seized the opportunity and came back to 5-3. But the Japanese champion eventually composed herself and won the second set (6-3).
Everything needed to be redone in a match that now seemed balanced. Diane Parry tightened her game on her serve, unlike Naomi Osaka, who was inconsistent. Not comfortable on this fast clay court, Osaka conceded an immediate break. Meanwhile, the player from the Côte d’Azur kept her focus, exploiting the No. 2 seed’s relatively easy misses. At 3-1, Diane Parry was encouraged by the supportive crowd when Naomi Osaka attempted to give it her all. It was unsuccessful at that moment. However, at 4-2, just as she seemed about to let the match slip away, the Japanese player fought back and managed to put pressure on the French player. Just as the match’s intensity increased, Diane Parry faltered on a frustrating double fault, possibly due to pain in her left thigh. After a brief interruption to tape the area, the player from Nice returned to the court, but the points moved quickly. Struggling with her footwork, she seemed hindered in her serves and backhand. Naomi Osaka stayed focused and took the opportunity to win the match, with a final score of (2-6/6-3/6-4).
