WTA French Open 2019 updates: Angelique Kerber tumbles out in first round

Results and reports from Day 1 of the women's singles event at Roland Garros

Angelique Kerber leaves the court following defeat in her first round defeat to Anastasia Potapova at the French Open. Getty Images

Angelique Kerber became the first high-profile exit at the WTA French Open after the fifth seed suffered a comprehensive 6-4, 6-2 defeat to world No 81 Anastasia Potapova.

Three-time grand slam champion Kerber said on the eve of Roland Garros that her expectations were "a little bit lower" due to an ankle injury that forced her to withdraw from the Madrid Open and Italian Open.

It was clear throughout that the 31-year-old German was struggling with her movement and she was consistently vulnerable on serve - getting broken three times in both sets.

Credit to Potapova, though, as the 18-year-old Russian took full advantage to claim her first win over a top-10 player. She will face either China's world No 57 Yafan Wang or fellow teenager Marketa Vondrousova, the Czech world No 38, in the second round.

Other early results at Roland Garros include an emphatic win for Croatia's Petra Martic, who defeated Tunisian Ons Jabeur 6-1, 6-2, and Sweden's Johanna Larsson's 6-3, 6-4 victory over Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova.

Muguruza moves into second round

Garbine Muguruza, the 2016 champion, bounced back from losing the first set to defeat American Taylor Townsend 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.

The Spanish 19th seed was competing in the first ever match at the new Court Simonne Mathieu and she looked to be the stadium's first shock result after Townsend broke to love in the 12th game of the first set.

Dropping the first set proved a wake-up call for Muguruza, who stepped up her level significantly to break Townsend's serve twice in both the second and third sets to book her place in the second round, and will next take on Larsson.