Roger Federer made a winning return to the French Open and second women’s seed Karolina Pliskova also eased her way into the second round of the competition on its opening day.
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However, Germany’s fifth seeded Angelique Kerber did not have similar luck as she crashed out of the second Grand Slam of the year in her opener itself.
Also making it through to the second round was the 19th seed Garbine Muguruza, who needed three sets to overcome Taylor Townsend in her opener. The 2016 champion recovered from a 7-5 loss in the first set to beat Townsend 6-2, 6-2 in the next two sets to book a place in the round two.
Federer registered a straight-set win over Lorenzo Sonego in his opening round encounter, winning his first ever match at Roland-Garros in four years. The 2009 winner had no problems brushing his opponent aside 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 to book a meeting in the second round against Germany’s Oscar Otte.
Kerber’s exit in the first round is a surprise given she was seeded fifth but it doesn’t come as a complete shock. After all the German has lost first round matches at Roland-Garros on three of the four previous occasions. She lost 6-4, 6-2 to Russia’s Anastasia Potapova.
Also making the second round was the 31st seed Petra Martic who wasn’t too long on court in her 6-1, 6-2 win over Ons Jabeur of Tunisia.
In the men’s draw, sixth seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas and 11th seed Marin Cilic got off to winning starts as well. While Tsitsipas swatted aside Maximilian Marterer, Cilic shrugged off his poor form in his straight-set win over Thomas Fabbiano.
Cilic will now play Grigor Dimitrov in the second round after the Bulgarian needed five sets to edge past Janko Tipsarevic.
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