It's Anybody's French Open: Bertens upsets injured Kerber in first round

Angelique Kerber’s performance in Paris on Tuesday was a microcosm of the 2016 WTA season to date: ups and downs, highs and lows and unprecedented inconsistency and unpredictability.

The Australian Open champion and No. 3 seed was upset by Kiki Bertens, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, in the first round of the French Open.

The world No. 58 took the first set with ease, but Kerber responded in the second to level the match. In the decider, Bertens outclassed the favorite to send her home early.

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It was an especially painful match for Kerber, who was bothered by a left shoulder injury. Trailing 3-0 in the third set, the 28-year-old German received treatment during the changeover.

It’s been a rough go for Kerber, who lost her opening-round matches in Madrid and Rome and had to pull out of last week’s tournament in Nuremberg—which Bertens coincidentally won— because of the injury.

“It's getting worse and worse, but I hope it's not too bad,” Kerber told the Associated Press in regard to the injury.

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According to the AP, Kerber joins Chris O’Neil, Barbara Jordan, Lindsay Davenport and Li Na as the only women to lose in the first round of Roland Garros after winning the Australian Open earlier in the year.

Aside from semifinal showings in Miami and Charleston and a title run in Stuttgart, Kerber hasn’t quite played up to expectation since capturing her first career Slam. She’s lost her opening match four times and has a pedestrian 14-8 record since shocking Serena Williams in the final in Melbourne.

Bertens will play Camila Giorgi, who defeated Alize Lin, 6-3, 6-2, in the second round.