Mauresmo finds Paris unforgiving again

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Parisians had postponed lunch in their thousands in the hope that the 27-year-old Frenchwoman would make it through to the second week of the French Open for only the third time in her career.

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But Mauresmo found Lucie Safarova, a 20-year-old from the Czech Republic, eager to capitalise on her weakness after an operation to remove her appendix in March.

"There was no miracle today," said Mauresmo after her 6-3, 7-6 defeat in an hour and 54 minutes.

In January, Safarova ended Mauresmo's reign as Australian Open champion and the Frenchwoman's fortunes have plunged downhill ever since.

"I've struggled for a few months now," said Mauresmo. "I'm not a patient person. I was probably a bit naive, but I expected to be back healthy earlier than this.

"It's true that clay doesn't help, because you have to make big slides and this is not easy when you're struggling with an abductor injury. And there was a lack of preparation.

"Grass is a more natural surface to me and I find my tennis earlier on grass. I hope I will be at almost one hundred per cent of my potential at Wimbledon."