The 2019 French Open has barely just begun and Angelique Kerber is already saying au revoir. The fifth seed’s conqueror is tournament debutante Anastasia Potapova, 6-4 6-2.
Even though Kerber’s break point conversion was at decent 75% (3/4), the world No.81 Potapova broke the German as many as six times to earn her first Top 10 victory on the grand Court Philippe Chatrier. The Russian teenager, a former junior No.1, made 21 unforced errors, just as her opponent, but her winners gave her the absolute advantage, 28 to Kerber’s 16.
Truth be told, Kerber was not in the best state in terms of health. Before the tournament, she said it was a big win just to be able to play Roland Garros after the ankle injury that forced her to withdraw from the Mutua Madrid Open in the second round and skip the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
The three-time Grand Slam champion Kerber was trying to complete a Career Slam in Paris, but this is the third time in the last four years that she’s exiting in the first round, although last year she was a quarterfinalist.
Sorry to see my girl Kerber get eliminated! Emphatic congrats to Potapova. No fear!