Swiatek begins French Open defence with straight-sets win
Iga Swiatek launched her bid for a fourth straight Roland Garros title on Monday with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova.
Swiatek extended her winning run at Roland Garros to 22 matches, but she has dropped to fifth in the world after a year-long trophy drought.
The Pole broke for a 4-3 lead after a lengthy seventh game, and then again to wrap up the opening set on Court Philippe Chatrier.
She fell 2-0 behind to start the second but got back on serve before securing another break to see off the 42nd-ranked Sramkova in straight sets for the second Grand Slam in a row.
"It wasn't an easy match because she played with a lot of freedom and I felt she was going for her shots," said Swiatek, who also beat Sramkova in the second round of this year's Australian Open.
"I knew I needed to stay proactive and try to use my weapons. I'm happy with my performance and it was a solid match."
Swiatek, a four-time French Open winner whose record in Paris now stands at 36-2, advances to a clash of past US Open champions, with Britain's Emma Raducanu her opponent in the second round.
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