Kerber's season of horror continues

World number one Angelique Kerber's nightmare season hit a new low on Sunday when, with expectations weighing heavily after a stellar 2016, she was dumped out of the French Open 6-2, 6-2 by 40th-ranked Ekaterina Makarova.

The German became the first top-seeded woman to lose in the opening round of the French Open since the sport turned professional in 1968 -- and the disparity between the players in her Russian opponent's favour was as wide as the scoreline suggests.

Cutting a troubled figure on court a world away from the feisty baseliner who last season battled her way to two Grand Slam titles, Kerber lacked the pace and power to trouble her fellow left-hander.

Kerber, 29, has struggled this year, withdrawing from the Madrid Open with a thigh injury and losing in straight sets to Anna Kontaveit in Rome.

But Sunday's setback — albeit on a surface for which she has no great affection — threatens to leave her season in tatters. That picture offers the starkest of contrasts with a spectacular 2016 that also brought her major wins in the Australian and US Opens.

Makarova was making her first singles appearance on the Philippe Chatrier court as well as fighting against history.

Kvitova wins
Victory was a bonus for Petra Kvitova as the Czech left-hander made an emotional return to the limelight at the on Sunday, breezing into the second round in her first competitive match since a burglar stuck a knife through her playing hand. "As I said last time, I had already won. This match is special to me. I won for the second time, if I can say," she told reporters after she became the first player to advance following a 6-3, 6-2 win against American Julia Boserup.

"It wasn't really about the game today. Yesterday I was thinking how everything would be, and I couldn't really imagine how it would be.

"I thought maybe I'd cry when I'd step on the court, but I didn't today. Normally I can control my emotions on the court and I'm so I'm happy that I kind of did it, as well, this time," Kvitova added, although she admitted getting more emotional after the match. The 27-year-old, who dr­opped her racket and hid some tears behind her hands after match point, had spent five months out of the game since undergoing emergency surgery in December when she was stabbed during a burglary.

The twice Wimbledon champion, looked poised and focused, treating the sparse crowd to a few exquisite drop shots and lightning-quick forehands.

For a while, it almost felt like the attack had never happened.

After an early blip when she double-faulted, she opened a 2-0 lead by breaking in the second game. Mixing winners and unforced errors in almost equal measure, Kvitova had three break points to go 4-0 up but Boserup saw them off, although she could not fully overturn the advantage.

The Czech 15th seed took the opening set with a solid half volley. She broke twice in the second, sealing victory when Boserup netted a forehand.

Meanwhile, Venus Williams of the US eased through her opening round game with a 6-4, 7-6 (3) win over Qiang Wang of China.

Thiem  through
In the men’s draw, Austrian sixth seed Dominic Thiem got his campaign off to a quickfire start, beating an out-of-sorts Bernard Tomic 6-4, 6-0, 6-2.

After a tight first set, the 39th-ranked Australian won just two more games as he sprayed the ball long and wide in his quest for winners.