World number two Rybakina suffers shock exit to Starodubtseva at French Open

[p]The Kazakh world number two blew a one-set lead in dramatic fashion at Roland Garros, slumping to a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/rybakina-e-UDzElXdm/starodubtsewa-y-GlqMuuhi/?mid=Ozf3unp3"]3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4) loss[/a].[/p][p][b]"Honestly, hard to describe, I'm super happy,"[/b] said world number 55 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/starodubtsewa-yulia/GlqMuuhi/"]Starodubtseva[/a] after beating a top-10 opponent for the first time in her career.[/p][p][b]"I'm super proud of myself that I was able to do this today. It was a tricky third set but I got it done in the end."[/b][/p][p]It is [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rybakina-elena/UDzElXdm/"]Rybakina[/a]'s earliest exit from any WTA tournament since the 2025 Miami Open and first defeat in the opening two rounds of a major since the 2024 Australian Open.[/p][p]Starodubtseva has already matched her previous best run at a Grand Slam event, when she lost to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paolini-jasmine/noaX0EJn/"]Jasmine Paolini[/a] in the French Open third round as a lucky loser 12 months ago.[/p][embed guid="a78c8a32-90ab-4e22-9be3-4bec34c8d406" url="https://x.com/WTA/status/2059664927057396110" social-type="twitter" /][p]Rybakina started strongly on a sweltering Court Suzanne Lenglen, easing into a 5-1 lead before wrapping up the opening set.[/p][p]But her game quickly unravelled as an inspired Starodubtseva reeled off the first five games of the second en route to taking the set.[/p][p]Rybakina was on the ropes as she quickly lost the opening three games of the decider to slip a double-break behind.[/p][p]She dug deep, though, to get a break back and then stave off two break points to cut the gap to 3-2.[/p][p]Another Rybakina break followed just as the clock reached the two-hour mark, bringing the third set level at 4-4.[/p][p]Starodubtseva regrouped just when she looked to be wilting, doggedly holding serve in the 12th game to force a breaker.[/p][p]The deciding tiebreak started with a Rybakina double fault, and Starodubtseva wasted little time in stretching 6-2 in front.[/p][p]She completed the biggest win of her career on her second match point when Rybakina sent a forehand flying wide.[/p][p][b]"You can't be thinking it will be easy, even at 3-0 (in the third set), I was thinking this might still not be easy," [/b]said Starodubtseva.[/p][image alt="Match stats" id="53a18e39-955c-4563-a44d-5a7289d9a09c" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="352be6c7-0444-47cf-a294-51399d83d131" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /]