Elena Baltacha crashes out of French Open

Elena Baltacha bowed out of the French Open as the British number one lost in straight sets to US Open champion Samantha Stosur.

For a while in the opening set, Baltacha managed to trouble world number six Stosur, but after coming back from a break down she then lost seven successive games to suffer a 6-4 6-0 first-round defeat.

Baltacha, 28, fell an immediate break down in the opening set but then competed well to recover and close to 5-4, back on serve.

Serving in the 10th game, Baltacha conceded another break and consequently the set, and the world number 68, dressed all in blue on the Paris clay, crumbled from that stage on.

There were flickers from the British player's racquet in the second set, notably a fierce forehand that whistled past Stosur as it landed just inside the baseline, but they were infrequent.

The match was afforded the stadium stage of Philippe Chatrier Court but it became a no-contest as Baltacha, who struggled with her serve, won just nine points in the second set.

Stosur, runner-up to Francesco Schiavone at Roland Garros two years ago, clinched victory on her third match point to reach the last 64.

PA