2018 French Open: Major upsets on Day 1
The second Grand Slam of the year, the French Open got underway on Sunday. The glamour has been taken off the French Open quite early with several big names exiting the tournament in the first round. Venus Williams as well as Ostapenko suffered shock defeats. Here is the round up of Day 1 of 2018 French Open.
Defending champion Ostapenko knocked out in opening round
Defending champion Jelena Ostapenko had shocked the world by winning the French Open title 12 months ago. However, this time around, she was knocked out in her very first match. She was beaten by Ukraine's Kateryna Kozlova 7-5, 6-3. It's rare to see a first-round loss at a Grand Slam for the defending champion.
Venus Williams falls yet again
Venus Williams was unlucky in Paris. The former world number one was beaten in her opening round by Wang Qiang. She lost the tie 6-4, 7-5. Venus has now lost her opening match at a second consecutive major. She had earlier fallen against Belinda in the first round of Australian Open. This is the first time she has faced such early setbacks.
Johanna Konta's woes at Roland Garros continue
United Kingdom's Johanna Konta was another big name who faced an opening-round exit in Paris. The British number one, Johanna's woes continued as she lost to 22nd seed Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 4-6, 3-6. This is the fourth successive year that Konta has lost in the opening round of the French Open.
Nick Kyrgios withdraws from French Open
In the men's section, Australian Nick Kyrgios was the biggest casualty after he was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to an elbow injury. Kyrgios was scheduled to take on Bernard Tomic in his opening game but opted against it. His team advised him against playing the match. Kyrgios has been out of action for 2 months.