Caroline Wozniacki falls at French Open; Rafael Nadal advances

Caroline Wozniacki went from playing a perfect set to start her French Open campaign to quickly fading away against an opponent who had never previously won a Grand Slam match.

In a performance emblematic of a difficult season, Wozniacki, a former No. 1 and last year’s Australian Open champion, lost Monday in the first round at Roland Garros 0-6, 6-3, 6-3 to 68th-ranked Veronika Kudermetova of Russia.

“Definitely wasn’t the best match I’ve ever played,” said the 13th-seeded Wozniacki, who had only 15 winners to Kudermetova’s 40.

The way-up-then-way-down showing by Wozniacki stretched her losing streak to four matches and dropped her 2019 record to 9-8.

Another past Grand Slam champion dropped out of the field Monday when two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova withdrew from the French Open because of an injured left forearm.

The left-hander said the arm had been bothering her for some time and during practice Sunday, “suddenly I felt the pain.”

“I went to have an MRI, and, yeah, unfortunately I have a tear in my forearm, which is not great,” said Kvitova, who hopes to be ready for the start of Wimbledon on July 1.

In other French Open action:

Rafael Nadal began his bid for a record 12th championship in Paris with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 victory over 184th-ranked German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, who played college tennis at USC. Nadal was a bit shaky in the very first game, facing four break points, but he saved them all — and didn’t face another the rest of the way.

His feared forehand was not at its dangerous best, accounting for more unforced errors (11) than winners (nine).

“I had my match plan and, yeah, some of the things, they didn’t work out well,” said Hanfmann, who played college tennis at Southern California. “But, I mean, that’s why he’s as good as he is.”

No. 32 seed Frances Tiafoe of the U.S., a quarterfinalist at the Australian Open in January, threw up a couple of times and his game came apart late in a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 loss to Filip Krajinovic of Serbia.

“Obviously very depleted and had nothing really in me,” said Tiafoe, now 0-4 at Roland Garros.

Top-ranked Novak Djokovic was in control from the start as he beat 44th-ranked Hubert Hurkacz of Poland 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

It’s the 22nd consecutive victory in Grand Slam tournaments for Djokovic, who is attempting to become only the second man in history to hold all four major titles at the same time on two separate occasions.

Rod Laver was the only player to achieve the feat when he won all four Grand Slams in 1962 and 1969.

Djokovic also won four straight majors in 2015-16.

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Seeded players on the way home included No. 12 Daniil Medvedev, who was eliminated 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 by Pierre-Hugues Herbert and No. 15 Nikoloz Basilashvili on the men’s side, along with No. 18 Julia Goerges on the women’s.

And Serena Williams, who starts against Vitalia Diatchenko, renews her quest for a 24th major title, which would tie Margaret Court for the most in history.

Veronika Kudermetova plays a shot against Caroline Wozniacki during their first-round match of the French Open on May 27.

(Pavel Golovkin / Associated Press)

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Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has pulled out of the French Open ahead of her first-round match because of an injured left forearm.

The No. 6-seeded Kvitova tweeted Monday that she has been dealing with pain for a few weeks.

An MRI on Sunday night confirmed a Grade 2 tear, which she said “could get a lot worse” if she played.

She had been due to face Sorana Cirstea on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Kvitova was replaced in the draw by Kaja Juvan, an 18-year-old from Slovenia who lost in qualifying and will be making her Grand Slam debut.