Paris: Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber crashed out in the first round of the French Open yesterday as the German third seed lost 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to Kiki Bertens, the world number 58.
Later, Serena Williams began the defence of her French Open crown with a crushing 6-2, 6-0 win over Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova.
Former Melbourne champion Victoria Azarenka retired in her opening-round match with Italy’s world number 118 Karin Knapp. Fifth seed Azarenka quit with a knee injury down 4-0 in the third set having already saved a match point in a second set tie-break.
Bertens, who won her second career title at Nuremberg on Saturday, broke Kerber twice to claim the opening set on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Kerber responded in the second set to force a decider, but Dutchwoman Bertens completed a shock victory to set up a second-round tie against Italy’s Camila Giorgi or French wildcard Alize Lim.
Kerber’s preparations for Roland Garros were far from ideal, with the 28-year-old failing to win a match at Madrid or Rome before withdrawing from last week’s Nuremberg event with a shoulder injury.
The German struggled and committed 28 unforced errors compared to just nine winners, taking a medical timeout when trailing 3-0 in the final set to undergo treatment on her ailing shoulder.
Serena blasted 25 winners with just five unforced errors and broke the 77th-ranked Rybarikova six times to race into the second round.
“Yeah, it was a little short for me,” said Serena, after needing just 42 minutes to beat an opponent who has never been beyond round two at any Grand Slam.
“But I think in my career if I don’t have (enough time on court) by now I need to look into something different.”
She will face Brazil’s Teliana Pereira for a place in the last 32. Pereira defeated Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic 7-5, 3-6, 9-7.
Swiss eighth seed Timea Bacsinszky swept past Spanish lucky loser Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-3, 6-1, while 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro needed three sets to beat Czech qualifier Katerina Siniakova.
Seven-time major winner Venus Williams, who lost the 2002 final to sister Serena, edged out Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), while 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic held off French wildcard Oceane Dodin in three sets.
Former runner-up Sam Stosur overcame Misaki Doi of Japan 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, but Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 champion, bowed out in straight sets to French 26th seed Kristina Mladenovic.