Ons Jabeur stunned in French Open first round

Ons Jabeur, one of the favourites to win the French Open, was stunned in the first round on Sunday after the Tunisian let slip a one-set lead to lose 3-6, 7-6, 7-5 to Poland's Magda Linette.

Jabeur arrived in Paris as one of the WTA Tour's form players having won the Madrid Open - the first Arab player to win a Masters title - before reaching the Italian Open final. The Tunisian sixth seed looked on course for a comfortable and expected victory when she took the first set on Court Philippe Chatrier. After both players exchanged breaks early in the set, Jabuer took charge with breaks in the fifth and ninth games to take the lead.

Jabeur had a golden opportunity in the eighth game of the second set to put herself on the brink of victory but failed to convert any of three break points which would have given her the chance to serve for the match. Instead, the set went to a tiebreak, with world No 56 Linette sending the match into a decider.

As drops of rain fell on the main showcourt, Jabeur's level also dipped and her unforced errors climbed and she made her frustration evident by kicking balls away after losing points.

Linette, who lost to Jabeur in the third round last year, went up 4-2 in the third set but saw her advantage slip away when Jabeur broke her serve back to stay alive.

But the Pole sealed the match when the Tunisian wasted a 40-0 lead in the 12th game and found the net on match point to be broken for the second time in the set.

"I had so many tough matches with Ons and last year here I lost to her in the third round so I knew how difficult it's going to be," Linette said on court.

"She was playing so well all this time. I knew I have to be focused and play every single point and try to make her uncomfortable.