Three-time grand slam champion Angelique Kerber became the first seed to exit the French Open as she lost to 18-year-old Anastasia Potapova on Sunday.
Angelique Kerber needs a victory in Paris to complete a career Grand Slam, having added the 2018 Wimbledon title to 2016 successes at the Australian Open and US Open
Three-time grand slam champion Angelique Kerber became the first seed to exit the French Open as she lost to 18-year-old Anastasia Potapova on Sunday.
Kerber needs a victory in Paris to complete a career Grand Slam, having added the 2018 Wimbledon title to 2016 successes at the Australian Open and US Open.
But that long-awaited triumph will not come this year after the German fell at the first hurdle, going down 6-4 6-2 against world number 81 Potapova.
Kerber was well below her brilliant best and Potapova took the first set at the end of a break-heavy opener.
The fifth seed was then broken again in her first service game of the second set and she scarcely looked like recovering as Potapova cruised to a first win over a top-10 player in her Roland Garros debut.
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In her Roland-Garros main draw debut, @nastiaapotapova upsets No. 5 seed Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-2.#RG19 pic.twitter.com/abU80zJTyl
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2019
Kerber, who withdrew from the Madrid Open earlier this month with a right ankle injury, is without a WTA Tour title this season and has still not been past the quarter-finals at the French Open.
Meanwhile, Potapova faces Wang Yafan or Marketa Vondrousova in the second round.