Stosur swats aside Benesova in opener

LAST year's runner-up Samantha Stosur began her French Open campaign with an impressive 6-2 6-3 victory over Iveta Benesova.

The eighth seed, beaten by Francesca Schiavone in the final 12 months ago, opened proceedings at this year's tournament on Court Philippe Chatrier yesterday afternoon and needed only an hour and eight minutes to breeze into round two.

Jelena Jankovic, the tenth seed at Roland Garros, defeated Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko 6-3 6-1. Jankovic next faces Russia's Vera Dushevina, who recovered from a set down to beat former quarter-finalist Jelena Dokic 4-6 6-3 6-2.

There were no first-round alarms for 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova as she dispatched Magdalena Rybarikova 6-2 6-3.

Another seed to make progress was German Julia Goerges, who recovered from a break down in the second set to beat Mathilde Johansson 6-1 6-4.

Last year's Wimbledon semi-finalist Tsvetana Pironkova was a 7-5 6-3 winner over Australia's Casey Dellacqua but fellow seeds Flavia Pennetta and Shahar Peer were eliminated. Italian Pennetta, the number 18 seed, was beaten 6-3 2-6 6-3 by Varvara Lepchenko, while 19th seed Peer was dumped out 7-6 (7/4) 6-1 by Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

Today sees the top seed and defending champion make their debuts in this year's tournament, with Caroline Wozniacki taking on Kimiko Date Krumm, who, at 40, is twice the Dane's age, and Schiavone meeting American teenager Melanie Oudin.