Olivia Rogowska is struggling to digest a first-round collapse at the French Open after surrendering 0-6, 7-5, 6-2 to Magdalena Rybarikova to be the first Australian eliminated in Paris.
The 23-year-old had delighted in overcoming “some mental barriers” to qualify for a grand slam for the first time in her six-year career. But past demons came back to haunt Rogowska as she suffered her ninth first-round loss at a major.
She committed 16 unforced errors in the deciding set, the same amount as the first and second sets put together. “I’m still trying to process what happened out there,” said Rogowska, who rolled through the first set in 23 minutes.