Virginie Razzano of France pulled the major upset of her career by downing the 2002 French Open champion and 5th seeded Serena Williams of the USA 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 in Round 1 of the 2012 French Open.
Virginie, ranked No. 111, has now won four of her last six matches against players ranked in the top 5. And it was the first time Serena has ever lost in the 1st round of a Grand Slam tourney, going 46-0 in previous Slam 1st rounds.
Serena was just two points from winning the match, up 5-1 in the 2nd set tiebreaker. At that point, Virginie won six consecutive points to take the 2nd set. Virginie then rolled out to a 5-0 lead in the 3rd set, but Serena came back reaching 3-5. The 9th game of the 3rd set, with Virginie serving, lasted 24 minutes, during which Serena failed to convert 5 break points before Virginie won the match on her 8th match point. The match lasted three hours and three minutes.
Serena seemed unnerved at times throughout the match, even shedding tears at the changeover for the third set.
Serena was considered by some to be the favorite to win this year’s French Open based on her latest performance. She won her 40th WTA title in April at Charleston, and her 41st WTA title in May at Madrid, defeating No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in the final.
Virginie’s best showing in a Grand Slam is Round 4 of the French Open in 2009, and Round 4 in Wimbledon, also in 2009. She lost in round 1 of the French Open the past two years. She will meet No. 88 ranked Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands in Round 2.
