French Open 2019: Serena Williams loses to Sofia Kenin in third round
- From the section Tennis
| 2019 French Open |
|---|
| Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 26 May-9 June |
| Coverage: Live text and radio commentary on selected matches on the BBC Sport website and app. |
Three-time champion Serena Williams was stunned in the French Open third round by unseeded American Sofia Kenin.
Williams, 37, was seeded 10th at Roland Garros but lost 6-2 7-5 to her 20-year-old compatriot.
The defeat means Williams' quest to equal Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles continues.
"I'm so happy with this win - obviously you can tell with these emotions," a crying Kenin told the crowd on Philippe Chatrier.
"Playing against Serena, you have to fight for every point."
Williams' defeat followed the shock exit by world number one Naomi Osaka a few hours earlier and leaves only three top-10 players left in the women's draw.
Earlier in the day, defending champion Simona Halep enjoyed a straightforward victory, beating Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko 6-2 6-1 to reach the last 16.
World number 35 Kenin will play Australian eighth seed Ashleigh Barty in the fourth round, while Halep faces unseeded 18-year-old French Open debutant Iga Swiatek.
Kenin, who received a walkover in the second round after Bianca Andreescu withdrew, was fired up from the outset and has now won 11 of her last 13 matches against compatriots.
More to follow.
