PARIS, 24 May 2005 — Roger Federer made it look easy while Lindsay Davenport lumbered to victory as the opening salvoes of the French Open were fired yesterday.
Swiss world No. 1 Federer left 264th-ranked Dudi Sela stunned on a battle-scarred center court, crushing the Israeli qualifier 6-1, 6-4, 6-0 to reach the second round.
“I’ve prepared well for this,” the irrepressible Swiss smiled. “A good win. I am ready to stay here for a while... if I can do well here, if I can win it, it will be great for me... for my place in history.”
For Sela it was an 89-minute lesson he will want to consign to history.
Federer next plays Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, who beat Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 6-3, for a place in the third round.
Davenport will also be happy to put her performance behind her, the women’s top seed struggling to an unconvincing 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over Slovenia’s Katarina Srebotnik.
The American was playing her first tournament in four weeks and it showed. “I just wasn’t ready to go in that first set,” she shrugged.
The 28-year-old advances to meet 18-year-old Peng Shuai of China who earlier beat French wildcard Mailyne Andrieux 6-0, 6-1.
Russian Anastasia Myskina became the first defending French Open champion to be beaten in the first round when modest Spaniard Maria Sanchez Lorenzo defeated her 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.
Fifth seed Myskina, who was the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam title last year, looked a shadow of her brilliant self, slumping to defeat when she netted a forehand on the third match point after one hour and 45 minutes. No women’s French Open champion had ever lost in the first round.
Swiss eighth seed Patty Schnyder beat South Korea’s Yoon Jeong-cho 6-3, 6-4 in the first round. She now faces Sandra Kloesel of Germany for a place in the third round.
Defending men’s champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina put opening day nerves behind him to advance to the second round of the French Open on Monday with a straight sets win over France’s Julien Benneteau.
Gaudio, the fifth seed, won through 7-5, 6-0, 6-1 in 2hr 07min to set up a meeting with Russia’s Dmitry Tursunov who beat Stefan Koubek of Austria 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-1, for a place in the third round.
British seventh seed Tim Henman also reached the second round beating Argentinian lucky loser Juan Pablo Brzezicki 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.
Eleventh seed Venus Williams, runner-up to sister Serena in 2002, beat Spain’s Marta Marrero 6-3, 6-2 and next faces Colombia’s Fabiola Zuluaga.’Last year’s beaten finalist Elena Dementieva, the Russian fourth seed, saw off Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3 and plays Sanda Mamic of Croatia. While Federer prepared for Paris by winning the Hamburg Masters, his opposite number in the women’s game took a break from training to go on holiday to Mexico with her husband.
“I do consider this an important tournament but I also realize it’s the most difficult one for me to do well in,” she said.
If Davenport can shake her Parisian lethargy she could face Belgian Kim Clijsters in the fourth round and yesterday’s showing, the No. 1 seed would be heading home.
Clijsters, twice a runner-up here, was in blistering form as she thrashed American qualifier Meilen Tu 6-1, 6-0.
The Belgian had missed the last four Grand Slam tournaments through a series of injuries, but never looked troubled by a knee problem that had also threatened to dash her Paris hopes.
Also making the second round was Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova, seeded 20, who eased past Dutch qualifier Michaella Krajicek 6-3, 6-1.
Spanish sensation Rafael Nadal looked equally impressive in battering Germany’s Lars Burgsmueller 6-1, 7-6, 6-1.
The 18-year-old pre-tournament favorite is bidding to become the first man since Mats Wilander 23 years ago to win the French Open on his debut.
Former champion Carlos Moya overcame a slow start to oust fellow Spaniard Alberto Martin 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 while French hope Sebastien Grosjean beat Argentine Juan Monaco 7-5, 6-3 6-1.
Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva, the 2004 runner-up, reached the second round with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic.
Asian No. 1 Paradorn Srichaphan squandered a first set lead to lose 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 to Czech 16th seed Radek Stepanek in the opening round as his weaknesses on clay were once again exposed. The Thai star, who had won just two matches on the surface in six tournaments in the spring coming into the second Grand Slam of the season, took the opening set in 36 minutes. His compatriot Tamarine Tanasugarn suffered a French Open hammering when she fell in straight sets to Croatia’s Jelena Kostanic in the first round.
Kostanic, 23, dismissed the 27-year-old from Bangkok 6-0, 6-1 after just under an hour on court in blustery conditions. “I didn’t play as bad as it seemed,” said Tanasugarn.
