Bethanie Mattek-Sands skipped backward across the clay, her wagging tongue framed by a smile as she savored yet another surprising victory for American tennis at the French Open.
Rejuvenated by a rain delay, Mattek-Sands came from a set down to beat 2011 champion li Na 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday in the second round at Roland Garros.
Following the second interruption of the match, Mattek-Sands swept seven consecutive games to take a 5-love lead in the final set. She served out the victory with the sun shining as rain fell.
In men’s play, six-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic crushed Guido Pella 6-2, 6-0, 6-2.Djokovic needs five more victories to become the eighth man to complete a career Grand Slam.
By winning in the second round, Mattek-Sands matched her best effort at Roland Garros. She failed to qualify for the Australian Open in January and arrived in Paris with a 10-8 record this year and a No. 67 ranking.
li was ranked sixth. Since winning her lone major title, she has lost in the first or second round at four of the eight major events.
Mattek-Sands’ best Grand Slam showing came at Wimbledon in 2008, when she reached the fourth round.
The 28-year-old is best known for her funky outfits, such as the one she wore at the finish against li — a long-sleeve top with black and white horizontal stripes, a black skirt, black sneakers and — as the piece de resistance — black knee-high socks.
Playing on cozy court 1, nicknamed the bullring, Mattek-Sands appeared on the verge of defeat in the second set when rain prompted a 90-minute delay. She returned whacking winners, including a picturesque crosscourt backhand lob that gave her a break point and control of the final set.
Former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic won 12 consecutive games to beat the rain and Garbine Muguruza. Jankovic fell behind early but rallied past Muguruza 6-3, 6-0 shortly before showers interrupted the first matches of the day on 12 other courts.
A brief dry spell allowed 2010 runner-up Sam Stosur to complete a second-round victory over Kristina Mladenovic, 6-4, 6-3, before the rain resumed.
No. 27 Yaroslava Shvedova lost to Paula Ormaechea 6-4, 7-6 (6).
With temperatures in the mid-50s, Jankovic took the court wearing pink leggings and a long-sleeve pink shirt.
She looked uncomfortable at the start, losing the first three games, then won the rest after adjusting to the strokes of Muguruza, a 19-year-old Spaniard.
“She’s a great up and coming player,” Jankovic said.
“She hits the ball very hard, very flat. And especially in the beginning of the match she gave me a lot of trouble. I figured out the way to play against her, and I think I did pretty well.”
Jankovic won with steady play from the baseline, while the big-swinging Muguruza committed 29 unforced errors.
Jankovic, seeded 18th, is a three-time semifinalist at Roland Garros. She’ll next play 2011 U.S. Open champion Stosur.
The No. 9-seeded Stosur never lost serve but needed nearly an hour to take the first set against Mladenovic.
Stosur reached set point for the fourth time on a fluky point with her opponent at the net, hitting a line-drive reflex volley that sent Mladenovic ducking to avoid. The ball kissed the baseline for a winner, and Stosur waved in apology to Mladenovic.
“I ran in thinking she would drop-shot, and she didn’t drop-shot,” Stosur said.
“I don’t know what grip I had, what I did, where it landed. I don’t know anything. It was very, very lucky, but obviously at a really important time.”
Said Mladenovic: “Obviously it was not on purpose, but it was an amazing reflex. I think she won’t do it again in her life. We both laughed after it, because it was just an unbelievable one.”
Mladenovic then double-faulted to lose the 16-point game. Stosur took a 3-0 lead in the second set and held the rest of the way.
No. 16 Philipp Kohlschreiber moved into the men’s third round when Yen-hsun lu withdrew because of a right ankle injury. Victor Hanescu also advanced when Dmitry Tursunov retired with a strained left thigh muscle trailing 6-4, 6-6 (3).
Shortly after play resumed following the second rain delay, No. 26 Grigor Dimitrov beat wild card lucas Pouille 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-1.
Venus-Serena pull out from doubles
Serena and Venus Williams have pulled out of doubles at the French Open before playing a match.
The sisters were supposed to compete in that event at Roland Garros for the first time since 2010 after receiving a wild card from the tournament.
But they withdrew Wednesday. No reason was given by the tournament.
Venus said she was bothered by pain in her back during a three-set loss in singles Sunday. Serena is into the third round of singles.
They have won a total of 13 Grand Slam trophies in women’s doubles, including at the French Open in 1999 and 2010.
The sisters have played in only one doubles tournament this season, losing to eventual champions Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in the Australian Open quarterfinals in January.