Czech Republic's Katerina Siniakova returning the ball to Japan's Naomi Osaka during their women's singles third round match on day seven of The Roland Garros 2019 French Open Tennis Tournament in Paris on Satturday — AFP PARIS, June 02 (AFP): Serena Williams suffered her earliest Grand Slam exit since 2014 when she crashed out of the French Open on Saturday, ending her bid to win a record-equalling 24th major, just hours after world number one Naomi Osaka also suffered a shock defeat.
Williams was beaten 6-2, 7-5 by US compatriot Sofia Kenin, who wasn't even born when the American legend made her Paris debut in 1998, in the third round.
Top seed Osaka's hopes of winning a third successive Grand Slam ended when she was knocked out by unheralded Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-2.
Their losses mean that 14 of the top 20 seeds in the women's draw have failed to make the second week in Paris.
It was 37-year-old Serena's earliest exit at the Slams since a third round loss to Alize Cornet at Wimbledon in 2014.
Three-time Roland Garros champion Williams was attempting to equal Margaret Court's record of 24 majors.
"She played really well, especially in the first set where she hit pretty much within an inch of the line all the time," said Williams.
The America veteran, who played just one clay court match in Rome before suffering a knee injury in the run up to the French Open, said she had expected to progress further in Paris.
"I would have expected to have gotten past the third round. If someone said I would only get this far, I'd have said they were a liar.
Kenin, the 20-year-old world number 35, will face eighth seed Ashleigh Barty of Australia for a place in the quarter-finals.
"There's a lot of emotions now," said the Russian-born player. "Serena is such a great champion and I have all the respect for her."
Williams, who has still to add to her majors collection since she returned to the tour after giving birth to her daughter, fired 30 winners and 34 unforced errors.
Osaka, the reigning US and Australian Open champion, said losing to 42nd-ranked Siniakova may have been a blessing in disguise.
"Losing is probably the best thing that could have happened," said 21-year-old Osaka.
"I felt very tired. I had headaches, maybe that's the stress. "I felt there was a weight on me. This hasn't been the happiest of times."
Osaka was undone by a shocking 38 unforced errors as she finally ran out of luck in Paris having had to come back from a set down in her first two matches.
Meanwhile, world number one Novak Djokovic eased into the last 16 at Roland Garros on Saturday to step up his bid to hold all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously for the second time.
The Serbian saw off unseeded Italian Salvatore Caruso 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 to set up a fourth-round tie with either Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff or Croatian 13th seed Borna Coric.
"Finally, I think I found my best form in the second set," said Djokovic, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament after straightforward wins over Hubert Hurkacz and Swiss lucky loser Henri Laaksonen.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
