WORLD No 1 ANGELIQUE Kerber has been sensationally dumped out of the French Open in an exit which has implications for Australia’s Sam Stosur.
The first women’s top seed to crash at the first hurdle at Roland Garros in the Open era, the German was whipped 6-2 6-2 by Russian Ekaterina Markarova.
A dual grand slam champion, Kerber has struggled throughout the European claycourt season with just two wins from six matches.
And it quickly became clear the left-hander had severe confidence issues as Makarova pummeled her with ballistic forehand drives.
World No. 1 Angelique Kerber has been dumped out of the French Open in the first round.Source:AP
Her departure notionally simplifies Stosur’s passage.
The Queenslander was seeded to face Kerber in the fourth round but, on the evidence of her latest display, Makarova could be even more dangerous.
Inflicting Kerber’s 13th loss from only 32 matches this year, Makarova hit 27 winners to Kerber’s 16 but had only 19 unforced errors to her opponent’s 25.
Also a first-round casualty here last year when she wasn’t ranked No 1, Kerber could now lose her ranking crown to either Karolina Pliskova or Simona Halep.
Olympic champion Monica Puig advanced 6-3 3-6 6-2 over Italian 31st seed Roberta Vinci, while Swiss 30th seed Timea Bacsinszky thumped Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-1 6-1.
A former semi-finalist in Paris, Bacsinszky next plays American Madison Brengle, a 1-6 6-3 13-11 victor over German Julia Georges.
Originally published as Kerber crashes out in Paris
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