'Awful': Tennis world in shock over unthinkable Ash Barty development

Ashleigh Barty has been knocked out of the Canadian Open in a shock first-up loss to Sofia Kenin, losing her World No.1 ranking after just eight weeks.

The Australian fell to the American 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4 in Toronto on Tuesday in her first match since Wimbledon.

The 2019 French Open champion, Barty was broken six times over the match, which lasted one hour 58 minutes.

UPDATE: Ash Barty officially loses No.1 ranking after Naomi Osaka advances

"I think it was a little rust but I think just in general it was just a bit loose," Barty said.

"At times I was missing by big margins, which is not something that I'm used to or comfortable with, but it's not panic stations.

"It's my first match on hardcourt in a long time."

It means she will lose her No.1 ranking to Naomi Osaka or Karolina Pliskova when the rankings are updated next week.

Barty had beaten the 29th-ranked Kenin three times this year.

But the 20-year-old got the better of the Aussie on centre court at Aviva Centre to earn the fourth top-10 win of her career.

"I am just really tired to be honest," Kenin said in her on-court interview.

"Such a tough player and it was a tough match and I am just so happy to have pulled through."

Kenin got an early break in the match to go ahead 2-1.

However Barty broke back in the 10th game to level the opening set before taking control in what was mostly a lopsided tiebreak.

But Barty dropped her first two service games of the second set and was quickly staring at a 4-0 deficit.

She nearly erased it until Kenin stood firm to force a decider where she charged out to 4-1 lead and held off any comeback plans by her opponent.

It comes as a major reality check for Barty heading into the US Open, and revenge for Kenin after the Aussie won their fourth-round clash at Roland Garros.

"It's very different conditions here and different coming from home, training in winter at the moment, where the ball is a little lower and here it's quite lively and quick off the racquet," Barty said.

"All in all, I didn't adjust well enough or quick enough to the conditions how I needed to."

The tennis world reacted with shock, with some questioning Barty’s credentials to be World No.1.

Horror day for Aussies

It was a rough day for Australia after compatriot Ajla Tomljanovic also had to retire from the opening round.

Tomljanovic was trailing Polish ace Iga Swiatek 4-1 in the first set of their match when she pulled the plug.

On the men’s side, Alex de Minaur, Jordan Thompson and Nick Kyrgios also fell at the first hurdle.

An out-of-sorts Kyrgios, upset over a towel, was beaten in straight sets to leave John Millman as the lone Australian in the main draw.

Briton Kyle Edmund outserved Kyrgios and did not face a break point as he closed out a 6-3 6-4 victory in 67 minutes, which was only delayed by a rain interruption late in the second set.

De Minaur couldn't get past Dan Evans, who beat the Australian No.1 6-4 7-6 (8-6).

British No.2 saved seven of the eight break points he faced and converted both break chances on De Minaur's serve.

Meanwhile, Thompson was defeated by American John Isner 6-3 3-6 7-6 (8-6) in another tense match.

However it wasn’t all bad news with Millman needing more than two-and-a-half hours to battle past Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez 6-7 (7-4) 7-6 (7-2) 6-3.

The Australian will face Marin Cilic next after the Croatian 14th seed beat Bradley Klahn 6-3 7-6 (9-7).

Bernard Tomic also failed to make the second round after falling to Roberto Bautista Agut in the opening round on Monday.

Tomic knocked compatriot Marc Polmans out of the qualifiers.

with agencies