TENNIS: Bencic powers past McNally into third round of French Open

Former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic became the first women's player to reach the third round of the French Open after the Swiss beat American Caty McNally 6-4 6-0 on Wednesday.

• Bencic is competing in the French Open after a gap of two years, having missed the 2024 edition after giving birth to her daughter Bella and the 2025 edition with an arm injury.

• With her comfortable victory, the 29-year-old reached the third round in Paris for the first time since 2022.

• Bencic, who won the Tokyo Olympics gold medal in 2021, was too good for McNally on Court Simonne-Mathieu, advancing in 84 minutes, converting six breaks from seven opportunities.

• The 63rd-ranked McNally struggled to find her rhythm on a warm morning in Paris.

• Former world number four Bencic will take on either American Peyton Stearns or Ukrainian Daria Snigur in the next round.

• Bencic, a two-times Grand Slam semi-finalist, has never gone beyond the third round of the Paris major.

-Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in ParisEditing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters