Gavrilova on the charge in Strasbourg

Daria Gavrilova wasted little time beating 21-year-old American Louisa Chirico in the opening round of the Strasbourg Open.

The Australian world No.25 defeated Chirico 6-2 6-3 in just over an hour of court time to join fellow Australians Samantha Stosur and Ashleigh Barty in the second round.

Gavrilova will next play Russian qualifier Elizaveta Kulichkova, Stosur is set for a showdown with American qualifier Madison Brengle while Barty will play fellow qualifier Camila Giorgi, who shocked second-seeded Russian Elena Vesnina 1-6 6-1 6-1.

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All three Australians are playing their last event before the French Open gets under way at Roland Garros on Sunday May 28 and Gavrilova is coming off a quarter-final performance at the Italian Open.

Joining them in the second round is fifth-seeded Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia, who breezed past American world No.87 Jennifer Brady 6-3 6-4.

Garcia’s countrywoman Alize Cornet was sent packing though – she was ousted by Chinese eighth seed Peng Shuai 3-6 7-5 6-1.

Former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, trailed American Shelby Rogers 7-6 (10-8), 1-0 when she called it quits because of back pain, six days before the French Open.

“I came back and had my chances to win that first set, and then I started feeling my back,” Wozniacki said.

“I felt it kind of in the middle of the first set. At this point, it’s important for me to try and get ready for the French Open and be 100 per cent for that.”

World No.55 Rogers, who reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros last year, will face China’s Wang Qiang in the round of 16 on Tuesday.

Wang defeated Risa Ozaki of Japan 6-4 3-6 6-3 in her opening round match on Sunday.