French Open 2019: India's Prajnesh Gunneswaran crashes out in first round

India's Prajnesh Gunneswaran crashed out in the first round of the French Open men's singles after suffering straight sets defeat against Hugo Dellien of Bolivia.

Prajnesh lost 1-6, 3-6, 1-6 against his opponent to draw curtains on his campaign in Paris.

He was the lone Indian to feature in the men's singles main draw.

Despite the defeat, Gunneswaran was keen to look at the positives. “It’s definitely a milestone,” he said. “I’ve worked a long time to get to this place and obviously I would’ve liked a different result today.

“But it’s not the end of the world and I just have to keep getting better, put my head down and keep working.

“That’s what got me this far and I’m hoping that it will continue.”

The world number 86 is the sixth-highest ranked male player in India’s history as the nation continues its search for a tennis superstar.

“It definitely is more difficult to break through (coming from India) when you don’t have as a good a system or as much competition,” he said.

“In my case I think the main reason I took this long was because I was injured for a long time so it took me four or five more years than it might have taken had I not had the injury.

“I think the kind of breakthrough we’re talking about would have to be some kind of superstar -- not someone who is top 100 or 80 in the world, it’ll have to be someone who’s top 10. Someone like a (Japan’s Kei) Nishikori, but from India.

(Inputs from AFP)