French Open 2013: Highlighting Biggest Surprises From Day 2

The 2013 French Open is the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, and it offers tennis enthusiasts an opportunity to take in the action from all of the world's best players in one location. 

It's also a prime opportunity for unheralded players to make a name for themselves by making a run at the title by knocking off the game's greatest stars.

Day 2 at Roland Garros didn't feature any major upsets, but there were a few surprises.

Without further ado, let's take a look at the biggest surprises from the second qualifying day at Roland Garros.

Rafael Nadal Struggles

The way Nadal has been playing this year—especially on clay—it was a shock to see him struggle against Daniel Brands in the opening round.

Nadal ended up winning the match 4-6, 7(7)-6(4), 6-4, 6-3, but nobody expected Brands to offer him much of a challenge to begin with. Brands is the No. 59-ranked player on the ATP Tour, and he's never once reached a finals in any ATP tournament. 

ESPN Stats & Info always provides excellent statistical perspective, and this stat really highlights Nadal's struggles against Brands:

Winning a game against Nadal at Roland Garros is surely one of Brands' finest achievements as a pro, and his effort likely gives the rest of the competitors on the men's side hope that the Spaniard is beatable.

Ekaterina Makarova Ousted

After reaching the semifinals last year (her best career showing at Roland Garros), Makarova suffered an early exit on Monday.

Svetlana Kuznetsova defeated Makarova in straight sets, winning 6-4, 6-2. 

While it's certainly no surprise that Kuznetsova—the 2009 French Open champion—had a nice showing, it was surprising to see Markarova get beaten so easily.

Markarova—the No. 22-ranked player on the WTA—has played well this year, and she's made it to the quarterfinals or semifinals in four of her last Grand Slam tournaments entered. 

One bad showing, however, has put an early end to her 2013 French Open, and it will be fascinating to see how well Kuznetsova plays the rest of the way.

Unheralded Zuzana Kucova Defeats Julia Goerges

Kucova defeated Goerges in straight sets on Monday, winning 7(10)-6(8), 6-0.

Goerges isn't a superstar by any measure, but she is the No. 28-ranked player in the world and has won two tournaments in her career. Furthermore, she's gotten out of the first round at Roland Garros two times in her three previous appearances at the French Open. 

Kucova, on the other hand, has never won a single WTA tournament and has never gotten out of the first round at Roland Garros. She was nearly retired before this tournament, according to USA Today's Douglas Robson:

It was the biggest win of Kucova's career, and if she can somehow manage to continue playing well in Round 2, she has a chance to become the hottest name of the tournament on the women's side heading into Round 3. 

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