Aryna Sabalenka powered into the French Open second round, defying her world number 50 opponent and searing Paris heat.
World number one and last year’s defeated finalist Aryna Sabalenka blazed through her opening round at the French Open as she brushed aside Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-4 6-2 in just 75 minutes.
Sabalenka, who is still seeking her first Roland Garros title, raced to a 4-0 lead on a sun-kissed Court Philippe-Chatrier on Tuesday before unforced errors crept into her game, which allowed her opponent to pull two breaks back and serve for 5-5.
A double fault, however, handed the top-seeded Belarusian the first set, and she opened up a 5-0 advantage in the second.
Bouzas Maneiro survived a further two games when she held and then broke for 5-2, but a double fault gave Sabalenka a routine win.
The only blip for the four-time Grand Slam champion, as she returned to winning ways on clay after a surprise early exit from the Italian Open, was that failure to serve out the win.
She promptly broke back against the world number 50 in the next game to seal the win, before rubbing an ice bag over her face and exiting the court.
“Happy to be back, thank you for the support. It’s a hot day, thank you so much for staying and don’t forget, guys, stay hydrated,” Sabalenka told the spectators on centre court as a heatwave continues to roll over Paris for the start of the tournament.
“I think we all feel pressure … But I’m used to it, so I know how to ignore [it].”
Of her return to winning ways on clay, Sabalenka said: “That’s the most enjoyable part of the game – that I can come to the net to play points there. It’s so much fun.
“I’m so happy I was able to improve on that part of the game and bring it on court,” she added.
Coco Gauff began the defence of her French Open title by dispatching fellow American Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-0.
Townsend, who had beaten Gauff in their only previous meeting in 2019, broke in the opening game.
The 30-year-old held on her first two service games, but from 3-1 up in the opener, won only one more game. That was at 3-5 down in the first, when Townsend saved a set point on Gauff’s serve but dropped serve immediately to lose the set, and that ended her resistance.
Gauff galloped through the second set in 24 minutes and will face Egyptian Mayar Sherif in the next round.
Gauff applied ice during breaks in the cauldron of Philippe-Chatrier but said that was only because her coach told her to.
“I’m from Florida, so this is nothing,” the fourth seed said on court. “Honestly, I felt more bad for the fans. Dang, you’re watching in the heat, and I hoped no one passed out. So I’m glad I finished quickly.”
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