Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, who won her first major title at Wimbledon last month, has been sent home early by No. 49 ranked Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania. It was a straight-sets victory, 7-6(3), 6-3 for the 22-year-old Dulgheru who has only two career WTA singles titles.
Kvitova became the first reigning women’s Wimbledon champion to lose in the first round of the U.S. Open in the modern era, not a distinction one wants to have.
Kvitova committed 52 unforced errors, and had this comment after the match: “I know I’m still young and this is something new for me. I felt pressure, of course. Maybe it’s a little of this. Everything is in the head.”
Dulgheru will now play her compatriot, 23-year-old No. 69 Monica Niculescu from Bucharest, Romania. Dulgheru and Niculescu are tied at 1-1 in career matches, both of which went three sets.
