Paris: Heartbroken Caroline Wozniacki suffered a morale-sapping defeat at the French Open on Tuesday in her first appearance since the break-up of her romance with star golfer Rory McIlroy. The 23-year-old Dane’s three-year relationship with the Northern Irishman ended last week after McIlroy got cold feet over their future while sending out wedding invitations. Wozniacki, the former world number one, slipped to a 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-2 defeat to Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer on a chilly Court Two. It was 13th-seeded Wozniacki’s earliest defeat in Paris since her debut in 2007.
Second seed anf former champion Li Na and Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka too followed Wozniacki out of the event. Wawrinka was bundled out after he lost to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0 in the first round. In the women’s round Li Na was sensationally dumped by a tearful Kristina Mladenovic. Li, went down 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 to the 103rd-ranked woman in the first round. It was business as usual for Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic though.
Eight-time champion Nadal, bidding to become the first man to win five Roland Garros titles in a row, beat US wildcard and world number 279 Robby Ginepri 6-0, 6-3, 6-0. Second seed Djokovic, the 2012 runner-up who is seeking a first Roland Garros title to complete a career Grand Slam, brushed aside Portugal’s Joao Sousa, the world 42, in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. David Ferrer also won, beating Igor Sijsling 6-4, 6-3, 6-1.
