Chloé Paquet exits São Paulo in first-round loss

Chloé Paquet is out of the São Paulo WTA tournament after failing to carry her qualifying momentum into the main draw. The French player had won both qualifying matches, but her campaign ended immediately against Argentina’s Jasmin Ortenzi, leaving no French competitor in the tournament.

Ortenzi, ranked 160th in the world, defeated the 319th-ranked Paquet 6-3, 6-2 in 90 minutes in a match postponed by rain. She took Paquet’s serve at the first opportunity and, although Paquet quickly levelled the opening set, the Frenchwoman was broken again soon afterwards. Paquet saved three chances to fall two breaks behind before losing the set on serve after 48 minutes.

Paquet made the stronger start to the second set, breaking for a 2-1 lead. Ortenzi responded immediately to restore parity, then took control by winning five consecutive games. The Argentine converted her final two break opportunities and required only one match point, taken on Paquet’s serve, to complete the victory. Ortenzi will next face the winner of Justina Mikulskyte’s match against Paula Badosa for a place in the quarter-finals.