Paris, France (SportsNetwork.com) - Former champion and last year's runner-up Maria Sharapova and Czech slugger Petra Kvitova won their opening matches at the 2014 French Open on Monday.
After waiting out a rain delay, the seventh-seeded Russian star Sharapova needed only 61 minutes to post a 6-1, 6-2 win over compatriot Ksenia Pervak on Court Chatrier. Pervak has yet to win a match in four trips to Roland Garros.
"It's always nice to get out there on a day like this. It's good to play first match, as you know," Sharapova said. "Hopefully you'll be able to finish the match today with the weather conditions being as they are. It's always nice to get through."
Sharapova completed a career Grand Slam at the 2012 French Open and reached the final at this clay court major last year, only to lose to Serena Williams.
Up next for Sharapova will be Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova.
The fifth-seeded former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova handled Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas 7-5, 6-2 on Day 2, while ninth-seeded Australian Open runner-up Dominika Cibulkova, of Slovakia, overcame a taxing first set to beat French journeywoman Virginie Razzano 7-5, 6-0. Kvitova will encounter New Zealand's Marin Erakovic in the round of 64, while Cibulkova will battle Austrian Tamira Paszek.
A match between sixth-seeded former world No. 1 Serb Jelena Jankovic and Canadian Sharon Fichman was suspended because darkness, with Fichman ahead 7-5, 1-5.
Also on Day 2, 12th-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta flattened Austrian Patricia Mayr-Achleitner 6-2, 6-2 and 16th-seeded 2013 Wimbledon runner-up Sabine Lisicki, of Germany, handled France's Fiona Ferro 6-1, 7-5.
France's Pauline Parmentier upended 17th-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; hot 18th-seeded Canadian Eugenie Bouchard drilled Israeli Shahar Peer 6-0, 6-2; 19th-seeded former U.S. Open champion and former French Open runner-up Samantha Stosur, of Australia, pasted Puerto Rican Monica Puig 6-1, 6-1; 20th-seeded French favorite Alize Cornet raced past Aussie teenager Ashleigh Barty 6-2, 6-1; 28th-seeded German Andrea Petkovic peppered Japan's Misaki Doi 6-3, 6-3; and 32nd-seeded Russian Elena Vesnina outlasted American Christina McHale 7-6 (7-0), 4-6, 6-3. The 20-year-old Bouchard corralled her first career WTA title in Nuremberg, Germany, two days ago. The 20-year-old Puig was fresh off her first career title in Strasbourg last week in France.
Several other women reached the second round, including the aforementioned Paszek, American Taylor Townsend, and Germans Julia Goerges and Mona Barthel. Townsend got past fellow American Vania King 7-5, 6-1.
Several stars will see opening-round action on Tuesday, including second- seeded Australian Open champion and former Roland Garros titlist Li Na; fourth-seeded Simona Halep; 10th-seeded former French Open runner-up Sara Errani; 11th-seeded former world No. 1 and former Roland Garros winner Ana Ivanovic; and 13th-seeded former top-ranked performer Caroline Wozniacki.
Li will take on France's Kristina Mladenovic, while Errani will encounter American Madison Keys.
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