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Paris - Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams crashed to her earliest French Open defeat in 12 years on Sunday when she lost 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-4 to Poland's Urszula Radwanska.
The 32-year-old Williams, giving away 10 years to her opponent, had only once suffered a first round exit at Roland Garros, back in 2001 when she was defeated by Barbara Schett.
Troubled by a back injury in recent weeks, the 30th-seeded American had mounted a stirring comeback in the second set tiebreak, clawing her way back from 0/4 down to reel off seven points in succession.
But the effort was too much for the veteran as Radwanska, the younger sister of world number four Agnieszka, took the tie on a second match point to make the last 64 for the second year in succession.
She will face German qualifier Dinah Pfizenmaier.
Results from the first day of the French Open, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, at Roland Garros on Sunday:
Men's singles
First round
Andreas Seppi (ITA x20) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4
Blaz Kavcic (SLO) bt James Duckworth (AUS) 6-2, 6-2, 6-2
Milos Raonic (CAN x14) bt Xavier Malisse (BEL) 6-2, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
Michael Llodra (FRA) bt Steve Darcis (BEL) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
Kevin Anderson (RSA x23) bt Illya Marchenko (UKR) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4
Joao Sousa (POR) bt Go Soeda (JPN) 6-1, 6-3, 6-2
David Ferrer (ESP x4) bt Marinko Matosevic (AUS) 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
Roberto Bautista (ESP) bt Gilles Muller (LUX) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Jeremy Chardy (FRA x25) bt Benjamin Becker (GER) 6-4, 6-2, 7-5
Viktor Troicki (SRB) bt James Blake (USA) 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
Gilles Simon (FRA x15) bt Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 3-6, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-5
Jan Hajek (CZE) bt Denis Kudla (USA) 6-2, 5-7, 6-0, 6-4
Sam Querrey (USA x18) bt Lukas Lacko (SVK) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Somdev Devvarman (IND) bt Daniel Munoz (ESP) 6-3, 6-3, 7-5
Roger Federer (SUI x2) bt Pablo Carreo (ESP) 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
Suspended due to darkness:
Marcel Granollers (ESP x31) level with Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
Women
First round
Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Anna Tatishvili (GEO) 6-0, 6-1
Caroline Garcia (FRA) bt Yulia Beygelzimer (UKR) 6-3, 6-4
Sorana Cirstea (ROM x26) bt Kiki Bertens (NED) 5-7, 7-5, 6-2
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x19) bt Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4
Petra Cetkovska (CZE) bt Olga Puchkova (RUS) 6-0, 6-2
Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) bt Grace Min (USA) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
Mallory Burdette (USA) bt Donna Vekic (CRO) 6-3, 6-4
Dinah Pfizenmaier (GER) bt Mandy Minella (LUX) 7-5, 6-1
Urszula Radwanska (POL) bt Venus Williams (USA x30) 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (4/7), 6-4
Virginie Razzano (FRA) bt Claire Feuerstein (FRA) 7-6 (8/6), 6-4
Ana Ivanovic (SRB x14) bt Petra Martic (CRO) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
Monica Puig (PUR) bt Nadia Petrova (RUS x11) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Irena Pavlovic (FRA) 6-3, 6-4
Sabine Lisicki (GER x 32) bt Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) 6-3, 6-4
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Ayumi Morita (JPN) 6-2, 6-3
Sara Errani (ITA x5) bt Arantxa Rus (NED) 6-1, 6-2
