(SATSports) – Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur suffered a shock defeat in the opening round of the women’s Olympic tennis tournament losing in straight sets to Carla Suarez Navarro.
The world number 22 lost 6-4, 6-1 to the Spaniard, ranked 183 places below her, in just over an hour on Sunday bringing a premature end to her Olympics campaign despite an impressive grass court season.
The 26-year-old was uncharacteristically out of form making 28 unforced errors, and four double faults compared to her opponent’s 12 and one respectively. She also only won 64 percent and 33 percent of her first and second serve points while Suarez Navarro won 71 percent and 62 percent respectively.
The Tunisian trailblazer had been the continent’s best hope at winning a medal in both the men’s and women’s events but her elimination ends Africa’s representation in the events at the Games.
Earlier on Egyptian duo Mayar Sherif and Mohamed Safwat also exited the Games following straight sets losses to Sweden’s Rebecca Peterson and Colombia’s Daniel Elahi Galan.
