Share

Na admits to not being ready

Paris - Chinese second seed Li Na has admitted she wasn't ready mentally after crashing out in the French Open first round at the hands of world number 103 Kristina Mladenovic of France.

Following men's third seed Stan Wawrinka's exit on Monday, fellow Australian Open champion Li became the biggest early victim in the women's draw as 21-year-old Mladenovic stormed through 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 on a windswept Suzanne Lenglen court.

"Nobody says if you're number two in the world you have to win all the matches. I mean, this is tennis," said Li, the 2011 Roland Garros champion.

"I think it doesn't matter who plays today against me, I always lose because I don't think I put pressure on her," she said about Mladenovic, who reaches the last 64 for just the second time in six appearances in Paris.

Li came into the tournament in good form having reached the quarter-finals at Rome and Madrid as well as the Miami Masters final where she lost to Serena Williams.

However, her results in Paris since becoming the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam three years ago have been disappointing.

She was knocked out in the second round last year and hasn't been past the fourth round in any of her seven other appearances in the French capital.

"I think today I gave away the match," said the dejected 32-year-old double Grand Slam winner.

"I think today is not about tennis, so many thing are wrong."

On Tuesday, she committed 37 unforced errors.

"I don't think I'm doing well. If I'm doing well, I believe I still can win the match if it's not my best day.

"But I don't think today I tried a lot. Like I said before, doesn't matter who plays today against me. I already lose the match already."

Mladenovic next meets Alison Riske of the United States.

"It's just incredible, I don't have the words to describe what happened," a tearful Mladenovic said.

"To beat the world number two in the first round at Roland Garros is incredible. Without you, I couldn't have done it," the 2009 French Open junior champion told the crowd.

The 21-year-old dug deep to steal the first set from under Li's nose when she saved two set points at 5-4 before going on to close out the opening frame 7-5.

The second set was a different story as the 32-year-old from Wuhan picked up an early break to race into a 3-0 lead which she protected the rest of the way to level the match 6-3.

Then came the Li collapse.

Mladenovic, who teamed up with Canadian Daniel Nestor to win the Wimbledon (2013) and Australian (2014) mixed doubles titles, drew first blood in the final set when she broke in the fourth game to jump into a 4-1 lead.

The match was slipping away from the Australian Open champion while Mladenovic grew in confidence knowing victory was within her grasp.

The world number two was unable to muster a fightback as Mladenovic closed out the match 6-1 for her greatest win.

Results on Tuesday at the French Open, the third day of the season's second Grand Slam tournament at Roland Garros (x denotes seeded player):

Men

First round
Jack Sock (USA) bt Nicolas Almagro (ESP x21) 5-0 - retired (foot)
Dusan Lajovic (SRB) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-3, 6-2, 6-3
Jurgen Zopp (EST) bt Tommy Haas (GER x16) 2-5 - retired (shoulder)
Ivo Karlovic (CRO) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x11) 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4)
Andreas Haider-Maurer (AUT) bt Daniel Brands (GER) 4-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
Axel Michon (FRA) bt Bradley Klahn (USA) 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 5-7, 6-1, 6-4
Kevin Anderson (RSA x19) bt Stphane Robert (FRA) 7-5, 6-3, 6-4
Andreas Seppi (ITA x32) bt Santiago Giraldo (COL) 6-3, 7-5, 6-3
Juan Monaco (ARG) bt Lucas Pouille (FRA) 6-3, 6-1, 6-4
Simone Bolelli (ITA) bt Andrea Arnaboldi (ITA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
David Ferrer (ESP x5) bt Igor Sijsling (NED) 6-4, 6-3, 6-1
Richard Gasquet (FRA x12) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS) 6-2, 6-1, 7-5
Carlos Berlocq (ARG) bt Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4
Pablo Cuevas (URU) bt Matthew Ebden (AUS) 6-1, 6-2, 6-3
Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x28) bt Pere Riba (ESP) 7-5, 6-4, 6-1
Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3

Women

First round
Camila Giorgi (ITA) bt Bojana Jovanovski (SRB) 6-4, 6-3
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x27) bt Sofia Shapatava (GEO) 6-3, 6-1
Elina Svitolina (UKR) bt Petra Martic (CRO) 5-0 - retired (wrist)
Ana Ivanovic (SRB x11) bt Caroline Garcia (FRA) 6-1, 6-3
Sloane Stephens (USA x15) bt Peng Shuai (CHN) 6-4, 7-6 (10/8)
Polona Hercog (SLO) bt Jana Cepelov (SVK) 6-2, 6-3
Mara Teresa Torr (ESP) bt Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2
Magdalna Rybrikov (SVK) bt Urszula Radwanska (POL) 4-6, 6-4, 3-0 - retired
Heather Watson (GBR) bt Barbora Zhlavov Strcov (CZE) 6-3, 6-4
Simona Halep (ROM x4) bt Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) 6-0, 6-2
Jelena Jankovic (SRB x6) bt Sharon Fichman (CAN) 5-7, 6-1, 6-3
Teliana Pereira (BRA) bt Luksika Kumkhum (THA) 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
Sorana Cirstea (ROM x26) bt Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, 6-2
Kirsten Flipkens (BEL x21) bt Danka Kovinic (MNE) 7-6 (8/6), 6-2
Julia Glushko (ISR) bt Donna Vekic (CRO) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4
Dinah Pfizenmaier (GER) bt Estrella Cabeza (ESP) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) bt Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x13) 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-2
Silvia Soler (ESP) bt Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) 6-2, 6-3
Kiki Bertens (NED) bt Alexandra Cadantu (ROM) 7-6 (7/5), 6-1
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x24) bt Kimiko Date Krumm (JPN) 6-3, 0-6, 6-2
Alison Riske (USA) bt Mirjana Lucic (CRO) 7-6 (7/2), 6-3
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) bt Li Na (CHN x2) 7-5, 3-6, 6-1

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
60% - 21 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
40% - 14 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE