Swiatek, Rybakina cruise through Roland Garros openers

PARIS: Four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek and second seed Elena Rybakina both eased into the second round with comfortable wins at a sweltering Roland Garros on Monday, as Stan Wawrinka bade an emotional farewell to the tournament.

Swiatek, playing at a Grand Slam event for the first time since linking up with Rafael Nadal’s former coach Francisco Roig, made short work of seeing off Australian teenager Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-2 in just 60 minutes.

The Pole is looking to regain the trophy she won at Roland Garros in three successive years from 2022-24 before losing to Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals 12 months ago.

Swiatek will take on Czech Sara Bejlek for a place in the last 32 on Wednesday.

The third seed is among the favourites for the title after finding some form by reaching the Italian Open semi-finals earlier this month.

“I’m really happy with the way I played. It was a solid match from the beginning to the end. I technically knew how to play,” said Swiatek.

Rybakina also wasted little time in swatting aside Slovenian Veronika Erjavec 6-2, 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Like Swiatek, the Kazakh was pleased to not spend too much time on court in the 32C heat.

“It’s tough conditions but I’m happy things worked, and I’m looking forward to the next match,” she said.

Rybakina, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, plays Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva next.

Elina Svitolina survived a scare against Hungary’s Anna Bondar on Court Suzanne Lenglen, fighting back from 3-1 down in a deciding set to win 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10/3).

The Ukrainian, who ended an eight-year wait for a fifth WTA 1000 title in Rome earlier this month, has still never lost in the French Open first round in 13 appearances.

Former runner-up Jasmine Paolini was a 7-5, 6-3 winner over Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine.

China’s Zheng Qinwen, who won Olympic gold at Roland Garros two years ago, crashed out in the first round for the first time with a 6-4, 6-0 loss to Poland’s Maja Chwalinska.

Sixth seed Amanda Anisimova, last year’s Wimbledon and US Open runner-up, beat French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah 6-3, 6-1.

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Wawrinka, Monfils bow out

Former champion Wawrinka’s final Roland Garros ended in disappointment as the 41-year-old was beaten 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 by Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong.

Wawrinka, who beat Novak Djokovic in the 2015 final, is retiring at the end of the season.

He enjoyed a fairytale run to the third round of his last Australian Open but could not repeat the feat in the Paris heat, despite being backed by a packed crowd on Court Simonne Mathieu.

After the match, Wawrinka was presented with a glass case containing a section of a clay court and two video tributes to his career were displayed on big screens around the stadium – the latter featuring messages from former champions Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic.

“Thanks to all your support, I wanted to go on as long as possible, to 41 years of age, to continue living moments like this,” Wawrinka said.

Home favourite Gael Monfils’s farewell also ended at the first hurdle despite a rousing comeback from two sets down by the 39-year-old in the night session.

The former semi-finalist, who is also hanging up his racquet at the end of the year, slipped to a dramatic 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-0 defeat by fellow French wildcard Hugo Gaston.

The high temperatures took their toll on two-time runner-up Casper Ruud and Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin, as the Norwegian narrowly avoided a first opening-round defeat at Roland Garros, winning 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 0-6, 6-2.

Both players had medical time-outs in the fourth set and they took over 16 minutes to return to court ahead of the fifth, as the rallies slowed to walking pace.

Ruud found just enough energy as the decider went on, though, with Safiullin continuing to wilt in the evening sunshine.

Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar enjoyed a winning French Open debut with a 6-1, 6-0, 6-4 dismantling of American Aleksandar Kovacevic.

Jodar has quickly climbed the rankings this year, winning a clay-court title in Marrakesh, reaching the Barcelona Open semi-finals and then the quarter-finals in both Madrid and Rome.

Fifth seed Ben Shelton, who has made at least the quarter-finals at each of the other three Slams, saw off Daniel Merida in straight sets.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

المصدر: New Straits Times