Maria Sharapova got back in the groove at her happiest hunting ground with the Russian opening her bid for a third French Open title with a 6-2 6-4 win over Kaia Kanepi yesterday.
The claycourt convert, champion last year and in 2012 and runner-up in 2013, went through her usual routines to great effect to ease through into the second round with few alarms.
Men’s fourth seed Tomas Berdych’s long march in search of a maiden grand slam title resumed with a 6-0 7-5 6-3 victory against Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka.
Seeded in the top four at a grand slam for the first time, 29-year-old Berdych was relieved to a sixth first-round fall at the French Open where he reached the semi-final in 2010.
Nishioka was one of five Japanese men to start in the main draw, the most since 1967, but only highly-fancied Kei Nishikori remains two days into the claycourt grand slam.
Berdych, a member of the world’s top 10 for five years but with only one grand slam final to his name, at Wimbledon in 2010 when he lost to Nadal, was far too streetwise for his 19-year-old opponent and was only briefly tested in the second set.
“I’m feeling well. I’m feeling physically, mentally strong, and that’s the best possible start that I can have,” Berdych told reporters. “Just now be patient, keep working for the two weeks, and try to go as far as I can.”
Radwanska slump
Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, the men’s 11th seed, became the highest casualty so far, losing 6-3 7-6(9) 6-3 to Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili women’s 14th seed Agnieszka Radwanska’s slump continued as the former world number two succumbed 6-2 3-6 6-1 to Germany’s Annika Beck.
Overcast skies greeted home favourite Alize Cornet for the start of the action and despite a sparse lunchtime crowd she treated the home fans who had arrived on time to a comeback win against Roberta Vinci.
The French number one, saddled with the pressure of trying to provide a home winner for the first time since Mary Pierce in 2000, looked on course for a fifth consecutive defeat by Vinci before recovering to win 4-6 6-4 6-1.
Women’s eighth seed Carla Suarez Navarro underlined her “dark horse” tag with an impressive 6-2 6-2 win over Monica Niculescu of Romania.
Other results: Murray bt Arguello 6-3 6-3 6-1; Stephens bt V. Williams 7-6 6-1.