American loses 6-3, 7-5 against Elena Rybakina in ParisWilliams was only top-20 player left in her half of drawThe only certainty in the bottom half of the women’s singles draw at the
French Open this year is the constant thrill of uncertainty. On Sunday afternoon the final top-20 player in the section fell and it was the most successful of them all as
Serena Williams was thoroughly outplayed by a young Kazakh star called Elena Rybakina, who won 6-3, 7-5.
With Williams’ defeat Rybakina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Tamara Zidansek and Paula Badosa remain in the bottom half of the draw. None has ever braved a major semi-final and only Pavlyuchenkova has contested a quarter-final. One will seize the moment and become the newest first-time grand-slam finalist.