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Wozniacki is latest victim in early exits by top seeds

FORMER world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki joined the exodus of women’s seeds at Roland Garros yesterday when the Dane was bundled out in the second round by Germany’s Julia Goerges.

Wozniacki, seeded five, joined Romanian third seed Simona Halep, last year’s runner-up, and No. 6 Eugenie Bouchard of Canada, after a 6-4, 7-6(4) defeat on a blustery Phillipe Chatrier court.

Goerges, who has fallen to 72 in the rankings after rising into the top 20 in 2012, battled back from a break behind to clinch the opening set and then broke Wozniacki’s serve at 5-5 in the second, only to falter when serving for the match.

She played a solid tiebreaker though to send Wozniacki spinning to a second successive early defeat at Roland Garros after she fell in the first round last year.

Sara Errani, the runner-up in 2012, avoided any mishaps though as the Italian beat Carina Witthoeft of Germany 6-4, 7-6(4).

Fourth seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic reached the third round with a 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2 win over Silvia Soler-Espinosa of Spain.

But it was another nervy showing from the Wimbledon champion who was taken to the limit in her opening match against New Zealander Marina Erakovic.

The Czech Fed Cup winner, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros in 2012, dropped serve twice in the opening set before the more consistent Soler-Espinosa took the tie-break 7/4.

Kvitova was hanging on early in the second set, but finally started to find her range with her groundstrokes and broke to take a 4-3 lead.

That was short-lived, however, as Soler-Espinosa battled back onto level terms in the next game, but Kvitova took the next two to level the set scores.

The fourth seed took command early on in the deciding set and back-to-back breaks saw her safely past the post and into the third round.

Kvitova will go up against either Ana Konjuh of Croatia or Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania for a place in the last 16.

— Reuters

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