French Open 2017: Headlines and sidelines from Day 1 at Roland Garros

Kerber became first top seed to lose opening round, even as Kvitova makes emotional winning return.

Courtesy: Twitter (@rolandgarros)

Paris: Headlines and sidelines on the first day of the French Open on Sunday:

+ Kerber first top seed to lose opening round

+ Kvitova makes emotional winning return

+ Venus begins 20th French Open with victory

+ Thiem off to flying start

Who`s saying what:

"I promised my doctor, who gave me the green light, that if I feel pain in my hand during the match or in the practice, I`m stopping immediately."
-- Petra Kvitova after winning her first match following a knife attack six months ago

"I don`t want to think of what she`s gone through. I saw her this morning and I hugged her. I`m like, How are you doing? How are you? How was time off?"
-- Svetlana Kuznetsova on the return of Kvitova

"It was such a traumatic experience. I`m really happy for her and I`m glad to see all of the players giving her a warm welcome back because she deserves it and she`s such a great champion and a truly amazing person off the court that, you know, she deserves that and more."
-- Olympic champion Monica Puig on Kvitova`s return

"Tears in my eyes watching @Petra_Kvitova winning her first come back match at RG so emotional and inspiring... Bravo Petra ! #fighter."
-- French player Alize Cornet on Twitter

Sidelines

Brengle gets bike buzz
-- Madison Brengle likes to relax in Paris by sitting on the back of a Vespa moped, leaving friend and French player Julie Coin to do the steering. "This is the highlight. She has a little yellow one and I named it Bumble. So, I`m like, I just want to go every where on Bumble. Take me on Bumble. So that`s the highlight of Paris for me is riding the Vespa."

Not you again!
-- Ivo Karlovic will face Horacio Zeballos in the second round having already defeated the Argentine at the Australian Open in a five-setter lasting five hours and 14 minutes. The giant Croatian came back from two sets down to triumph in a 22-20 final set. "I like those kind of matches and that`s what I will remember. So hopefully not like this long match, but if it`s another epic match, I am all in," said 38-year-old Karlovic.

Thief spells trouble for Thiem
-- Highly-rated Austrian Dominic Thiem may be a title contender having made the semi-finals last year and beating Rafael Nadal in Rome this year. But he has yet to reach the radar of media officials at the tournament. On a list of media conferences, he was listed as Dominic Thief rather than Thiem before the error was spotted. Thiem, meanwhile, won his opener on Sunday in straight sets against Bernard Tomic.

In the mood for love
-- Australia`s Sam Groth was in the mood for love on the eve of the French Open by proposing to his girlfriend Britt Boys in Paris`s Jardin de Luxembourg. He tweeted a photo with him on one knee -- Boys said `yes`. Last year, America`s Taylor Fritz asked Racquel Padraza to marry him in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Age trumps youth
-- At just 15, America`s Amanda Anisimova was the youngest player in the draw since Alize Cornet in 2005. But despite a promising start, she lost 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Japan`s Kurumi Nara, 10 years her senior. The match featured 14 breaks of serve.

Numbers up

50 -- match wins at Roland Garros by 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova after her opening victory over Christina McHale.

55/48 -- the winners and unforced errors hit by Latvia`s Jelena Ostapenko in her win over Louisa Chirico of the US.

79 -- winners by Julia Georges in her three-set defeat (13-11 in final set) to Madison Brengle.