Daria Kasatkina says she’s not feeling pressure playing in her first grand slam as an Australian, after a 6-4, 6-2 victory over French wildcard Leolia Jeanjean.
The No.17 seed was in control of the entire match against Jeanjean, with Kasatkina recording 24 winners in her one-hour, 39-minute win.
The 28-year-old made the final four at Roland-Garros in 2022 and is now through to the third round for the seventh time in her career.
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“I don’t have a huge strong body like some of the girls, some of the players. So I have to win with something else. It has to be my brain or my legs or whatever,” Kasatkina told Stan Sport.
Kastkina in action. Getty
“Sometimes I come up with some unusual stuff on court and sometimes [even] me, I don’t know what [shot] I’m going to play.”
Roland-Garros is Kasatkina’s fifth tournament playing under the Australian flag, since officially making the switch at Charleston in March, confirming her exit from Russia.
“I’m getting messages honestly like on the social media and stuff also during the matches, I can hear from the crowd like people screaming, let’s go Aussie and like the. this sort of stuff,” she said.
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“Also like, as I said on the social media as well, I’m getting the comments that the people are, happy for me they say, welcome to Australia and stuff.
“So that’s pretty nice and super important to me, you know, to be welcomed and like to get all the support.”
Earlier in the week she’d explained: “[I] couldn’t believe that one day I could call myself an Australian.
“You never know where life will bring you.”
Kasatkina will play her third round match against No.10 seed Paula Badosa.
