Karman Kaur Thandi crashed out of the French Open in a horror Grand Slam comeback

Former Indian No.1 Karman Kaur Thandi experienced a difficult return to the Grand Slams, crashing out of French Open qualifying on Tuesday, May 19. The 27-year-old was comprehensively outclassed as France’s Harmony Tan secured a dominant 6-1, 6-0 win in just 48 minutes during the opening round of qualifying.

Thandi, entry to the clay major using the protected rankingstruggled to find some rhythm against Tan, who is best known for her upset win over Serena Williams at Wimbledon 2022. Tan will now advance to face the winner of Darja Vidmanova vs Xinya Gao in the next qualifying round.

Tan controlled the match while Thandi struggled on both serve and return throughout the match. Tan converted five of her eight break point opportunities, while Thandi failed to convert her only chance. Consistency on the first serve proved crucial, with Tan having a clear advantage in accuracy and using it to dictate her game plays.

TAN DOMINATES THANDI

Thandi endured a tough match as she struggled to get into a rhythm against Tan from the start. Tan dictated the game early with deep, accurate returns and constant baseline consistency, repeatedly drawing errors from both wings and preventing Thandi from building any momentum. Courtesy: French Open

In the opening exchanges, Thandi was often pushed behind the baseline and gave away several free points with unforced errors. Although she showed brief resistance with some sharp winners and competitive rallies, she was unable to sustain this level under sustained pressure. While she managed to get deuces or good positions on serve, Tan’s composure in the longer exchanges forced her back to errors.

Bekhend Thandi proved particularly vulnerable, breaking down under pressure and contributing to a steady stream of unforced and unforced errors. Her first serve percentage also remained inconsistent, limiting her ability to comfortably hold serve or apply pressure for scores. Tan, in contrast, remained disciplined and efficient, consistently cashing in on short balls and weak returns to stay in control of the rally.

THANDI FALLS TO SEVERE DEFEAT

As the match progressed into the second set, the pattern only escalated. Thandi continued to struggle with timing and shot selection while her error rate increased at key stages. Tan maintained control with a solid serve and sharp return, including strong first serve efficiency and early aggressive play that kept Thandi on the defensive.

Despite occasional flashes of struggle, Thandi was unable to sustain any meaningful momentum. A combination of inconsistent serving, increasing unforced errors and Tan’s relentless pressure ensured a one-sided match that closed in dominant fashion, with Tan firmly in command throughout.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

19 May 2026 22:45 IST