Djoker, Nadal cruise ahead

Defending champion Novak Djokovic enjoyed a winning French Open start under new coach Andre Agassi on Monday, cruising past Spain’s Marcel Granollers 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the first round.

The 12-times Grand Slam champion parted company with his entire coaching team earlier this month after a string of disappointing results before inviting American great Agassi to work with him during the French Open.

The 30-year-old Serbian, without a tour title since January, found little resistance from Granollers, grabbing two breaks early on in the first set as he chased the 77th-ranked Spaniard around the court.

With Agassi quietly sitting in the stands along with the Serb's entourage, it was a similar story early in the second set with the world number two returning everything Granollers tried to throw at him.

He again went 4-1 up before a wobble saw him fail to convert eight set points at 5-3.

Djokovic kept his cool to earn the second set and pounced on the Spaniard's accumulating mistakes in the third set to seal victory on his first match point.
“It is an incredible honour and good luck to have him with me on the team,” Djokovic said.

Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, smoothly negotiated the potential stumbling block presented by Frenchman Benoit Paire, launching his bid for a 10th title here with a largely routine 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 win. The heavy favourite for the title looked in imperious form as he steamed through the first set.

Paire played with more freedom in a closer second set as the Spaniard lost his edge. Trading baseline rallies, they exchanged breaks to leave the Frenchman leading 4-3.
But Nadal then pulled clear and, with Paire periodically clutching his stomach after a medical time out, the Spaniard took nine of the last 10 games to close out the match in just under two hours.

Muguruza  through

In the women’s section, Garbine Muguruza downed 2010 winner Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-4 in her first round tie. The fourth seed never looked in danger of joining Russian Anastasia Myskina as the only reigning women's champion to lose in the opening round of the claycourt grand slam.

The Spaniard outclassed the skilful Italian with her poise and power in muggy conditions.

There were several top-notch rallies and Schiavone pulled a few tricks from her bag, threatening in the second set. However, she made too many unforced errors to sustain any form of challenge.

Meanwhile, Danish Caroline Wozniacki made light work of Australian Jaimee Fourlis, winning 6-4, 3-6 ,6-2 in just over two hours.
Reuters