Sharapova wins, jeered off court

PARIS : Defending women's champion Maria Sharapova reached the French Open second round on Monday but was jeered by fans after she refused to carry out an on-court TV interview.
Second-seeded Sharapova defeated experienced Estonian Kaia Kanepi, who was a quarter-finalist three years ago, 6-2, 6-4 to set-up a clash against Fed Cup teammate Vitalia Diatchenko.
But the 27-year-old Sharapova then irritated the Philippe Chatrier Court crowd by refusing to carry out the traditional on-court television interview, claiming her voice was not strong enough.
Sharapova took her record against Kanepi to 5-0 but struggled at times on Monday in the testing wind which swirled around the showpiece arena.
Meanwhile, ex-world number two and 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska was a shock first-round loser.
The Polish 14th seed, a quarter-finalist in 2013, went down 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to Germany's Annika Beck, a player she defeated 6-0, 6-0 when they met at Indian Wells last year.
The loss was only the third time in 34 Grand Slam tournaments that 26-year-old Radwanska had lost in the first round.
"Maybe I'm getting older," said the tearful Pole.
World number four Tomas Berdych, a 2010 semi-finalist, continued his solid claycourt season with a 6-0, 7-5, 6-3 win over Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka, the world number 146.
The 29-year-old Berdych will now face Davis Cup-winning teammate Radek Stepanek, the oldest man in the draw at 36, for a place in the last 32.
"It is always good to have the first one down and now I'll just keep focusing on my next opponent," said fourth-seeded Berdych.
Stepanek became the oldest man to win a match at Roland Garros since 38-year-old Jimmy Connors in 1991 when he saw off Croatian journeyman Ivan Dodig 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.
Spain's 11th seed Feliciano Lopez was the biggest men's casualty so far when he lost to Russian world number 74 Teymuraz Gabashvili, 6-3, 7-6 (11/9), 6-3.
Australia saw their three brightest prospects all make it to the second round.
Nineteen-year-old wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis defeated Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 while 27th seed Bernard Tomic saw off Italy's Luca Vanni 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Kokkinakis and Tomic will face off for a place in the third round where top seed Novak Djokovic will likely be waiting.
Nick Kyrgios, the 29th-seeded Australian who beat Roger Federer in Madrid earlier this month, eased past Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
In the women's event, Spanish eighth seed Carla Suarez Navarro, a quarter-finalist in 2008 and 2014, beat Romania's Monica Niculescu 6-2, 6-2.
There were home wins for French 29th seed Alize Cornet, who defeated Roberta Vinci 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 for her first victory over the veteran Italian in five attempts, and wildcard Amandine Hesse, ranked 272, who hit back to beat Australia's Jarmila Gajdosova 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Hesse's reward is a second-round match-up with 2010 runner-up Samantha Stosur, the winner in Strasbourg at the weekend, who defeated Madison Brengle of the United States 6-1, 6-3.
Virginie Razzano, playing in her 17th French Open, edged out Paraguay's Veronica Cepede Royg 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Worried by exacerbating a stomach strain, Razzano served underhand at one stage, losing the point in the process.
German 11th seed Angelique Kerber, the champion on clay in Charleston and Stuttgart this season, needed just 50 minutes to make the second round.
Kerber, a quarter-finalist in 2012, brushed asided Timea Babos of Hungary 6-0, 6-1.
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka, who missed last year's Roland Garros through injury, marked her return by beating Spain's María-Teresa Torró-Flor 6-2, 6-1.
Croatia's Ana Konjuh, the youngest woman in the draw at 17, made the next round with a 6-1, 6-4, win over Russian qualifier Margarita Gasparyan.
Later Monday, British third seed Andy Murray, with his first ever titles on clay picked up this year in Munich and Madrid, tackles Argentine qualifier Facundo Arguello, who reached the main draw as a lucky loser having lost in the final round of qualifying.
There were five British players in the men's and women's events on Monday.
But that became four when Slovenian-born Aljaz Bedene, who gained British citizenship in March, lost in four sets to promising Austrian Dominic Thiem. – AFP