Tennis: Erakovic falls in first round in Slovakia

Marina Erakovic serves against Petra Kvitova at the 2015 French Open. Photo / Getty Images

Kiwi tennis number one Marina Erakovic has suffered a blow to her French Open preparations.

Erakovic has lost in the first round of her final tournament before Roland Garros, an ITF event in Slovakia.

Erakovic has been beaten 6-4, 6-2 by Poland's Paula Kania and now heads to Paris for French Open qualifying next week.

Meanwhile in the big men's Challenger at Heilbronn, Germany Michael Venus and American Ryan Harrison have been beaten 4-6 6-3 6-10 by Argentine, Andres Molteni and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela (Mexico) in the first round.

Artem Sitak and his Polish partner Mariusz Fyrstenberg face Brit Jonathan Marray and Canadian Adi Shamasdin in the first round of the Bordeaux Challenger.