Top-seeded Stephens loses in 1st round

STRASBOURG, France (AP) Top-seeded Sloane Stephens of the United States and sixth-seeded Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia lost in straight sets in the first round of the Strasbourg International on Tuesday.

Julia Goerges of Germany upset Stephens 6-3, 6-2, and Croatian qualifier Mirjana Lucic-Baroni stunned Jovanovski 6-4, 6-0.

Goerges, a semifinalist at the Pattaya Open in Thailand in February, did not face a break point. She broke for 5-3 in the first set, and in the final set, Stephens dropped serve in the first and seventh games.

Lucic-Baroni offset seven double faults by saving all four break points she faced against Jovanovski.

Other winners included seventh-seeded Peng Shuai of China, Christina McHale of the United States, and qualifier Silvia Soler-Espinosa of Spain, who defeated Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland for the first time in five matches.