By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, May 23, 2022
Frenchwoman Diane Parry won three of the last six games at love shocking defending champion Barbora Krejcikova 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 in a wild Roland Garros opener.
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The retractable roof over Court Philippe Chatrier was shut and the walls were closing in on Barbora Krejcikova in the final set.
Playing her first match since February, defending champion Krejcikova streaked through eight of the first nine games.
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Home hope Diane Parry transformed Krejcikova's comeback into a Parry Party.
Nineteen-year-old Frenchwoman Parry and some unruly vocal French fans combined to crater Krejcikova's lead and send the world No. 2 crashing out of Roland Garros.
World No. 97 Parry won three of the last six games at love shocking defending champion Krejcikova 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 in a topsy-turvy Roland Garros opener.
A year after Krejcikova's Cinderella run to the Roland Garros singles and doubles crowns, she made ignominious history.
Krejcikova is the first defending champion to fall in the first round since 2017 champion Jelana Ostapenko lost to Kateryna Kozlova, 7-5, 6-3, in the 2018 first round. She's just the third reigning champion to fall in the first round joining Ostapenko and Russian Anastasia Myskina who exited in the opening round in 2005.
This was Krejcikova's first match since she lost to Ostapenko in Doha last February. Nursing a right elbow injury that sidelined her from the Tour and limited her preparation for Paris, Krejcikova's energy level and quality of play dipped as the match progressed.
Afterward, Krejcikova conceded she "hit the wall."
"I just think I just collapsed physically, and, I mean, it was tough because I didn't play the matches," Krejcikova told the media in Paris. "Usually the matches are different than the practices, and I tried to prepare the best way I could.
"But, yeah, I collapsed."
The second-ranked Czech joins sixth-seeded Ons Jabeur and 10th-seeded former champion Garbine Muguruza as the third Top 10-ranked woman who failed to survive the first hurdle. Krejcikova lost her title defense and her place in the Top 10 falling to No. 12 in the live rankings as Estonian Anett Kontaveit succeeds her as the new world No. 2.
Signs of rust were evident in Krejcikova committing 45 unforced errors, 19 more than her teenage opponent, and spraying seven double faults.
Parry, who was ranked outside the Top 300 last July, is the lowest-ranked woman to beat the No.2 seed in Paris since No.114 Arantxa Rus upset Kim Clijsters in 2011.
Wielding a one-handed backhand, Parry couldn't push Krejcikova off the baseline for a set and a half.
Then Krejcikova began to spray shots, Parry was driving the ball with greater conviction and French fans came to life with rousing support of the Nice-born baseliner. Parry powered through 16 of 21 points in a six-game spree seizing the second set and force a decider.
You can completely understand French fans, starved for a home champion, roaring support for the underdog.
Still, some fans gave Krejcikova a rude welcome jeering the Czech when she returned to court after a clothing change before the third set began as well occasionally cheering her double faults.
It was a disappointing display of disrespect for the woman who showed so much grace and class winning Roland Garros singles and doubles crowns a year ago. Asked about that rude response, Krejcikova said afterward "that's life", but admitted disappointment hearing that mockery in a major given all she's been through just to comeback.
"I mean, it's difficult, but then I'm there and I'm kind of, you know, it's not the first time that this is happening to me," Krejcikova said. "But I would say that today with everything that I had to deal with, it was very, very difficult."
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Krejcikova went up 2-0 in the decider before Parry responded with a three-game run.
Looking a litle tired and tight, Krejcikova tried to impose her net skills to shorten points. The Czech wacked a wild forehand swing volley seven feet long to surrender serve and hand Parry a 5-3 lead.
Stepping up to serve for her first career Top 10 win, Parry did not flinch at closing time wrapping up her career-best win in two hours, eight minutes. Parry will play world No. 66 Camila Osorio in round two.