Stosur eases into second round

Paris (Agencies): Samantha Stosur, the 2010 French Open runner-up, waited 2A� hours to play because of rain, then quickly won her opening match at Roland Garros. The Australian swept the first nine games Tuesday and drubbed 42-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-0, 6-2. Play was delayed at the start on a 55-degree afternoon, and when the rain finally stopped, Stosur was ready. Playing on cozy Court 1, nicknamed "the bullring," Stosur dominated with her strong serve and pinpoint groundstrokes, repeatedly skipping shots just inside the lines. Rain returned at midafternoon, prompting another delay. Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli, a semifinalist two years ago, needed more than three hours on center court to beat Olga Govortsova 7-6 (8), 4-6, 7-5. Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka's match against Elena Vesnina was among 10 first-round matches postponed. They won't begin until at least Wednesday, three days after some players were already into the second round. The ninth-seeded Stosur's best showing at Roland Garros was three years ago, when she lost in the final to Francesca Schiavone. She won the U.S. Open in 2011 but this year has been hampered by a right calf injury and has yet to reach a semifinal.

Stosur said she's now feeling 100 percent and hoping for a good run in Paris. "The first hurdle is done, but there are many, many more ahead of me," she said. "I have to stay on track, but I think this was a very good start." Qualifier Mariana Duque-Marino beat Kristyna Pliskova 6-2, 6-0. After 90 minutes of play, the rain returned. Soggy fans huddled in corridors and formed long lines at the gourmet coffee, hot dog and waffle stands. Last week, tournament officials said they would move ahead with plans to build a retractable roof over center court, despite a judicial ruling in March that put the project on hold. The roof would be completed in 2018 as part of a $440 million renovation project at Roland Garros.

Injured Tomic withdraws Paris: Troubled Australian star Bernard Tomic suffered another setback in his faltering career on Tuesday when he quit his French Open first round match with an injury. The 20-year-old came into the second Grand Slam of the season against a background of controversy after his father, and coach, John was accused of assaulting his son's training partner in Madrid. On Tuesday, he dropped the first two sets against Romania's Victor Hanescu before quitting in the third set to hand a 7-5, 7-6 (9/7), 2-1 win to his opponent.