Berdych, Sharapova canter into second round

Agnieszka Radwanska lost in the first round for the first time since her 2007 debut at the clay-court Grand Slam.

May 25, 2015 09:32 pm | Updated 09:36 pm IST - PARIS

Getting past his first round opponent at the French Open was easy. Breaking the Big Four domination will be a lot harder for Tomas Berdych.

In an era dominated by Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, winning a major might sometimes look beyond reach. But the big-hitting Czech is not giving up hope.

“Everything has been aimed for this tournament,” Berdych said Monday after his 6-0, 7-5, 6-3 win over Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round of the French Open. “I’m feeling well. I’m feeling physically, mentally strong, and that’s the best possible start that I can have.”

A runner-up at Wimbledon in 2010, Berdych also made it to the semifinals at the French Open that year. The Czech is playing at Roland Garros for the 12th consecutive time and has reasons to believe he can match his best result in the French capital.

After hiring Andy Murray’s former coach Dani Vallverdu, Berdych has been in consistent form this year, reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open and finishing runner-up in Doha, Rotterdam and, more recently, at the Monte Carlo Masters. But he wants more.

“Being closer or not closer in the end doesn’t really matter,” Berdych said. “Just the winners are counting, and that’s how it is.”

Berdych, who came to prominence when he won the Paris Masters in 2005, has been a permanent member of the Top 10 over the past five years. He has however failed to achieve what Stan Wawrinka did at the Australian Open last year, when he became the first man from outside the Big Four to win a major since 2009, before Marin Cilic won the US Open.

“There is the fact that there are other guys who have Grand Slam titles and I don’t have,” he said. “The only thing I can do about it is try to change that, just try to take my chances.”

Against a player looking for a first ever win on clay at a big tournament, Berdych certainly took them. He used his powerful groundstrokes to overwhelm Nishioka from the start and broke for a 2-0 lead. After that he never looked back, saved all three break points he faced and hit a total of 32 winners.

The Japanese teenager offered a better resistance in the second set but his lack of experience was flagrant in the 12th game when Berdych applied more pressure with a series of good returns and broke with a backhand down the line that Nishioka returned wide. Another break in the third set was enough for Berdych to improve his record on the Parisian clay to 18-11.

On a cool and breezy day, the hot-tempered Fabio Fognini kept his cool as the 28th—seeded Italian dispatched another Japanese player, Tatsuma Ito, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. No. 11 Feliciano Lopez of Spain became the highest seeded man to tumble so far, losing 6-3, 7-6 (9), 6-3 to 74th—ranked Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia.

Radek Stepanek, the oldest man in the draw at 36, progressed with a four-set win over Ivan Dodig while the youngest man to compete bowed out in straight sets. Making his debut at a Grand Slam tournament, 17-year-old Frances Tiafoe lost 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 to 36th—ranked Martin Klizan of Slovakia.

On women’s play, former world No. 2 number and 2012 Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska lost in the first round for the first time since her 2007 debut at the clay-court Grand Slam, bowing out 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 against Annika Beck.

“Maybe I’m getting older,” said the 26-year-old. “I just want to forget about that and focus on grass.”

Eighth-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro continued her good run of form, advancing to the second round with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Monica Niculescu. The Spaniard, who was runner-up to Maria Sharapova in Rome, could face the Russian defending champion in the quarterfinals.

“I’m much more confident indeed compared to last year,” said Suarez Navarro, who lost in the last-eight last year. “One of the big differences between this year versus last year is mentally. I know what I’m doing.”

Also, 11th—seeded Angelique Kerber routed Timea Babos 6-0, 6-1, former French Open finalist Samantha Stosur defeated Madison Brengle 6-1, 6-3 while local favourite and No. 29 seed Alize Cornet rallied past Roberta Vinci 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

The 26th—seeded Stosur is returning to form after reuniting last month with former coach David Taylor. After winning only eight matches in 2015, she decided last week to play in Strasbourg, where she claimed her first title this year.

Sharapova canters second round

Maria Sharapova's French Open title defence got off to a comfortable start as she beat Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-2 6-4 in the first round on Monday.

The second seed, who will face fellow Russian Vitalia Diatchenko, was rarely bothered in a late-afternoon canter on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Sharapova, wearing a sailor shirt and a matching blue skirt, wasted chances to move 4-0 up as Kanepi broke back to trail 3-2, but normal service soon resumed.

The double Roland Garros champion won three games in a row to win the opening set having made only four unforced errors.

Kanepi buried a backhand into the net to hand Sharapova a break in the fourth game of the second set, but the Estonian broke back as the unforced errors started to pile up on the Russian's stats sheet.

Sharapova wasted one match point but a Kanepi double fault ensured a routine victory.

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