PARIS, (Reuters) – Defending men and women’s champions Novak Djokovic and Garbine Muguruza got off to winning starts at the French Open yesterday, with the Serb cruising past Spain’s Marcel Granollers and Muguruza seeing off 2010 winner Francesca Schiavone.
Djokovic, who is being coached by American Andre Agassi, beat Granollers 6-3 6-4 6-2 and will face Portugal’s Joao Sousa in the second round.
Muguruza, who was in woeful form in the run-up to Roland Garros, outclassed Italian Schiavone 6-2 6-4, while home favourite Kristina Mladenovic survived an epic battle against American Jennifer Brady lasting just under three hours.
Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki was given a major scare by Australian teenager Jaimee Fourlis before winning 6-4 3-6 6-2 in just over two hours.
Rafa Nadal began his charge towards a 10th French Open title by brushing aside Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-1 6-4 6-1 to set up a second-round clash with Dutchman Robin Haase.
Nadal was in imperious form as he closed out the match in just under two hours as he bids for a 15th grand slam crown.
Here are the highlights from day two of the French Open tennis championships yesterday (all times GMT):
1845 ZVEREV-VARDASCO FIRST-ROUND CLASH SUSPENDED
– Ninth seed Alexander Zverev’s first-round match against Spain’s Fernando Verdasco was suspended due to rain and poor light.
– Germany’s Zverev lost the first set but battled back to win the second before play was called off for the day with the score at 4-6 6-3.
1805 GASQUET DOWNS DE GREEF
– Frenchman Richard Gasquet, seeded 24th, beat Belgium’s Arthur De Greef 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-3 in the first round.
– Gasquet, who reached the quarter-finals last year, hit 46 winners on his way to a comfortable victory and will face either Russia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili or Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic in the second round.
1700 MLADENOVIC SURVIVES EPIC BATTLE AGAINST BRADY
– Home favourite Kristina Mladenovic, the number 13 seed, was pushed to the limit by American Jennifer Brady, but hung on to enter the second round with a 3-6 6-3 9-7 victory.
– Mladenovic needed treatment for what appeared to be a back injury midway through the match but dug deep to grind out the win in just under three hours.
1538 PLISKOVA EASES PAST CHINA’S ZHENG
– Women’s second seed Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic beat China’s Saisai Zheng 7-5 6-2 in the first round.
– Pliskova, who has never progressed beyond the second round at Roland-Garros, took an hour and 20 minutes to get past Zheng.
1535 STOSUR STORMS PAST KUCOVA
– Australia’s Samantha Stosur, the women’s number 23 seed, put in a powerful performance against Slovakia’s Kristina Kucova, winning 7-5 6-1.
1434 CILIC CHALKS UP ROUTINE WIN AGAINST GULBIS
– Croatian Marin Cilic, the number seven seed, beat Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis 6-3 6-3 6-3 in the first round.
1350 NADAL MAKES SHORT WORK OF UNPREDICTABLE PAIRE
– Rafael Nadal kicked off his pursuit of a 10th French Open title with a comfortable 6-1 6-4 6-1 first round victory over France’s Benoit Paire.
– Nadal has a remarkable record at Roland Garros and his defeat of Paire marked his 73rd win at the French Open.
– The Spaniard has only ever been beaten twice at the tournament, against Robin Soderling in 2009 and Novak Djokovic in 2015.
1345 GOFFIN CRUISES INTO SECOND ROUND
– Belgium’s David Goffin, the number 10 seed, eased his way into the second round with a 6-2 6-2 6-2 victory over Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu.
– Goffin, who reached the quarter-finals last year, struck 12 aces en route to his comfortable win and will play Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round.
1333 DJOKOVIC MAKES WINNING START AT ROLAND GARROS
– Defending champion Novak Djokovic beat Spain’s Marcel Granollers 6-3 6-4 6-2.
– The 12-time grand slam champion, who has not won a tour title since January, is working under American Andre Agassi at Roland Garros.
1230 BERTENS TURNS TABLES ON TOMLJANOVIC
– Kiki Bertens, the women’s 18th seed, lost the opening set against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic, but fought back to win 4-6 6-1 6-1.
– Bertens, who reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2016, plays American Catherine Bellis in the second round.
1225: SOCK BOWS OUT IN DEFEAT TO VESELY
– Unseeded Czech Jiri Vesely beat American Jack Sock, the 14th seed, 7-5 7-5 6-3 to advance to the second round, where he will face Britain’s Aljaz Bedene.
1145 HOME HOPE SIMON MAKES FIRST ROUND EXIT
– Frenchman Gilles Simon was beaten by Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili 1-6 6-2 6-4 6-1.
– Basilashvili will face Serbia’s Viktor Troicki in the second round.
1130 WOZNIACKI SURVIVES FOURLIS SCARE
– Caroline Wozniacki, the 11th seed, beat Australian teenager Jaimee Fourlis 6-4 3-6 6-2.
– The Dane, who reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros in 2010, had to dig deep against a battling Fourlis, who pushed her more experienced opponent to three sets.
1045: RAONIC EASES PAST DARCIS
– Fifth-seeded Milos Raonic beat Steve Darcis 6-3 6-4 6-2 to book a second round spot.
– Canadian Raonic has made it to the quarter-finals in one of his five previous appearances in the competition.
1040: MUGURUZA CRUISES PAST SCHIAVONE
– Defending champion Garbine Muguruza beat Italian Francesca Schiavone 6-2 6-4.
– Muguruza will face Estonian Anett Kontaveit in the next round.