No. 3 seed Aravane Rezai suffered a shock first round defeat at the hands of Alla Kudryavtseva on Monday night

Aravane Rezai had been expected to make a lengthy run at this week’s WTA Monterrey Open, but was instead on the receiving end of a 6-2, 6-1 defeat against Alla Kudryavtseva in the first round. Rezai had defeated the Russian in their only previous meeting, and this result certainly surprised the fans here in Mexico.

Kudryavtseva held her serve throughout the contest, and never looked like losing control. Her 50-minute victory was made easier by Rezai, who produced a sub-par performance including nine double faults.

Kudryavtseva remained realistic after the match, but appeared to be content with her performance. “Aravane didn’t play her best tennis today,” stated the Russian, “but I’m happy with the way I handled myself. It feels nice to win this match. It’s the first big upset for me this year. I played her before and lost, so I’m happy with the outcome. It’s only the first round though. I hope to keep the momentum going.”