PARIS, 27 May 2003 — Past and present American champions made a rip-roaring start to the French Open yesterday.
Serena Williams got the defense of her women’s title off to a perfect start with a 6-2, 6-1 mauling Barbara Rittner of Germany, while Andre Agassi showed with his 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win over Karol Beck of Slovakia that even at 33 he is well capable of adding another success to the one he achieved here four years ago.
Agassi, the reigning Australian Open champion with eight Grand Slam crowns to his name, took his record for 2003 to 24 wins for only two losses by pulverizing Beck in 95 minutes to make a mockery of his scant preparation. Agassi now faces Croatian Mario Ancic, who was leading Chilean former world number one Marcelo Rios 6-1, 1-0 when the South American withdrew through an arm injury.
Serena made it 29 Grand Slam match wins on the trot and she is now hoping she can make it five Grand Slam titles in a row — something last achieved by Steffi Graf across 1988 and 1989. The 21-year-old from Michigan, next faces Switzerland’s Marie-Gaiane Mikaelian, a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 winner over Indonesia’s Angelique Widjaja, last year’s junior champion.
But if Serena’s win and Agassi’s saunter in the sunshine saw the formbook largely respected Peru’s Luis Horna threw it out of the window by overcoming men’s fifth seed Roger Federer on the Philippe Chatrier showcourt 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, 7-6 (7-3).
Federer, ranked among the favorites, made a rash of errors including a missed overhead smash which summed up his day.
There was another shock among the men when experienced 49th-ranked Slovak Dominik Hrbaty ousted tenth-seeded Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 while Spanish qualifier Galo Blanco downed twice finalist Alex Corretja 5-7, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5. Carlos Moya of Spain, the 1998 men’s champion who had expected to meet Federer in the quarters, defeated Filippo Volandri of Italy 7-6 (9-7), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to set up a meeting with either Philippoussis or American Alex Kim.
Also moving through was 1996 champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, who destroyed Julien Boutter of France 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.
Kafelnikov, 29, mulled retirement after winning the Davis Cup with Russia last year but has a new spring in his step after making the semifinal in Rome.
Mark Philippoussis was the comeback man of the day, the Australian beating Alex Kim of the United States 2-6, 6-7 (1-7), 7-5, 6-2, 6-2.
Belgian fourth seed Justine Henin-Hardenne beat Patricia Wartusch of Austria 6-3, 7-5 while French fifth seed Amelie Mauresmo ousted compatriot Virginie Razzano 6-3, 7-5.
Mary Pierce, the women’s champion in 2000, failed to survive the opening round as Clarisa Fernandez of Argentina dealt the Frenchwoman a 6-2, 6-3 defeat.
Ninth seed Daniela Hantuchova rallied to advance to the second round with a 2-6, 6-0, 6-1 win over Russia’s Alina Jidkova.
Hanutchova lost the opening set after slamming down 21 unforced errors in 25 minutes but the Slovak knuckled down to blow her 104-ranked opponent off the court in 69 minutes.
Argentina’s Guillermo Coria, the seventh seed, raced to a second round meeting with error-prone German Nicolas Kiefer.
Coria, 21, won through 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 against Brazilian Andre Sa in 1 hour 34 minutes, to set up a meeting with Kiefer, who by contrast needed 3hr 42min to win his titantic struggle against Australian Todd Larkham 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3.
