Kvitova loses to Thai player Kumkhum

Luksika Kumkhum of Thailand celebrates a point won over Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Monday. AP

MELBOURNE, Australia—Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was upset in the first round of the Australian Open by Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.

Luksika, playing just her second Grand Slam tournament, broke the sixth-seeded Kvitova in the eighth game of the third set after the Czech player hit a double-fault.

Kvitova broke back to make it 5-4, but then dropped her serve in the last game.

The speedy Thai player, who plays with a two-handed forehand and backhand, reached the second round of the Australian Open last year.

Kvitova lost in the first round of a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2011 United States Open, months after claiming the title at Wimbledon.