Former champion Stan Wawrinka brushed aside Andy Murray 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 in the marquee match-up on the opening day while Italian teenager Jannik Sinner demolished Belgian 11th seed David Goffin 7-5, 6-0, 6-3 in the first round of the French Open on Sunday.
Wawrinka, the 16th seed who took the title in 2015, had also come out on top when the two last met in Paris in a five-set semi-final in 2017.
Murray, who needed a wild card to play in Paris this year, was competing in a clay court tournament for the first time since that clash.
Wawrinka fired 42 winners past the former world number one and will take on Dominik Koepfer of Germany for a place in the last 32.
Murray, now ranked at 111 in the world after being pushed to the brink of retirement by his lengthy battle with a hip injury said: “I should be analysing that hard and trying to understand why the performance was like that.”
The 19-year-old Sinner, last year’s NextGen champion, reeled off 11 games in succession as he defeated Goffin for the second time in as many meetings.
Sinner, making his first appearance in the Roland Garros main draw, recorded just his second Grand Slam win having also reached round two at the Australian Open in January.
He also carved out a slice of history at the first player to triumph under the new retractable roof on Court Philippe Chatrier on a chilly, rainswept opening day of the tournament.
“I’m very happy. It’s a real honour. It’s my first time here and I think it’s great to have the roof, especially as I think it’s going to be useful the whole week,” said Sinner.
The 74th-ranked Sinner, who recently beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in Rome, will play French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi or Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori for a place in the third round.
The French Open, which was pushed back from its traditional May-June slot due to the coronavirus, began in steady drizzle and temperatures struggling to reach 10 degrees (50F).
Son of former Grand Slam champion Korda wins
Sebastian Korda, the son of 1992 Roland Garros runner-up and 1998 Australian Open champion Petr Korda, defeated Andreas Seppi in the first round.
The 20-year-old Korda came through qualifying to earn a place in the Roland Garros main draw for the first time, and overcame the veteran Seppi 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in gloomy conditions.
He credited his father for his lasting support after notching his first victory at tour level.
“My dad is a really big help, he oversees everything,” said Korda. “He doesn’t really travel with me that much, but we’re always in contact and whenever I’m home we’re always on the court together.
“He’s a really big help and I don’t think I would be anywhere near where I am right now without him.”
Korda junior, who stands 6ft 5in (1.96m), made his Grand Slam debut at the US Open last month and won the boys’ singles title at the Australian Open two years ago.
Ranked 212 in the world, he will meet the towering John Isner, the 21st seed, for a place in the third round.
“Just playing against the bigger guys gave me a lot of confidence,” said Korda, who lost to Denis Shapovalov as a wild card in four sets in New York. “It gave me belief that I could keep up with these guys and play with them.”
Korda is not the only son of a former Grand Slam winner in the men’s Roland Garros main draw this year. He is joined in the field by Emilio Gomez, who was born 18 months after his father Andres defeated Andre Agassi in the 1990 French Open final.
Results
Radu Albot (MDA) bt Jordan Thompson (AUS) 6-2, 6-4, 6-1
Taylor Fritz (USA x27) bt Tomas Machac (CZE) 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 1-6, 2-6, 6-3
Norbert Gombos (SVK) bt Borna Coric (CRO x24) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Jurij Rodionov (AUT) bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 10-8
Stan Wawrinka (SUI x16) bt Andy Murray (GBR) 6-1, 6-3, 6-2
Dominik Koepfer (GER) bt Antoine Hoang (FRA) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1
Marco Cecchinato (ITA) bt Alex De Minaur (AUS x25) 7-6 (11/9), 6-4, 6-0
Benoit Paire (FRA x23) bt Soonwoo Kwon (KOR) 7-5, 6-4, 6-4
Federico Coria (ARG) bt Jason Jung (TPE) 7-5, 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/3)
Benjamin Bonzi (FRA) bt Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Jannik Sinner (ITA) bt David Goffin (BEL x11) 7-5, 6-0, 6-3
Sebastian Korda (USA) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
John Isner (USA x21) bt Elliot Benchetrit (FRA) 6-4, 6-1, 6-3
Kei Nishikori (JPN) bt Dan Evans (GBR x32) 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 1-6, 6-4
Stefano Travaglia (ITA) bt Pablo Andujar (ESP) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
With AFP Inputs
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