Radwanska crashes out

 

The top three women’s seeds are all out of the French Open after Agnieszka Radwanska lost 6-4 6-4 to Ajla TomIjanovic in the third round on Friday, Skysports reports.

While not as big a shock as either Serena Williams or Li Na’s exits, it was a sizeable upset nonetheless and leaves fourth seed Simona Halep as the highest-ranked player remaining in the tournament.

Radwanska has never enjoyed playing on clay, particularly in the slow and heavy conditions that have been a feature of the first week at Roland Garros this year.

She reached the quarter-finals for the first time last year but was on the back foot from the start against 21-year-old Croat Tomljanovic.

It was a breakthrough at the top level for the Croatian world No 72, who is through to the fourth round at a grand slam for the first time at her maiden French Open.

This has been a tournament where the young guns have made their mark, and the powerful Tomljanovic joins Garbine Muguruza, Kristina Mladenovic and Taylor Townsend as a headline maker.

Tomljanovic, Muguruza and Mladenovic, the conquerors of the world’s top three in Paris, were all born in 1993.

The Croatian said, “After seeing the two first seeds go out, you kind of feel like ‘I can do this too’. I grew up with these girls that are beating them.

“I went on the stadium for the first time, and she kind of feels like home there, because she’s been there a lot more than I did. I went out there, and I really, inside really thought I could win. I think that showed and it is why I won.”

Tomljanovic moved to America eight years ago to train at Chris Evert’s academy and remains close with the 18-time grand slam singles winner.

“She really wants me to do well, and I can feel that from her,” Tomljanovic said. “I’m really happy that she’s someone I can rely on.”