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Title hope Zverev crashes in first round

Paris - German ninth seed Alexander Zverev, rated as a potential French Open champion this year, crashed out in the first round on Tuesday at the hands of Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco.

Zverev, 20, lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in a tie held over from Monday night due to fading light.

"I played absolute shit, that's why I lost," said Zverev.

"But life goes on, it's not a tragedy. In Rome I played fantastic, I won the tournament. Here I played bad, I lost first round. That's the way it goes."

In a match controversially suspended on Monday at one set each, Zverev was defeated in a fog of mistakes and despondency.

The beanpole German committed 50 unforced errors and drew jeers from the Philippe Chatrier court crowd when he took out his frustration by hammering his racquet into the clay.

Left-handed Verdasco, playing his 14th Roland Garros and 56th consecutive major, had lost to Zverev in the first round on clay in Madrid earlier this year.

But he is an experienced Grand Slam competitor, making the last 16 in Paris on four occasions.

"I practised really hard before this match against a great player like Alexander and I am super happy to be here on this court," said Verdasco who next plays France's Pierre-Hugues Herbert.

"Maybe it was my experience. You have to be ready emotionally and physically because it can be a long match."

Verdasco plays France's Pierre-Hugues Herbert for a place in the last 32.

French Open results on Tuesday, the third day of the 2017 tournament at Roland Garros (x denotes seeding):

Men

First round

Andy Murray (GBR x1) bt Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0

Martin Klizan (SVK) bt Laurent Lokoli (FRA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 4-6, 0-6, 6-4

Nicolas Almagro (ESP) bt Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/1)

Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG x29) bt Guido Pella (ARG) 6-2, 6-1, 6-4

John Isner (USA x21) bt Jordan Thompson (AUS) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3

Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) bt Ricardas Berankis (LTU) 6-0, 6-2, 6-4

Karen Khachanov (RUS) bt Nicolas Jarry (CHI) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1

Tomas Berdych (CZE x13) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 6-1, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4

Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Alexander Zverev (GER x9) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2

Hyeon Chung (KOR) bt Sam Querrey (USA x27) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Ernesto Escobedo (USA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-4

Jermy Chardy (FRA) bt Radu Albot (MDA) 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)

Kei Nishikori (JPN x8) bt Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4

Stan Wawrinka (SUI x3) bt Jozef Kovalik (SVK) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3

Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) bt Carlos Berlocq (ARG) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4

Gael Monfils (FRA x15) bt Dustin Brown (GER) 6-4, 7-5, 6-0

Kyle Edmund (GBR) bt Gastao Elias (POR) 6-3, 6-2, 7-5

Kevin Anderson (RSA) bt Malek Jaziri (TUN) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)

Nick Kyrgios (AUS x18) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3

Women

First round

Elina Svitolina (UKR x5) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 6-4, 6-3

Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) bt Mona Barthel (GER) 6-0, 6-4

Anastasija Sevastova (LAT x17) bt Annika Beck (GER) 6-2, 6-4

Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) bt Risa Ozaki (JPN) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2

Petra Martic (CRO) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 6-2, 7-5

Madison Keys (USA x12) bt Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 6-3, 6-2

Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Peng Shuai (CHN) 6-3, 6-1

Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP x21) bt Maria Sakkari (GRE) 6-4, 6-2

Darya Kasatkina (RUS) bt Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 7-5, 6-4

Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) bt Amandine Hesse (FRA) 6-1, 6-0

Tatjana Malek (GER) bt Duan Ying-Ying (CHN) 6-4, 6-1

Simona Halep (ROM x3) bt Jana Cepelova (SVK) 6-2, 6-3

Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) bt Johanna Konta (GBR x7) 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4

Taylor Townsend (USA) bt Miyu Kato (JPN) 6-4, 6-0

Chloe Paquet (FRA) bt Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-2

Caroline Garcia (FRA x28) bt Nao Hibino (JPN) 6-2, 6-2

Barbora Strycova (CZE x20) bt Alison Riske (USA) 6-3, 6-0

Alize Cornet (FRA) bt Timea Babos (HUN) 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2

Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) bt Naomi Osaka (JPN) 6-3, 7-5

Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x9) bt Fiona Ferro (FRA) 6-1, 6-1



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