French Open champion Andreeva falls at Bad Homburg Open

French Open champion Mirra Andreeva lost in her first match since winning the title at Roland Garros, falling to fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova in straight sets at the Bad Homburg Open on Wednesday. The 19-year-old, playing her only grass-court tuneup before Wimbledon, was defeated 6-3, 6-4 in Germany.

Andreeva, seeded second at the tournament, struggled to find her rhythm on the surface against the world No. 19. Alexandrova controlled the match with consistent hitting, securing the victory in one hour and 28 minutes. The players shared a hug at the net following the match, which was played during a heat wave affecting parts of Europe. During the second set, Andreeva produced a notable trick shot with heavy backspin that bounced back over the net to win a point.

With the loss, Andreeva joins a short list of players this century who lost their next match immediately after winning the French Open women's singles title. She will now head to Wimbledon without a win on grass this season. Her best performance at the All England Club to date is a quarterfinal appearance last year.

Alexandrova, who recorded her first top-10 win of the season, advanced to the quarterfinals. In an...