French Open day one wrap: A soggy start

Despite the soggy start, there were plenty of highlights – and even a splash of controversy – on the opening day of the French Open.

The men’s action
On the men’s side, Nick Kyrgios did his best to enliven a damp and dismal Parisian day with some eye-catching tennis.

The excitable 17th seed mainly let his racket do the talking during an impressive 7-6(6) 7-6(6) 6-4 defeat of Italian debutant Marco Cecchinato, although he did receive a code violation for snapping at a ball boy in the first set.

Home favourite Benoit Paire, one of 16 Frenchman to start in the main draw, produced a topsy-turvy display against Moldovan qualifier Radu Albot before winning in five sets, while fifth seed Kei Nishikori was interrupted by the rain when he was leading Italy’s Simone Bolelli by two sets.

Meanwhile, rain forced Kei Nishikori off court while the Japanese superstar was leading Simone Bolelli by two sets. Jack Sock and Robin Haase were also forced to suspend their match at the at the start of the fifth set.

The women’s action
2015 runner-up Lucie Safarova began her campaign in emphatic fashion, downing Vitalia Diatchenko 6-0 6-2.

Meanwhile, women’s 10th seed Petra Kvitova came within a game of defeat by Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic, but eventually won 6-2 4-6 7-5 in two hours 16 minutes, watched by ticket holders wrapped up in colourful anoraks and with a multitude of umbrellas primed for action.

Kovinic served for the match at 5-4 in the third set but Kvitova roused herself to rattle off three games in a row.

Elsewhere, former champion Seta Kuznetsova was forced off court leading Slava Shvedova 3-1 in the deciding set.