French Open: Defending champion Ostapenko, Venus Williams crash out

Paris [France]: Defending champion Jelena Ostapenko and American tennis star Venus Williams crashed out of the French Open in the first round itself, here on Sunday.

Ostapenko was dethroned by 66th-ranked Kateryna Kozlova on the first day of the Roland-Garros. Meanwhile, Williams lost to Wang Qiang of China on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

World number five Ostapenko slumped to a 7-5 6-3 defeat to Kozlova, who had won both the previous meetings in which the pair met.

The Latvian was unable to repeat her heroics of 2017, when she became the first unseeded women’s champion since 1933.

Meanwhile, ninth-seeded American Venus Williams lost 6-4, 7-5 to Wang.

Sunday’s defeat was the fourth time Williams has lost in the first round of the French Open in her 21 appearances. (ANI)