"I knew how to handle the pressure," Boisson relishes after qualifying for the third round of Roland-Garros
Loïs Boisson has reached the third round of Roland-Garros. The 22-year-old Frenchwoman, ranked outside the top 300 and invited by the organizers of the Paris Grand Slam, defeated Elise Mertens in the first round before confirming her form in her next match.
Facing Ukrainian player Anhelina Kalinina, Boisson—who suffered a torn ACL just days before Roland-Garros last year—left her opponent with no chance, winning decisively (6-1, 6-2 in 1 hour and 2 minutes). In the press conference, she reflected on this victory against the world No. 113.
"I felt really great today, starting with my pre-match warm-up this morning. During the match, I stayed focused. No matter what, I needed a wildcard to enter the main draw, whether through qualifying or not, given my ranking.
It’s not extra pressure, but you want to do well to honor it. I hope to make the people who support me proud and go as far as possible. Being here after the year I’ve had is amazing.
As I said, I hope to go even further, but this is already fantastic. I’m trying to implement what I work on in training during matches. So far, it’s working well, and I hope it continues.
I’m not as comfortable as I might appear on court. I was solid throughout the match, and I knew how to handle the pressure. I felt the stress, I wasn’t entirely confident, but I managed to stay calm and not think too far ahead.
It’s great to play against another French player. Already, it means two Frenchwomen in the third round and inevitably one in the fourth. Either way, it’s fantastic for French tennis. Elsa (Jacquemot), I know her well. I know her game. We’ll analyze everything and see what happens next.
I love playing when there’s a great atmosphere, but even on Court 7, the energy was incredible. Whether we play on a big court or not, it won’t change much," Boisson told Tennis Actu TV.
