Paris: Two-time Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka’s return to Grand Slam tennis lasted just two sets as she crashed out of the French Open women’s segment in the first round losing 5-7, 5-7 to Katerina Siniakova at the Roland Garros here, Monday.
The Belarusian returned to tennis in June last year following the birth of her son in 2016 but then put her career on hold again as she fought a legal battle against her former partner for the custody of her son. A judge in California had ruled that her son Leo should not leave the state until custody was resolved.
In an open letter posted on social media last year, Azarenka said no one should ever have to decide between a child and their career.
Meanwhile, Petra Kvitova came within three points of falling in the first round before three successive aces and her nerves of steel carried her to a 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 win over little-known Paraguayan Veronica Cepede Royg.
Royg came close to snapping Kvitova’s 11-match winning streak as she edged 5-4 and 0-15 ahead on Kvitova’s serve in the third set. But Kvitova showed nerves of steel to win the match.
Earlier in a match, played late Sunday night, a flustered Jelena Ostapenko became only the sixth female Grand Slam champion to fall at the first hurdle of her title defence when she lost to Kateryna Kozlova.
Never at ease on the Roland Garros main show court, the World No.5 slumped to a 5-7, 3-6 defeat to a Ukrainian opponent who had won both the pair’s previous meetings.
Ostapenko seemed unable to find any answers to the questions Kozlova was posing, and checked out early with barely a whimper.
“It was terrible day,” she told reporters afterwards, her pink cap pulled low over her eyes. “Honestly today (Sunday) began not in a nice way and I knew something like that could happen, so I tried to stay positive. But.”
Other results
Caroline Wozniacki bt Daniele Collins 7-6(7-2), 6-3
Lara Arruabarrena bt Timea Babos 7-6(7-5), 6-3
Carla Suarez Navarro bt Ana Konjuh 6-0, 6-1
Naomi Osaka bt Sofia Kenin 6-2, 7-5
Madison Keys bt Sachia Vickery 6-3, 6-3