Mladenovic falls in the first round with too much energy
Invited by the organizers, Kristina Mladenovic failed to make the grade. Ranked 212th in the world this week, she had a superb opportunity to relaunch her career. Up against a Petra Martic who was far from her best (5 wins in 15 matches prior to Roland Garros), the Frenchwoman cruelly lacked bite (6-4, 6-4 in 1h30).
With a frightening feverishness on her serve (0 aces, 7 double faults, 5 breaks conceded), she was far too inconsistent to hope for anything. Despite some fine shots, she let her much more solid opponent (29 winners, 21 unforced errors) slip through to the second round.
Although she didn't have a great match, Martic did her job and could well meet Elise Mertens in the next round, unless Maria Carle can surprise the Belgian.
For Mladenovic, the hell continues to break loose and the question arises: given her poor level of tennis, did she deserve her invitation?