Serena struggles,Djokovic has it easy

Serena Williams fought off swirling winds and a bold challenge by Czech Klara Zakopalova to reach the second round of the French Open...

Serena Williams fought off swirling winds and a bold challenge by Czech Klara Zakopalova to reach the second round of the French Open with a 6-3 6-7 6-4 win on Tuesday. Zakopalova proved to be a stubborn opponent as she saved five match points in the ninth game of the second set and frustrated the American further by taking the tiebreak 7-5 to level the contest.

Fourth seed Novak Djokovic could have done with giving his blue Novak-emblazoned shoes more of a runaround after opponent Nicolas Lapentti retired injured and handed him a place in the second round. Ecuadors Lapentti went over on his already heavily strapped left ankle in the eighth game of the first set and called the trainer on. He continued for another half an hour before quitting while trailing 6-3 3-1.

Jelena Jankovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova dodged rain showers to glide into the second round. Jankovic seemed relieved when she could get back into the warmth of the locker room with a 6-2 6-3 win over Czech Petra Cetkovska. Russian Kuznetsova also had to endure a two-hour rain break during the first set but she bamboozled French wildcard Claire Feuerstein 6-1 6-4.

Juan Martin del Potro also appeared to be in a hurry to finish his match before the rain returned and stamped all over French hopes in a 6-3 6-3 6-1 win over Michael Llodra.

Rainer Schuettler,however,wished the rain had never stopped. He was heading for becoming the first man since 1993 to suffer the ignominy of losing a grand slam match without winning a game before suddenly waking up to register his name on the scoreboard. He lost 6-0 6-0 6-4 to Frances Marc Gicquel.

Asked if he felt sorry for his opponent,Gicquel replied: I wanted to try to give him three times 6-0. I didnt come here to sympathise. If I can give him three times 6-0,I will.

Results

MEN: 9-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga FRA bt Julien Benneteau FRA 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4,16-Tommy Robredo ESP bt Adrian Mannarino FRA 6-2 6-1 6-2,29-Philipp Kohlschreiber GER bt Bernard Tomic AUS 6-1 6-2 6-2,11-Gael Monfils FRA bt Bobby Reynolds USA 6-2 6-3 6-1

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WOMEN: Jelena Dokic AUS bt Karolina Sprem CRO 3-6 6-1 6-2,4-Elena Dementieva RUS bt Chanelle Scheepers RSA 6-4 6-3,10-Caroline Wozniacki DEN bt Vera Dushevina RUS 4-6 7-5 6-1,24-Aleksandra Wozniak CAN bt Monica Niculescu ROU 6-4 4-6 6-3