Bertens has made a strong run in the lead-up to the French Open with a semi-final berth at Marrakech, two wins in the Netherlands’ unsuccessful Fed Cup World Group semi-final against France, and winning nine of her last ten overall.
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The Serb, bidding to become just the eighth man to secure a career Grand Slam, needed only 90 minutes on Court Phillipe Chatrier to book a second-round encounter with Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis.
Bertens managed to come through the clash with a 6-2 3-6 6-3 victory on the clay court in Paris.
‘The first set, she played good (sic), but in the third set, she starts really well.
“Frankly, I did not expect such a match”.
“It was a good week for me last week and good for me here too”, said an excited Bertens just after the win.
Kerber received treatment on her left shoulder at the changeover as she trailed 3-0 in the deciding set.
What it means: For Serena Williams, the top seed and defending champion, it means that the two women who have beaten her most recently at Slams – Kerber and Roberta Vinci – are out of the draw, the No. 7 seed Vinci having lost Monday.
This time she suffered a knee injury, for which she first called for the trainer at 3-3 in the second set.
On a roller coaster of results since her breakthrough win at the Australian Open, Angelique Kerber crashed out of the first round of the French Open on Tuesday – and hard. “So basically I’m reaping the bad fruit that I have sowed”. It’s a difficulty I went through. “And not just before matches, (it) happened to me at other meals as well”. The Czech took the first two sets 6-3, 6-3 before Murray found his rhythm and won the third 6-0.
Djokovic, a three-time Roland Garros finalist, faced little resistance from Taiwan’s world number 95 Lu Yen-Hsun as he cruised to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 victory. So Roland Garros announced my retirement, but I didn’t.
The 22-year-old Canadian finished 2014 with a career-high year-end ranking of seventh, after her Wimbledon final loss to Petra Kvitova and semifinal appearances at the French Open and Australian Open.
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Former champion Ana Ivanovic, Andrea Petkovic, Carla Suarez Navarro and Madison Keys all reached round two but Jelena Jankovic is out.
