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SPORTS Monday 28 May 2018

Only took one day to guarantee 1st-time French Open finalist

By HOWARD FENDRICH is 24 and arrived at Roland
AP Tennis Writer Garros with an even worse
PARIS (AP) — A year after mark for 2018 — 4-6. She
stunning the tennis world by wasn’t even sure a couple
winning the French Open of months ago whether
for her initial tour-level title, she could participate in
Jelena Ostapenko is again the French Open, because
in rare company: a first- she damaged knee carti-
round loser as the defend- lage and resumed prac-
ing champion at a Grand ticing for about 15 minutes
Slam tournament. at a time in April. “I didn’t
Something even more un- expect anything from this
usual happened at Roland match,” said Kozlova, who
Garros, too: Venus Williams never had beaten some-
was beaten in her opening one ranked in the top 30
match at a second con- and was 1-6 in Grand Slam
secutive major, the only play before Sunday.
time in her lengthy, distin- She is now 3-0 against Osta-
guished career she’s had penko, however.
such early back-to-back Ostapenko was largely her
exits. All in all, it was quite own undoing. She allowed
a Day 1 at the only Grand her opponent to convert
Slam site that gets things 7 of 16 break points, in-
started on a Sunday. There cluding when a backhand
already is certain to be at landed in the net to end
least one first-time French the match after about 1½
Open finalist, because 2010 hours. Moments later, Os-
champion Francesca Schi- tapenko was gone, swift-
avone and 2012 runner- ly heading to the locker
up Sara Errani joined 2017 room. She raised her left
champ Ostapenko and hand to acknowledge the
2002 runner-up Williams on crowd’s applause but she
the way out of the bottom kept her eyes focused on
half of the draw. the ground as she walked
Ostapenko’s high-risk game off. “Any player who could
produced far fewer re- hit, like, five shots back, I
wards than problems, with think, probably could beat
48 unforced errors to only me today, because I didn’t
22 winners as she bowed really play well,” said Osta-
out to 67th-ranked Katery- penko, who complained
na Kozlova of Ukraine 7-5, about limited preparation
6-3 at Court Philippe Cha- ahead of Roland Garros
trier. Over at Court Suzanne because of a leg injury suf-
Lenglen, things went simi- Ukraine’s Kateryna Kozlova returns the ball to Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko during their first round fered at the Italian Open
larly for Williams, a seven- match of French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros Stadium, Sunday, May 27, 2018 in this month.
time major champion, who Paris. Kozlova stayed steady de-
had 21 more unforced er- Associated Press spite the enormity of the
rors than her opponent in a not myself.” was beaten by Viktoria the first man from Egypt to moment and while dealing
6-4, 7-5 loss to 85th-ranked She is only the second Kuzmova 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2). play in a Grand Slam tour- with a blister on the back
Wang Qiang of China. reigning women’s cham- Also out of that half of the nament in 22 years. of her right foot. She was
“Terrible day at the office pion to exit in the first round draw: No. 22 Johanna Kon- In 2017, ranked only 47th treated by a trainer dur-
today for me. I mean, in of the French Open a year ta of Britain, a 6-4, 6-3 loser and 20 years old, Ostapen- ing a medical timeout af-
general, I played maybe, later — it happened to 2005 against Yulia Putintseva. ko became the first woman ter the first set. “Actually, I
like, 20 percent of what I winner Anastasia Myskina, All seeded men in action since 1979 to win her ini- have three blisters, but one
can play. Made like 50 un- too — and only the sixth at won, including No. 2 Al- tial tour-level trophy at a was the worst, with blood,”
forced errors and so many any major tournament in exander Zverev and No. 4 Grand Slam tournament. Kozlova said afterward.
double-faults. Like, couldn’t the professional era. Grigor Dimitrov, who elimi- But the fifth-seeded Latvian “When you are playing the
serve today,” Ostapenko Errani lost to 32nd-seeded nated Mohamed Safwat, has had a rough road this match, sometimes you are
said. “I had this unbeliev- Alize Cornet of France 2-6, the seventh “lucky loser” to season: Her record is just not feeling the pain. ... I
able pressure. I felt that I’m 6-2, 6-3, while Schiavone make it into the draw and 12-12. Kozlova, meanwhile, tried to stay focused.”q