French Open PIX: Swiatek, Sinner, Jabeur ease into second round

Images from Day 2 of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Monday.

Clinical Swiatek crushes qualifier Jeanjean to start French Open defence

Top seed Iga Swiatek cruised past qualifier Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2 to successfully launch her title defence at the French Open where she seeks a fourth title on the Paris clay.

The 22-year-old world number one, who has won the French Open three times in the last four years, arrived in Paris on the back of a 12-match winning streak on clay, having rolled through the tournaments in Madrid and Rome.

"Matches like that give me a lot of satisfaction," said Swiatek, who next faces former world number one Naomi Osaka in the second round. "Overall, I am happy with my performance."

Swiatek, who has now won her last 15 matches in Paris following her back-to-back wins in 2022 and 2023, did not need much time to show she was determined to stretch that winning run, breaking her opponent in the first game.

A superb forehand down the line put Swiatek 4-1 up before running away with the first set in half an hour.

The Frenchwoman, ranked outside the top 100, tried to draw a line under the first set, breaking the Pole at the start of the second outing but was broken straight back.

Swiatek, who has now won 29 of her first 31 matches at the French Open, held serve before earning another break to go 5-2 up, having hit 24 winners at that stage compared to her opponents' two. She ended the contest on her first match point and with winner number 26.

The Pole's dominance in recent years, especially on clay, has seen Swiatek compared with 14-time men's French Open champion Rafael Nadal, who was due to play his first-round match later on Monday.

"I think it's too early. For sure I' m proud of my achievements," said Swiatek. "It’s always been my favourite surface. It is where tennis gives me the most pleasure."

"Comparing me to him, I don't think I am on that level yet. I still have many things to prove. I'm just at the beginning."

Tsitsipas eases into second round

Former runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas kicked off his French Open campaign with a no-nonsense 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 6-1 victory over Hungarian journeyman Marton Fucsovics.

The ninth-seeded Greek, who won the Monte Carlos Masters this year, showed his range of qualities on clay to set up a second-round meeting with German Daniel Altmaier.

Sporting a black and yellow outfit, Tsitsipas ended his opponent's resistance in a one-sided third set.

The 25-year-old wrapped up victory when Fucsovics sent a return wide under the roof on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

Gauff outclasses qualifier Avdeeva

Coco Gauff made a strong start in her bid to win a maiden French Open title as she eased past German world number 208 Julia Avdeeva 6-1, 6-1 in the first round for her 50th Grand Slam match victory.

The 20-year-old Gauff, who won the US Open last year to break her Grand Slam duck after losing the 2022 final in Paris, needed less than an hour to advance, even though the match was delayed after Avdeeva accidentally bumped her head against the umpire's when she was contesting a point.

In the second round, world number three American Gauff will take on Slovenia's Tamara Zidansek who beat Belgium's Alison Van Uytvanck 6-2, 2-6, 6-1.

Sinner eases past Eubanks

Italian world number two Jannik Sinner looked fully recovered from his injury problems as he saw off American Christopher Eubanks 6-3 6-3 6-4 in the French Open first round on Monday.

Sinner, the Australian Open champion, withdrew from the Madrid Open and missed the Rome Masters with a hip injury, but was back on form at Roland Garros as Eubanks exited at the first hurdle for the second successive year.

"The hip is good, I'm glad that my team and myself, we were working very hard to be on court as soon as possible," Sinner said.

"For sure, the general shape is not at 100% yet, so we try to build every day."

The Italian broke twice in the opening set to lead 4-1 before Eubanks broke back but Sinner saw out the set with another break, and needed just one break in each of the next two sets to take his place in the second round.

"Honestly, I'm just happy to be back on court, I was injured, so I'm very happy to be back here," Sinner said.

"It's a very special tournament for me, it was the first time in a quarter-final of a grand slam, so I have some great memories."

The American fought bravely to the end, forcing two break points with Sinner serving for the match, but the Italian's smile soon returned as he recovered under the roof on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

"Thanks everyone, the support has been amazing, the roof closed for the first time here on Suzanne, so I'm very happy," Sinner said.

Sinner, who can become world number one for the first time over the next fortnight, will next play French wildcard Richard Gasquet, the Italian hoping to avoid a repeat of last year when he went out in the second round.

"I know I have to improve some things so I'm happy that I have my team. They push me every day and let's see what I can achieve in the future," Sinner said.

"Also, being happy on the court, which is maybe the most important, and I truly enjoy to play tennis so I'm very happy to be here."

Jabeur cruises past wildcard Vickery

Eighth seed Ons Jabeur began her latest attempt to win an elusive Grand Slam title with a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 victory over American wildcard Sachia Vickery in the French Open first round on Monday.

In front of a thin crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier, Tunisian Jabeur quickly racked up a 3-0 lead, but Vickery reduced the gap with a break of her own, only to hand the momentum back to the former Wimbledon and US Open runner-up.

Jabeur pulled out plenty of tricks to close out the opening set, even as the roof closed over the main showcourt due to rain, before taking control of the second set as Vickery struggled.

The 29-year-old American had prevailed in three sets in the pair's only previous meeting in Chicago six years ago, but there was no late comeback as 2023 quarter-finalist Jabeur clinically closed out the match on serve in 81 minutes.