Sixth seed Andreescu falls at first hurdle in Paris

The 2019 US Open champion, seeded sixth, went down 6-7(1) 7-6(2) 9-7 to the Slovenian.

PARIS (Reuters) - Bianca Andreescu became the highest women s seed to fall at the French Open so far as she lost a three-hour marathon against Tamara Zidansek in the first round on Monday.

The 2019 U.S. Open champion, seeded sixth, went down 6-7(1) 7-6(2) 9-7 to the Slovenian.

Canadian Andreescu, 20, served for the match at 5-4 in the deciding set but Zidansek broke back before missing a match point of her own in a gripping finale.

Andreescu found herself in trouble again serving at 7-8 and this time was unable to dig her way out of trouble with world number 85 Zidansek winning in three hours and 20 minutes.

While on paper it was a shock, Andreescu was playing at only her third Tour-level claycourt tournament and her lack of matches on the surface ultimately proved decisive.

He build-up was hardly helped by having to pull out of the Madrid and Rome tournaments after testing positive for COVID-19.

"I think I prepared super, super well for this tournament. That s why to me it s very disappointing, because I thought I could go far," Andreescu, who has struggled with injuries since wining the 2019 U.S. Open, told reporters.

"It sucks right now for me and I can just right now learn from it, because that s what life s all about.

"Hopefully the hard work that I did put in today and over the past couple of weeks will really show for the grass, for the hardcourt season."

The women s draw lost another big name when 2016 French Open semi-finalist Kiki Bertens fell at the first hurdle, losing 6-1 3-6 6-4 to another Slovenian, Polona Hercog.

Marketa Vondrousova, the 2019 runner-up who is seeded 20th this year, managed to avoid an early exit, battling back from a set down to beat Kaia Kanepi 4-6 6-3 6-0.

Johanna Konta, a semi-finalist in 2019, also crashed out as the 19th seed lost 7-6(5) 6-2 to 54th-ranked Romanian Sorana Cirstea -- ending British hopes in the women s singles.