Tuesday 26 May 2015

Aga an early casualty in Paris

It hasn't been the best of years for Agnieszka Radwanska, not by a long shot.  Before arriving in Paris for her first round match in the 2015 French Open, the 2013 Roland Garros quarter finalist had won just 15 of her 27 matches this year.

Only once had she progressed far enough in a tournament to be able to play a top ten player, and she lost that match to Caroline Wozniacki.  The only other contest against a top tenner was a Fed Cup clash with Maria Sharapova, again resulting in a loss for the Polish star who began the season as the world number six.

Seeded number 14 for the year's second Grand Slam tournament Aga could only hope to turn things around. Her first opponent, German Annika Beck ranked 81 in the world should normally have posed few problems, but on the back of an incredible first serve percentage and a stack of winners, Annika restricted Aga's presence at Roland Garros this year to just three sets and one day.

Aga, the previously perennial top ten feature, has now become a struggling part of a continually changing top twenty, and at this rate could even find herself ejected from that group.  Let's hope she can rekindle her fire and her form on the grass which has provided her with such success in the past, especially at Wimbledon.