Finally a new start for the left-hander on her surface?

Kessler comes into this second qualifying round with the best performance from yesterday among the eight players in the draw. Against Zarazua she was clinical: 85% of points won on the opponent’s second serve, 7 breaks converted, 9 of the last 10 points taken. A flawless match that confirms her ability to perform on this Alsatian clay. But Kessler is not a clay queen; her three WTA titles are on hard and grass, and her record against left-handers over the last 52 weeks is negative, a detail that takes on its full meaning against Selekhmeteva.

The 23-year-old Russian struggled yesterday against Kenin, losing the first set heavily before completely turning the match around. The numerous double faults show she had trouble getting into the match, but her ability to dominate the long rallies in the second and third sets reveals the true nature of a player built on clay since her early days. It’s her declared favorite surface, with a record of 121 wins in 182 matches on clay across all competitions, and a left-handed game whose natural angle relentlessly targets Kessler’s backhand.