World No 1 Iga Swiatek launched her Roland Garros title defence on Tuesday by easing past Spain's Cristina Bucsa 6-4 6-0 to move into the second round.
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The Pole, chasing a third French Open title in four years, got off to a sluggish start on a windy afternoon on Philippe-Chatrier court.
She had beaten the Spaniard in under an hour, losing just one game, at this year's Australian Open but Swiatek had a less than perfect run-up to Paris, retiring from her Italian Open quarterfinal after suffering a thigh injury two weeks ago.
The 21-year-old triple Grand Slam winner was broken twice in her first three service games as a determined Bucsa, ranked 70th in the world, mixed it up and initially succeeded in throwing her opponent off balance.
But the top seed heeded that wake-up call towards the business end of the set and broke back to seal it.
The Pole, who began her 61st week at the top of the WTA rankings and is the favourite in Paris, snatched another break at the start of the second set with a thundering crosscourt forehand winner and never looked back.
She made amends for her first-set wobble with a bagel.
I ?? G ?? A ??#RolandGarros | @iga_swiatek pic.twitter.com/jAaDEj1oTa
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2023
GAUFF RECOVERS FROM SLOW START
American sixth seed Coco Gauff recovered from an error-strewn start to begin her quest with a 3-6 6-1 6-2 victory over Spain's Rebeka Masarova.
Gauff, runner-up a year ago, looked uncomfortable early on with her troublesome forehand frequently letting her down.
World number 71 Masarova, a former French Open junior champion, took full advantage to dominate the opening set and looked on course for a shock victory.
But 19-year-old Gauff settled down on a sunlit Court Suzanne Lenglen and reeled off seven games in a row from 1-1 in the second set to take command.
With her confidence restored, Gauff made no mistake as she moved 5-2 ahead in the decider and wrapped up victory with a hold to love as Masarova sent an attempted lob long.
It has been an underwhelming season so far for Gauff despite beginning it in style by winning the Auckland title where she beat Masarova in the final for the loss of only two games.
The American managed just three wins during the claycourt season prior to arriving in Paris and during the first set it was easy to see why as she struggled to harness her A-game.
By the end, however, she displayed the kind of tennis that took her to her first Grand Slam final a year ago, although Masarova's 43 unforced errors did provide assistance.
"The (2022) final is in the past so I'm not worried about that," Gauff said of her initially rocky return to Roland Garros. "I had some bad games in the first set but I knew that I was going to be able to turn it around.
"Today, there were aspects of my game where I wasn't playing my best but I'm confident on this surface in these conditions."
Gauff will face Austria's Julia Grabher in round two.
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Focused ??@CocoGauff overcomes a slow start to defeat Masarova 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/io3p70d0uU
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2023
JABEUR MOWS DOWN BRONZETTI
World number seven Ons Jabeur made a near-flawless start to her campaign as she brushed aside unseeded Italian Lucia Bronzetti 6-4 6-1 to reach round two.
Jabeur has had a stop-start season in which she had minor knee surgery before winning the title in Charleston and skipping the Madrid Open with a calf problem but the Tunisian was in peak form in Paris as she eased through the first set.
Bronzetti came into the clash on Court Philippe Chatrier high on confidence after winning the first singles title of her career in Rabat but the 24-year-old's hopes of ending a five-match losing run at the majors faded as the contest wore on.
Jabeur, the runner-up at last year's Wimbledon and U.S. Open after a shock first-round defeat at Roland Garros, blended guile and power as she reeled off the breaks in the second set to go 5-0 up before dropping serve.
The 28-year-old quickly shook off that minor dip to comfortably close out the contest in the following game when Bronzetti sent a shot wide at the net.
Smooth sailing ?@ons_jabeur cruises into the second round with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Bronzetti.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/ZULToeJ0qp
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2023
RYBAKINA OVERCOMES SLUGGISH START
Elena Rybakina shook off a sluggish start and continued her fine run on clay as the world number four moved into the second round with a 6-4 6-2 victory over Czech qualifier Brenda Fruhvirtova.
The Wimbledon champion announced herself as a player for all surfaces by capturing the Italian Open title earlier this month, but dropped serve in the seventh game against Fruhvirtova before breaking right back and easing through the opening set.
The Moscow born-Kazakh broke back to draw level at 2-2 in the second set before switching gears again to quell the challenge of the 16-year-old Fruhvirtova, whose sister Linda also fell in the first round a day earlier.>/p>
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Rybakina takes on another Czech in Linda Noskova in the next round as she continues her quest for a second major.
ANDREEVA SAYS MURRAY 'MAYBE' HELPED HER BREAKTHROUGH
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva said on Tuesday that a good luck message from Andy Murray "maybe" helped her win on her French Open debut
The 16-year-old made headlines with a run to the fourth round at the Madrid Open last month and came through qualifying at Roland Garros to make her Grand Slam tournament debut, beating Alison Riske-Amritraj 6-2, 6-1 in the first round.
Andreeva also attracted attention in Madrid for comments about Murray being "beautiful" in real life, with the former men's world number one remarking about "how good she's going to be when she gets her eyes fixed".
Murray is sitting out Roland Garros to prepare for the grass-court season, but he did wish Andreeva the best for her campaign.
"After he won a Challenger, I texted him. I said, 'Congratulations'," said Andreeva.
"He actually answered me, so I was really happy about it. He said, 'Thank you, and good luck in Roland Garros'. Maybe that's why I'm playing that good now."
"I texted him...he actually answered me"@andy_murray and @Ons_Jabeur putting a smile on Mirra Andreeva's face ??#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/QdJ36Mvnyi
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2023
She continued her rapid rise since losing in the Roland Garros girls' singles quarterfinals 12 months ago with an impressive dismantling of experienced American Riske-Amritraj.
"Last year I was here as a junior, and I think I couldn't even imagine that I can be playing women's tournament here and being in a major, passing qualification," said Andreeva.
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"What can I say? Of course, I'm pretty excited about it. I am just doing what I feel is right to do on the court."
Andreeva is set to rise further from her current ranking of 143 and will face Frenchwoman Diane Parry for a place in the last 32.
Her older sister Erika, 18, is also in the draw as a lucky loser and faces American Emma Navarro in her opening match later Tuesday.
"Maybe I will watch my sister if she will not play too late," added Mirra Andreeva. "But, of course, I will support her... I'm really nervous when she plays." Andreeva, who only turned 16 during the Madrid Open, is still juggling her burgeoning tennis career with school lessons which she takes online. "I'm doing honestly pretty good (in school)," she said. "I will not lie, but chemistry is so bad. Chemistry for me, I don't understand anything. "But usual math and English. I hope, I guess, it's not that bad." Andreeva's run in Madrid was ended by world number two and eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka, with the youngster only managing to win four games. "Honestly, she kicked my ass. I'm sorry, but she really did." For the two to meet again at Roland Garros, it would have to be in the final. She is, however, in the same quarter of the draw as her sister.