Roland Garros - Day 1 - Kerber out

The second Grand tournament of the year is underway and defending champions in the Roland Garros singles are Rafa Nadal (2) and Simona Halep (3).

First up on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Day One of Roland Garros 2019 was the battle between three time Grand Slam winner, and last years quarter finalist Angie Kerber (5), and Russian teenager Anastasia Potapova.

This was the first meeting between the two, and the first Roland Garros adventure for Anastasia.

Kerber, if she won this years tournament, would complete a career Grand Slam.

Potapova served first, and held firm, initially feeding on German errors, but impressing with the last two points - wrong footing Kerber with a forehand and sealing the game with a well placed powerful backhand.

Kerber had 30-15, but two winners from Potapova, one from each wing, produced a break point. It was saved by a  winning forehand up the line. An unforced Kerber error gave Potapova another break opportunity, and a netted backhand confirmed the break, giving Potapova a 2-0 advantage.

Kerber immediately broke back, and although taken to deuce in the subsequent game, managed to draw level at 2-2.

Another exchange of service breaks gave Potapova a 4-3 lead and games remained on serve until Kerber went to the line at 4-5, needing to hold to stay alive in the set. 

The fifth seed raced to 40-0, following two Potapova errors and a forehand winner from Germany. Then a wonderful drop shot shocked Kerber, a Russian backhand winner saw Angie on the other side of Paris, a backhand return forced the German to hit out of court, and a stunning Potapova forehand down the line was the fourth straight point for the teenager creating a set point.

The set point was converted with a massive backhand which had Kerber in all kinds of turmoil and Potapova led 6-4.

Potapova did as she did in set one, breaking the Kerber serve in game two of set two, after first erasing game point. The Russian went further, though, converting the second of two break points in game four, and led 4-0.

Kerber snatched the second break back straight away, but still was under the hammer, trailing 2-5 when Potapova held on after visiting deuce.

A netted backhand, and wide shots, forehand and backhand, from Kerber, presented Potapova with three match points.

Two were saved - one with a Russian mistake, the other by a Kerber forehand winner. However, a wide forehand from that same racquet gave Anastasia Potapova her biggest win in a short career 6-4 6-2.