Second seed Karolina Pliskova was challenged by Egyptian qualifier Mayar Sherif in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday, but after narrowly losing the first set, the Czech breezed through the second and recorded a crucial break in the middle of the third to advance in two hours and 15 minutes, 6-7(9) 6-2 6-4.
The 59-minute first set went with serve until its final stage, when the world No.172 Sherif broke Pliskova to serve for the set at 6-5. Pliskova broke back to force a tiebreak and after saving multiple set points Sherif edged the first set.