STUTTGART: Defending champion Maria Sharapova lost her opening claycourt match of the season on Thursday going down 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 to Germany's Angelique Kerber in Stuttgart.

The loss was Sharapova's first in the German city after sweeping to the title in 2012, 2013 and 2014 on the back of 13 successive wins.

It also means the French Open champion will lose her world number two ranking to Simona Halep next week.

Kerber, the world number 14, will face Sharapova's Russian compatriot Ekaterina Makarova in the quarter-finals.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2015