Paris, France – Rain forced some postponements on Tuesday's schedule at the French Open, but not before former runner-up Samantha Stosur and France's own Marion Bartoli posted opening-round victories.
A 2 1/2-hour rain delay prevented play from getting underway on a chilly Day 3, and more rain came after players took to the courts at Stade Roland Garros.
In between raindrops, the ninth-seeded Stosur got her work in, as the former U.S. Open champion and 2010 Roland Garros runner-up leveled 42-year-old Japanese Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-0, 6-2.
"I was happy to get out there and start," said the Aussie veteran Stosur, who lost to Italian Francesca Schiavone in the final here three years ago. "It was spitting a little bit when we went out there. You think, 'Oh, are we going to start or are we not?' Lucky for me I was able to finish the match before this last downpour came."
Date-Krumm is the third-oldest woman to play at Roland Garros.
The 29-year-old Stosur, who has reached at least the semifinals in Paris three of the last four years, will meet France's Kristina Mladenovic in the second round.
The 13th-seeded former Wimbledon runner-up and 2011 Roland Garros semifinalist Bartoli went the distance to hold off game Belarusian Olga Govortsova 7-6 (10-8), 4-6, 7-5 in 3 hours, 11 minutes.
Meanwhile, 16th-seeded diminutive Slovak Dominika Cibulkova handled Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko 6-1, 6-4; 18th-seeded former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic got past Slovakian veteran Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 7-6 (9-7); 27th-seeded Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan outlasted American Coco Vandeweghe 6-0, 3-6, 6-2; and 31st-seeded Frenchwoman Alize Cornet handled Portuguese Maria Joao Koehler 7-5, 6-2. The former U.S. Open runner-up Jankovic of Serbia is a three-time French Open semifinalist. Cornet is fresh off her clay court title last week in Strasbourg, France.
Also advancing on Day 3 were Spaniard Silvia Soler-Espinosa, Colombian Mariana Duque-Marino, and the aforementioned Mladenovic.
Third-seeded former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka was on Tuesday's schedule as the Australian Open champion and U.S. Open runner-up was slated to meet Russian Elena Vesnina, but that match was postponed until Wednesday, along with nine other opening-rounders.
Also seeing opening-round action on Wednesday will be seventh-seeded former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who will be opposed by Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai.
The second round is scheduled to commence Wednesday, including matches for world No. 1 and 2002 French Open champion Serena Williams, fourth-seeded 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska, fifth-seeded 2012 French Open runner- up Sara Errani, and 10th-seeded former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki.
The reigning Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion Williams will meet Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia on Day 4, while Radwanska will encounter American Mallory Burdette.
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