Top seed Simona Halep has been knocked out of the ongoing US Open tournament after she was beaten in straight sets by Kaia Kanepi of Estonia in their first round clash.

Halep, 26, fell to a 6-2 6-4 defeat against the world number 44 at the new Louis Armstrong Stadium thus becoming the first top-seeded woman to lose in the US Open first round.

The Romanian star continues her unimpressive record at Flushing Meadows after the French Open champion was beaten by Maria Sharapova in 2017.

Her defeat to the world number 44 makes Halep the first women’s top seed to lose in the first round at the US Open since the professional era started in 1968.