The flag atop Court Philippe Chatrier was shaking so severely it looked like it was shivering. On the court below, Julia Goerges faced some second-set turbulence with contrasting calm.
Spraying her favored forehand into the swirl, Goerges faced a break point that would have put her in a 1-4 hole. But the 17th-seeded German regained her range and rolled through five of the final six games to soar into the second round with a 6-1, 6-4, victory over Mathilde Johansson. It was a match in which Goerges was alternately imposing and inconsistent: She won five straight games to end the first set, only to lose three of the first four to start the second.
Goerges staked her claim as a clay contender by beating 2010 French Open finalist Samantha Stosur and world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in succession to win Stuttgart, then surged to the Madrid semifinals as she cracked the Top 20 for the first time this month. On the other side of the net, the 71st-ranked Johansson took the court with an 0-11 mark against Top 20 opponents.
After breaking for a 2-1 first-set lead, Goerges saved a break point in the fourth game and followed with an ace down the T and a forehand winner down the line for 3-1. Firing a flurry of forehands down the middle, Goerges then drew an error in closing a convincing first set in just 30 minutes. The second set would last nearly twice as long.
Goerges goes after her forehand with the force of someone slamming shut a steel door in the face of a storm. Along with her potent serve, it’s a shot combination past champions like Mary Pierce and Ana Ivanovic used in winning Roland Garros. But both champs hit through the ball with flatter forehands. Goerges’ is very versatile, but it’s produced by a lengthier, lasso-style backswing. It will be interesting to see how Goerges responds to someone who can bring pace directly at her forehand—as Victoria Azarenka did in sweeping her, 6-4, 6-2, in the Madrid semis—or a player who can hug the baseline and redirect pace to take time away from her.
Johansson didn’t do that enough today. She broke Goerges late in the second set for 4-5, but suffered an accordion arm, wilting with three straight double-faults to end in a whimper.
Next up for Goerges is left-hander Lucie Safarova, who owns a curling, cross-court forehand that will direct toward Goerges’ weaker backhand wing. The 37th-ranked Safarova relishes pace, and though she’s suffered three straight second-round exits in Paris after a career-best fourth-round result in 2007, she could push the favorite if she’s connecting with her first serve. The pair has split two prior meetings and will square off on clay for the first time.
—Richard Pagliaro