French Open 2019: Angelique Kerber suffers shock first round exit after straight sets loss to Russia's Anastasia Potapova

French Open 2019: Angelique Kerber suffers shock first round exit after straight sets loss to Russia's Anastasia Potapova

Fifth-seeded Wimbledon champion Kerber slumped to a 6-4, 6-2 defeat to 18-year-old Potapova who was making her French Open debut.

Advertisement
French Open 2019: Angelique Kerber suffers shock first round exit after straight sets loss to Russia's Anastasia Potapova

Paris: German fifth seed and reigning Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber saw her hopes of a career Grand Slam ended by Russian teenager Anastasia Potapova at Roland Garros on Sunday as Roger Federer prepared to make his Paris return after a four-year absence.

Fifth-seeded Wimbledon champion Kerber slumped to a 6-4, 6-2 defeat to 18-year-old Potapova who was making her French Open debut.

Advertisement
Germany's Angelique Kerber serves the ball to Russia's Anastasia Potapova during their women's singles first round match on day 1 of The Roland Garros 2019 French Open tennis tournament in Paris on May 26, 2019. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)

“I had a lot of confidence and I have to thank my coach for that,” said 81st-ranked Potapova who hit 28 winners past her German opponent.

Kerber, 31, has now lost six times in the French Open first round.

The German left-hander had come into Roland Garros carrying a right ankle injury which forced her to pull out of the Italian Open and retire from her second round tie in Madrid.

“She played really good, I tried my best,” said Kerber who was broken six times in the match which brought the curtain up on a rebuilt Court Philippe Chatrier.

“I didn’t really have great preparation and I was just happy to get on court to play the match.

“I didn’t have many expectations coming in.”

Advertisement

Potapova’s first win over a top 10 player gives her a second round clash against either China’s Wang Yafan or Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic.

Latest News

Find us on YouTube

Subscribe

Top Shows

Vantage First Sports Fast and Factual Between The Lines