Kerber suffers historic Roland Garros loss

getting into the match, smacking a cross-court forehand passing winner, leaning forward and yelling as she took a game to get within 3-1.

But that was about it. In the last game, Kerber had seven break points but Makarova fought off each one before holding to win.

“It was really tough. She’s a No. 1 and she’s a great player and I knew that I have to win it; she’s not going to miss it,” Makarova said. “I was also fighting with my emotion.”

In the preceding match on Court Philippe Chatrier, Petra Kvitova was back competing in a tournament, less than six months after a knife attack at her home.

Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champ, had little trouble in her return, beating 86th-ranked Julia Boserup of the United States 6-3, 6-2 in 74 minutes. “I think it doesn’t really matter how I played, but I won,” Kvitova said. “I won already, before.”

Indeed, just being there under a cloud-filled sky at Roland Garros was a victory for Kvitova, who needed surgery on her left hand - the one she holds her racquet with — after being stabbed by an intruder in the Czech Republic in late December. She was undecided until late last week whether to even try to play in the French Open.

In one other early result of significance, 2015 US

Open runner-up Roberta Vinci exited the French Open in the first round for the fourth year in a row. The 31st-seeded Vinci lost to Rio Olympics gold medalist Monica Puig 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

SHOCKING LOSS