French Open: Wawrinka upset, Djokovic advances
Defending champion Rafael Nadal up 2 sets before rain delay
2015 French Open champion Stan Wawrinka has suffered an early exit this time around after a five-set battle with Guillermo Garcia Lopez of Spain.
Looking a shadow of the player who won the title in Paris three years ago, Wawrinka struggled with his serve and hit an awful lot of unforced errors (72) in his 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 loss.
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Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam winner who was runner-up in Roland Garros last year, has been hampered by knee problems that forced him to miss three months of the season.
He had won just one match on clay heading to the French Open and entered the tournament at No. 30, his worse ranking since 2008.
Djokovic easily advances
Novak Djokovic's form is not as good as it used to be, but his mastering of the French language gets better every year.
The former top-ranked player did his post-match interview in French on Court Philippe Chatrier after opening his Roland Garros campaign with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over qualifier Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil.
"Every day it's very special to play here, it feels a bit like home," said Djokovic, who has not won a Grand Slam event since the 2016 French Open. "It was important to win in straight sets."
Djokovic, who underwent right elbow surgery earlier this year, is the No. 20 seed in Paris, his lowest Grand Slam seeding since the 2006 U.S. Open.
A perfect start for <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DjokerNole</a> against Dutra Silva, defeating the Brazilian 6-3 6-4 6-4.<br><br>Into the second round for the 14th consecutive year in Paris. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RG18?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RG18</a> <a href="https://t.co/cpgnFNsFXd">pic.twitter.com/cpgnFNsFXd</a>
—@rolandgarros
Nadal's match suspended
Rain brought Day 2 of the French Open to an early end Monday, with both the favourite and the top-seeded American man still on the court but in control.
Top overall seed Rafael Nadal of Spain led Italian Simone Bolelli 6-4, 6-3, 0-3 when play was suspended. Nadal is looking for his record 11th French Open title. He is 79-2 all time at Roland Garros and has lost just once on clay this season.
All smiles and getting ready. Tomorrow first round, looking forward to my first match <a href="https://twitter.com/rolandgarros?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rolandgarros</a> 2018<br><br>Mañana primera ronda aquí en Paris. Por ahora todo bien y siempre con la sonrisa 😁 <a href="https://t.co/rMLyACK3Jn">pic.twitter.com/rMLyACK3Jn</a>
—@RafaelNadal
American John Isner, the ninth seed, also won the first two sets of his match before the rain. Isner leads fellow American Noah Rubin 6-3, 7-6 (9).
Kvitova eyeing first title
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is through to the second round after defeating Veronica Cepede Royg of Paraguay 3-6, 6-1, 7-5.
The No. 8-seeded Czech needed 2 hours, 7 minutes to overcome her 87th-ranked opponent on the Philippe-Chatrier showcourt on Monday.
Kvitova's best run in Paris was to the semifinals in 2012. She bowed out in the second round last year, making her Grand Slam return after an assailant attacked her with a knife at her home in December 2016, requiring extensive surgery to her left hand, her playing hand.
Royg had reached the fourth round at Roland Garros last year.
31st win of the year for <a href="https://twitter.com/Petra_Kvitova?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Petra_Kvitova</a> 💪<br><br>Tops Cepede Royg 3-6 6-1 7-5 to reach the second round.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RG18?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RG18</a> <a href="https://t.co/NQTX9yBCus">pic.twitter.com/NQTX9yBCus</a>
—@rolandgarros
Former top-ranked player Victoria Azarenka has bowed out in the first round, beaten 7-5, 7-5 by Katerina Siniakova.
Azarenka, a semifinalist in Paris five years ago, is currently ranked 84th after giving birth to a son in December 2016.
After a poor clay-court campaign punctuated by early exits in Madrid and Rome, the two-time Grand Slam champion was unable to turn things around against the 54th-ranked Siniakova.
She hit 38 unforced errors on the remote Court 18.