Sofia Kenin gains momentum as she reaches French Open third round

Kenin made 18 unforced errors in an unconvincing first-set display but broke decisively in the 11th game as she bagged seven games in a row to open up a 4-0 lead in the second.

Last year's runner-up Sofia Kenin eased into the third round of the French Open with a 7-5 6-3 victory over fellow American Hailey Baptiste on Thursday as her claycourt form continued to improve.

United States's Sofia Kenin celebrates after defeating Hailey Baptiste (AP)

The fourth seed, who has been struggling this season, notably losing all of her three matches on clay before Roland Garros, will next face another American, 28th seed Jessica Pegula.

Kenin made 18 unforced errors in an unconvincing first-set display but broke decisively in the 11th game as she bagged seven games in a row to open up a 4-0 lead in the second.

The 2020 Australian Open champion, however, suffered a dip in concentration and allowed her opponent to win three consecutive games before regaining her composure to wrap it up in straight sets on Court 14.