Three former women's Grand Slam champions and a young British hope reached the second round at Roland Garros on Tuesday as Rafael Nadal, seeking a record seventh men's crown, also advanced with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 win over Simone Bolelli.
Maria Sharapova whipped Alexandra Cadantu 6-0, 6-0 in just 48 minutes as the Russian second seed, seeking to win the only major she has never won, cruised towards a meeting with Japan's Ayumi Morita, who defeated Polona Hercog 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Clad in black, and seeking her third claycourt title of the season, Sharapova over-powered her 74th-ranked rival who was facing a top ten opponent for the first time in a career which stalled in 2008 amid financial problems.
On Tuesday, the outclassed Romanian failed to hit a single winner.
“Of course, I'm really happy with the way my preparation has been coming into this tournament,” beamed Sharapova, the winner on clay at Stuttgart and Rome this season, as well as twice a semifinalist here.
“I feel like with every year I have improved and I enjoy it much more,” said the 25-year-old, beaten in the last four by Na Li on her last Roland Garros appearance.
Fourth seed Petra Kvitova, the Wimbledon champion, thrashed Australia's Ashleigh Barty 6-1, 6-2 in 54 minutes to join Sharapova in the next round where she meets Urszula Radwanska of Poland. Also marching on was 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy, seeded 14, who defeated Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-3, 6-1.
Schiavone, 31 and last year's beaten finalist, advanced to a meeting with Tsvetana Pironkova who got past Yanina Wickmayer.
Guernsey-born Briton Heather Watson, who managed to reach the second round on her debut last year, thereby entering the top 100, got off to a flier against Russian Elena Vesnina, romping through her opening set before staying her ground to win 6-2, 6-4 and earn a match-up against 25th seed Julia Goerges.
Watson said she has grown immensely as a player since a first nervous second round showing here last season and feels happy on the clay, despite her hardcourt tennis upbringing in Florida.
“I absolutely love the courts — they really suit my game. I enjoy playing long points,” said Watson, who added she had been working hard on the power and accuracy of her serve.
“I've got nothing to lose,” she added, of facing Georges, who broke into the world top 20 last season and who made round three here 12 months ago.
In the men's draw, six-time champion Nadal was imperious in his straight-set win over Bolelli.
The second seed, bidding for a record seventh title at Roland Garros, faces Denis Istomin. Who advanced with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 win over Igor Kunitsyn.
Eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic also made it through after a scrappy 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-3 win over Sam Querrey.
Frenchman Jeremy Chardy rode the raucous crowd support to win a marathon five-setter against Yen-Hsun Lu in a battle of equals. Chardy, the World No.55, fought off a courageous fightback from the 60th-ranked Lu to prevail 6-4, 6-1, 6-7(3), 3-6, 11-9.
Also advancing was veteran Tommy Haas, who is playing on a wildcard, with a 6-3, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Filippo Volandri.
Sania & Mattek Sands lose
In doubles action, Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, seeded 15th, suffered a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 first-round defeat to Nina Bratchikova and Edina Galovits-Hall.
Sania's defeat has dealt India's medal hopes at the London Olympics a big blow.
With 1,400 points to defend at Roland Garros — where she had made the finals last year — Sania now has only a tenuous hold on her doubles ranking of 10, the least she would need by the cut-off date of June 11 to make a direct entry into the women's doubles draw at London.
Only a place in the main draw of the women's doubles or singles would have given Sania a place in the mixed doubles event at the London Games where she is expected to partner Mahesh Bhupathi.
Only a top-10 player makes a direct entry into the Olympics with a privilege to choose a partner, irrespective of his or her ranking.
