The Maralpines Fiona Ferro and Diane Parry were back on the courts at the start of this week. Competing in the Saint Malo Open, Diane Parry and Fiona Ferro qualified for the next round.
Headed to Brittany for this new week of competition. Fiona Ferro and Diane Parry have a date with the Saint Malo Open. A rather competitive WTA 125 event with the presence of many players from the Top 100.
The first of the Maralpines to step onto the Breton clay was Fiona Ferro. Initially scheduled to face the Chinese player Yue Yuan, who had just won a challenger in Portugal, she ended up playing a 21-year-old German, Noma Noha Akugue (ranked 235th in the world). A match within her reach against a player who was a lucky loser from the qualifying tournament.
However, it wasn’t so simple. Akugue started well and challenged the player from Valbonne. Unperturbed, she let her shots fly and managed to hold her ground. The German even managed to surprise Fiona Ferro at 5-4 by creating two break points. In the crucial moment, the Azurรฉenne was caught off guard and lost the first set (6-4).
Determined, Fiona Ferro returned to the court with better intentions. More aggressive, she managed to destabilize her opponent at times. As the match intensified at 3-3, Fiona Ferro managed to take the lead before being caught twice. At 6-6 in the second set, Akugue even earned a match point, saved by the Frenchwoman, who managed to push it to a tie-break. A suspenseful moment during which both players had break points. Fiona Ferro even saved a match point to ultimately win the tie-break 11-9.
Probably worn out by her efforts thus far, the young German player’s intensity gradually decreased. With experience, Fiona Ferro gained control of the match and managed to secure a break for the first and only time in the third set. A slight lead that she held onto until the end, winning the match after more than 2 hours and 30 minutes of play (4-6/7-6/6-3). A relief for the Azurรฉenne who will play against another Frenchwoman in the next round, Emeline Dartron.
Diane Parry Shines
The other late afternoon match pitted the Niรงoise Diane Parry against the French Jessika Ponchet. A player mentioned during the Rouen Open, where she had defeated Fiona Ferro in the second round. This time the result was quite different. Against Diane Parry, Jessika Ponchet’s power did not deter the Niรงoise. More mobile on the court, especially at the start of the match, Diane Parry quickly broke and took the lead. Without exerting too much effort, the Azurรฉenne took the first set (6-2).
The second set was very similar. Focused on her first serves, Diane Parry secured her serves and managed to find openings quickly. With a double break in hand, the Niรงoise relaxed and committed some unforced errors that she’ll need to rectify for the next round against the former world number 1 Naomi Osaka. The result, Diane Parry wins (6-2/6-2) and confirms her return to form after her good run in Madrid last week. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s attempt to reach the next milestone.
