Frenchwomen went 3-for-3 in their first-round matches at the Cincinnati Open on Friday in Mason, Ohio, and all of them won three-setters that featured a few twists and turns.

Veteran Caroline Garcia, the 2022 Cincinnati Open champion, made it difficult on herself before pulling out a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Sonay Kartal of Great Britain. Garcia squandered a 3-0 lead in the first set and nearly frittered away a 5-2 margin in the second.

But Garcia got the job done, winning 70 percent of her first-serve points (35 of 50) and saving 6 of 9 break points. Kartal pushed her by saving 11 of 15 break points to stay alive in certain games.

"It was so hot, so tough out there. I didn't play a lot of matches in the last couple of months," Garcia said. "At the end of the first set I was exhausted

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