Roddick ousted in 1st round of French Open

PARIS – Six major champions made their way through the first round of the French Open on Sunday’s opening day. One didn’t: Andy Roddick.

Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, lost to 88th-ranked Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, exiting in the opening round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since 2007. The 26th-seeded Roddick is 7-10 this season, 0-4 on clay.

“I move just horrendously out here. My first step is just so bad on this stuff,” Roddick said. “I feel like I’m always shuffling or hopping or not stopping or something. So my footwork on this stuff now is just really bad.”

None of the top three men played on Day 1. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer will be on court today, while Rafael Nadal is slated to begin his attempt for a record-breaking seventh French Open title on Tuesday.

Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, recovered from a slow start to beat 19-year-old Paula Ormaechea of Argentina 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. It was her first match at a major tournament since revealing she had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

Williams, 31, a former top-ranked player who is now No. 53, is 12-4 this season. She pulled out of the U.S. Open last August before her second-round match, saying she had Sjogren’s syndrome, a condition that can cause fatigue and joint pain. She returned to the tour in March.