French Open 2019: Angelique Kerber Upset, Top Early Results from Roland-Garros

There was a big shock on the first day of the French Open main draw on Sunday, as Angelique Kerber was well beaten by Anastasia Potapova.

The German, who was seeded fifth at Roland-Garros, had injury issues in the buildup to the match and was well below her best in a 6-4, 6-2 loss. For 18-year-old Potapova, it was the biggest win of her young career.

Elsewhere, Garbine Muguruza—the 2016 champion—recovered after losing the opening set against Taylor Townsend to progress. In the men's draw, sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was among the early winners.

Here are some of the early results from the Roland-Garros clay and a recap of an eventful start to the competition proper.

French Open - Selected Sunday Results

Men's Draw

(6) Stefanos Tsitsipas bt. Maximilian Marterer: 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4)

(7) Kei Nishikori bt. Quentin Halys: 6-2, 6-3, 6-4

(11) Marin Cilic bt. Thomas Fabbiano: 6-3, 7-5, 6-1

(29) Matteo Berrettini bt. Pablo Andujar: 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2

Women's Draw

Anastasia Potapova bt. (5) Angelique Kerber: 6-4, 6-2

(19) Garbine Muguruza bt. Taylor Townsend: 5-7, 6-2, 6-2

(31) Petra Martic vs. Ons Jabeur: 6-1, 6-2

For the results in full visit the Roland-Garros website.

Sunday Recap

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

It didn't take long for the first major upset of the French Open, as Kerber was emphatically beaten by her teenage opponent.

While she enjoyed a return to form in 2018, winning Wimbledon last summer, the German hasn't been at her best in 2019. In addition, her preparations for Roland-Garros were hindered by an ankle issue.

Her rustiness was evident in this encounter, as Potapova was the sharper and more aggressive player throughout. After losing the first set, there was never going to be a way back for the German.

After securing the win, it was clear just how much it meant to the 18-year-old:

Kerber had no complaints in her post-match assessment. "Of course this is not my excuse and everything," she said, per the Press Association (h/t ESPN). "... The clay season is over now for me. Yeah, I'm happy about that, that I can now look forward to playing on grass."

Muguruza was also given a big scare, as Townsend was excellent in the first set of their encounter. However, the two-time major winner was able to recover well and finished off the match in some style:

Afterwards, the Spaniard was asked about what's required to win at this iconic venue:

In the men's draw, the favourites were a lot more assured in their performances, with Tsitsipas getting his campaign off to a solid start.

Having excelled at the Australian Open earlier in the year, the Greek has picked up some big wins in the clay season, including a victory over Rafael Nadal at the Madrid Open. Afterwards, he said he enjoys playing in the big tournaments:

Marin Cilic has improved at the French Open in recent years, putting together back-to-back quarter-final runs in the previous two tournaments, which are his best finishes. He was far too good for Fabbiano in their match, while Kei Nishikori also sailed through into Round 2.