A year after enduring the lowest point of her life, Virginie Razzano celebrated her greatest moment in tennis before ecstatic home fans at the French Open.

On the other side of the net, vanquished Serena Williams struggled to digest her worst-ever grand slam result following the most dramatic match of the year.

World No.111 Razzano – who last year played in Paris just days after her fiance and longtime coach died of a brain tumour at age 32 – consigned Williams to an opening-round loss for the first time in her 47 career majors stretching back to 1997.

But the Frenchwoman’s 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 winning scoreline doesn’t begin to tell the story of an extraordinary and controversial clash at Roland Garros on Tuesday afternoon.

Williams had the match in the bag, leading by a set and 5-1 in the second-set tiebreak, before collapsing to fall behind 5-0 in the deciding set.

In fading sunlight and amid unbearable tension on Court Philippe Chatrier, the 13-times major champion clawed back to 5-3 in the final set and saved seven match points as Razzano battled cramps and was sensationally penalised three times under the hindrance rule.

Eva Asderaki – the same chair umpire who felt Williams’ wrath after awarding a point penalty against her in favour of Samantha Stosur in last year’s US Open final – punished Razzano for hindrance for a third time for letting out a loud yelp at 5-3 and deuce in the decider.

The penalty gave Williams break point, but she was unable to capitalise and Razzano eventually triumphed when the American superstar hit long and Asderaki left her seat to confirm as much by circling the mark in the clay.

The 23-minute final game required 30 points, enough for an entire set.

“Honestly, the past is the past,” Razzano said later. “I think now I did my mourning. I feel good today. It took time.”

The gut-wrenching defeat marked Williams’s earliest grand slam exit since being knocked out by sister Venus in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open.

That she arrived in Paris unbeaten on clay this year and as the title favourite made this loss even harder to swallow and she was fighting back tears even before the match finished.

“I’m disappointed, but that’s life, things could be worse,” said Williams.

After enduring her own tragedies, including the shooting murder of her half sister and life-threatening blood clots in her lungs last year, the shattered Williams was asked about Razzano’s emotional story.

“That’s a bit of an intricate question,” the 30-year-old Williams said.

“I know of her story and her husband. We all have stories.

“I mean, I almost died and Venus is struggling herself (recovering from Sjogren’s syndrome, a little-known autoimmune disorder).

“So, you know, it’s life. It just depends on how you deal with it. She obviously is dealing with it really well.

“Everybody, like (fellow American tennis star) Mardy Fish, he’s even having trouble (after heart surgery).

“Everybody has something that they’re dealing with. You’ve just got to deal with it.”

Razzano, who will face Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus on Thursday for a place in the last 32, was overjoyed.

“You (the crowd) gave me your energy,” she said.

“I’m going to have to rest. Thank you all for your support.”