PARIS — Barbora Krejcikova arrived on the French Open because the defending champion in singles and doubles. She additionally was coming off a three-month absence from the tour due to an injured proper elbow, so even her personal expectations had been somewhat modest.
Krejcikova was proper to be apprehensive — and on Monday, she turn into solely the third girl within the skilled period to exit within the first spherical at Roland Garros a 12 months after incomes the trophy.
The second-seeded Krejcikova obtained off to a terrific begin at first fell aside in a 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 loss to Diane Parry, a 19-year-old from France who's ranked 97th and entered the day with a 1-5 profession document in Grand Slam matches.
Parry acquired raucous backing from spectators shouting for her at Court docket Philippe Chatrier, the place the noise echoed underneath the retractable roof pulled shut due to rain.
“It’s a dream for me. It was at all times a dream to play on this courtroom, with the French crowd to help me. They clearly pushed me to victory in the present day,” Parry mentioned. “I’m the happiest particular person proper now.”
This was Krejcikova’s first match since February and the rust confirmed.
The one different girls to lose within the first spherical a 12 months after profitable the title at Roland Garros had been Anastasia Myskina in 2005 and Jelena Ostapenko in 2018 — each of whom, like Krejcikova, had been shocking champions.
For the reason that skilled period started in 1968, Krejcikova is simply the seventh reigning girls’s champion to be bounced within the first spherical at the entire Grand Slam tournaments.
Towards Parry, Krejcikova double-faulted on the match’s very first level, after which appeared each bit somebody able to show her finest tennis. The subsequent 15 factors in a row went Krejcikova’s approach as she raced to a 4-0 lead.
“It’s by no means simple to start out on this sort of courtroom towards the defending champion,” Parry mentioned. “You may get a bit tight, which occurred within the first set. However then I managed to loosen up.”
Did she ever.
After Krejcikova wrapped up that opening set, issues circled as Parry performed extra confidently.
Krejcikova’s errors mounted: By the top, she had collected 45 unforced errors, 19 within the third set alone. Parry completed with 26 in all.
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