Experienced Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova ended Zhang Shuai's hopes of becoming the first Chinese player into this year's French Open second round with a comfortable straight sets win on Monday. The 28-year-old Hantuchova cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 victory on her 10th Roland Garros appearance as Zhang, 22, suffered her second successive first-round defeat in Paris.
Hantuchova ends Zhang's bid "I played OK today," said Hantuchova, who will face Italy's Sara Errani for a place in the last 32. Hantuchova, a semi-finalist on clay in Strasbourg last week, believes gruelling hours in the gym with renowned fitness trainer Pat Etcheberry are beginning to pay dividends.
"I have been working on the weights, which I needed because tennis is more physical these days," she said of her work with Etcheberry, the fitness guru of Andre Agassi and Justine Henin. China's 29th seed Peng Shuai, who has never got beyond the second round, defeated Austria's Tamira Paszek 6-3, 6-2.
Compatriot Zheng Jie, who made the fourth round on her 2004 debut in Paris, strolled past Sandra Zahlavova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-3. Peng next meets Slovenia's Polona Hercog, while Zheng takes on Czech ninth seed Petra Kvitova. Chinese number one Li Na, the sixth seed, opens her campaign on Tuesday against Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic. Li made history earlier this year when she became the first Chinese player to reach a Grand Slam final at the Australian Open.
Meanwhile, Indian star Sania Mirza made a winning return to the French Open and said she was simply happy to be playing again after missing last year's event with a career-threatening wrist injury. The 24-year-old world number 72 comfortably beat Germany's Kristina Barrois 6-3, 6-3 in the first round to set up an encounter with Polish 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska.
Defending champion Francesca Schiavone swept into the French Open second round on Monday, as top seed Caroline Wozniacki prepared to open her campaign against Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm. Fifth seed Schiavone, who last year became the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam, beat American 19-year-old Melanie Oudin 6-2, 6-0 and will meet Russian Vesna Dolonts in round two.
"I'm still shaking a little bit," admitted Schiavone, after returning to Court Philippe Chatrier, the scene of her emotional victory over Australia's Samantha Stosur in last year's final. Russian third seed Vera Zvonareva, a losing finalist at both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2010, joined Schiavone in the second round when she overcame Spanish veteran Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-3, 6-3 on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Zvonareva's next opponent is German qualifier Sabine Lisicki. Wozniacki, 20, will be up against a woman twice her age later on Monday when she confronts Date-Krumm, who has been playing professional tennis since before Wozniacki was born.
Home favourite Marion Bartoli, the 11th seed, flirted with becoming the biggest casualty in the women's draw so far, conceding the first set to Georgian Grand Slam debutant Anna Tatishvili before storming back to win 1-6, 6-2, 6-1. "It was an absolutely catastrophic start," said Bartoli.
Czech ninth seed Petra Kvitova, who triumphed in the Madrid Masters on clay earlier this month, eased into the second round with a 6-2, 6-1 thrashing of Hungary's Greta Arn. Agnieszka Radwanska, the 12th seed from Poland, encountered similarly limited resistance from Austria's Patricia Mayr-Achleitner, winning 6-1, 6-2.
Elsewhere, Slovakian 28th seed Daniela Hantuchova and Italy's number 30 seed Roberta Vinci both overcame potential banana skins to take their places in round two. Results from the first day of the 2011 French Open at Roland Garros on Monday (x denotes seeded player):
Women (1st round) Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN) bt Junri Namigata (JPN) 6-1, 6-1; Sara Errani (ITA) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 9-7; Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x28) bt Zhang Shuai (CHN) 6-3, 6-3; Irina Begu (ROM) bt Aravane Rezai (FRA) 6-3, 6-3; Marion Bartoli (FRA x11) bt Anna Tatishvili (GEO) 1-6, 6-2, 6-1; Olga Govortsova (BLR) bt Agnes Szavay (HUN) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; Vera Zvonareva (RUS x3) bt Lourdes Dominguez (ESP) 6-3, 6-3; Sabine Lisicki (GER) bt Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) 6-0, 6-4; Edina Gallovits (ROM) bt Angelique Kerber (GER) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1; Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) bt Nadia Petrova (RUS x26) 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4; Nuria Llagostera (ESP) bt Anastasia Pivovarova (RUS) 6-3, 6-0; Peng Shuai (CHN x29) bt Tamira Paszek (AUT) 6-3, 6-2; Vesna Manasieva (RUS) bt Anne Keothavong (GBR) 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4; Francesca Schiavone (ITA x5) bt Melanie Oudin (USA) 6-2, 6-0; Zheng Jie (CHN) bt Sandra Zahlavova (CZE) 6-4, 6-3; Petra Kvitova (CZE x9) bt Greta Arn (HUN) 6-2, 6-1; Roberta Vinci (ITA x30) bt Alberta Brianti (ITA) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Jill Craybas (USA) bt Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) 6-3, 6-3; Chan Yung-Jan (TPE) bt Klara Zakopalova (CZE x31) 7-5, 6-1; Sania Mirza (IND) bt Kristina Barrois (GER) 6-3, 6-3; Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x12) bt Patricia Mayr (AUT) 6-1, 6-2; Maria Kirilenko (RUS x25) bt Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2; Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) bt Viktoriya Kutuzova (UKR) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.