Paris, France (SportsNetwork.com) - Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro and German Angelique Kerber were among the early first-round winners Monday at the French Open.
The eighth-seeded Suarez Navarro, who was the runner-up to Russian Maria Sharapova in Rome two weeks ago, advanced with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Romanian Monica Niculescu. A two-time French Open quarterfinalist, Suarez Navarro won her WTA-leading 32nd match of the year.
Kerber, the 11th seed who already owns two clay-court titles this season, routed Hungarian Timea Babos 6-0, 6-1.
An upset came when German Annika Beck doused 14th-seeded former Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 at Stade Roland Garros.
In other action involving seeds, No. 19 Ukrainian Elina Svitolina blitzed Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-2, 6-2; No. 20 former Wimbledon runner-up Sabine Lisicki of Germany mauled Puerto Rican Monica Puig 6-3, 6-2; No. 26 Aussie Samantha Stosur drilled American Madison Brengle 6-1, 6-3; and No. 29 French favorite Alize Cornet overcame Italian Roberta Vinci, a runner-up in Nurnberg last week, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. The former U.S. Open champion Stosur is fresh off her clay-court title in Strasbourg, France.
Several other women reached the second round, including Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru and France's Virginie Razzano.
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