Naomi Osaka, Stefanos Tsitsipas become first big seeds to fall at Wimbledon in the first round
WIMBLEDON, London: Naomi Osaka became the first top seed to lose at Wimbledon, falling to Yulia Putinseva 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the first round.
The second-seeded Osaka, who won the US Open last year and the Australian Open this year, was ranked No. 1 in the world until last week.
Osaka had 38 unforced errors on Centre Court, while Putinseva had only seven.
It was Osaka’s second loss to Putinseva on grass this season. The Japanese player lost to the 24-year-old Kazakh in Birmingham two weeks ago.
Osaka lost in the third round at French Open.
The 21-year-old Japanese said she had felt a weight lifted from her after losing her number one world ranking but it did not show against a talented opponent on Centre Court.
Indeed Putintseva simply franked the form from the recent Birmingham tournament where she had beaten the US Open and Australian Open champion in the second round.
Meanwhile, on the men’s side of the draw, Greek seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, tipped by many as a potential Wimbledon champion, crashed out in the first round.
The 20-year-old lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 6-3 to world number 89 Thomas Fabbiano of Italy who next faces 40-year-old Ivo Karlovic.
Tsitsipas had reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January and the last-16 at Roland Garros as well as the fourth round at Wimbledon last year.
With AFP and Reuters
