By Robert Woodward
PARIS Sun May 25, 2014 10:07am EDT
Roger Federer of Switzerland waits for a serve from Lukas Lacko of Slovakia, during their men's singles match at the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris May 25, 2014.
Credit: Reuters/Jean-Paul Pelissier
<span id="articleText"><span id="midArticle_start"/> PARIS (Reuters) - Roger Federer spent as little time as possible on court on the opening day of the French Open on Sunday, beating Lukas Lacko 6-2 6-4 6-2 before returning to his parental duties on Mother's Day in Paris.
<span id="midArticle_1"/>Watched by his wife, Mirka, and his twin girls, the Swiss former champion moved gently through the gears against the shaggy-haired Slovakian under grey skies on the Philippe Chatrier show court.
<span id="midArticle_2"/>Federer declared himself satisfied with his win before returning to help Mirka look after his newly born twin boys.
<span id="midArticle_3"/>Venus Williams, wearing a self-designed dress that added splashes of color to a grey day, showed she is still a force at the age of 33 by taking, and returning, all that Belinda Bencic could throw at her in winning 6-4 6-1.
<span id="midArticle_4"/>The 17-year-old Bencic, coached by Martina Hingis's mother, traded low, hard blows with the American from the back of the court but Williams had too much experience for the Swiss.
<span id="midArticle_5"/>Russia's Mikhail Youzhny, the 15th seed, recovered from two sets down to beat Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 3-6 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-0 while Milos Raonic and Agnieszka Radwanska shook off the morning chill to ease into the second round.
<span id="midArticle_6"/>Poland's Radwanska, the third seed, won 6-3 6-0 after the first seven games against Zhang Shuai went against serve. Canadian Raonic, seeded eighth, beat the feisty Australian Nick Kyrgios 6-3 7-6(1) 6-3 and then charmed the Roland Garros crowd by conducting his on-court interview in French.
<span id="midArticle_7"/>Radwanska set the ball rolling on the main Philippe Chatrier show court under overcast skies. Forecasters warn intermittent rain is expected over the early days of the tournament.
<span id="midArticle_8"/><span id="midArticle_9"/>SPRINGLIKE TEMPERATURES
<span id="midArticle_10"/>Wearing a floral print dress perhaps in anticipation of more springlike temperatures, Radwanska took a while to get into her rhythm against Zhang and both women struggled badly with their service.
<span id="midArticle_11"/>But the Pole eventually held for 5-3, after saving three break points, and then broke the Chinese to take the set. The second set was a rout, however.
<span id="midArticle_12"/>"I think it was a very wet court. I think the courts are not always dry, it's raining every day, so it makes the courts much slower," Radwanska said.
<span id="midArticle_13"/>"Every two-set match is great in a two-week tournament. It's important that I spent only one hour on court," added Radwanska, who played with a heavily strapped thigh.
<span id="midArticle_14"/>She was badly hobbled by a knee injury when losing the Indian Wells final to Flavia Pennetta in March.
<span id="midArticle_15"/>Another Chinese, Zheng Jie, was also among the early losers, going down 6-7(2) 6-3 6-4 to Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia. Daniela Hantuchova, another Slovak and seeded 31, came from a set down to beat Jovana Jaksic of Serbia 2-6 6-2 6-4.
<span id="midArticle_0"/>Serena Williams, the No. 1 seed, younger sister of Venus and the strong favorite to retain her title here, will also be in action on Philippe Chatrier against France's Alize Lim.
<span id="midArticle_1"/>Raonic pushed Novak Djokovic in the Rome semi-finals before losing in three sets to the eventual champion and he eased through the first set against Kyrgios.
<span id="midArticle_2"/>The eighth seed was broken midway through the second but recovered immediately, leaving his 19-year-old opponent to hurl his racket to the court, shaking his head.
<span id="midArticle_3"/>The Australian got increasingly frustrated through the second-set tiebreak, berating himself repeatedly, before Raonic took it 7-1.
<span id="midArticle_4"/>Raonic served out to win the third set on his third match point.
<span id="midArticle_5"/>"I felt very good," said Raonic.
<span id="midArticle_6"/>"I was able to do the things I wanted to do. In the first round you go in not knowing exactly how things are going to play out, and I was able to, when it mattered, put forward the right attitude and the right level of tennis."
<span id="midArticle_7"/><span id="midArticle_8"/>(Reporting By Robert Woodward, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
<span id="midArticle_9"/>
PARIS Sun May 25, 2014 10:07am EDT
Credit: Reuters/Jean-Paul Pelissier
<span id="articleText"><span id="midArticle_start"/> PARIS (Reuters) - Roger Federer spent as little time as possible on court on the opening day of the French Open on Sunday, beating Lukas Lacko 6-2 6-4 6-2 before returning to his parental duties on Mother's Day in Paris.
<span id="midArticle_1"/>Watched by his wife, Mirka, and his twin girls, the Swiss former champion moved gently through the gears against the shaggy-haired Slovakian under grey skies on the Philippe Chatrier show court.
<span id="midArticle_2"/>Federer declared himself satisfied with his win before returning to help Mirka look after his newly born twin boys.
<span id="midArticle_3"/>Venus Williams, wearing a self-designed dress that added splashes of color to a grey day, showed she is still a force at the age of 33 by taking, and returning, all that Belinda Bencic could throw at her in winning 6-4 6-1.
<span id="midArticle_4"/>The 17-year-old Bencic, coached by Martina Hingis's mother, traded low, hard blows with the American from the back of the court but Williams had too much experience for the Swiss.
<span id="midArticle_5"/>Russia's Mikhail Youzhny, the 15th seed, recovered from two sets down to beat Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 3-6 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-0 while Milos Raonic and Agnieszka Radwanska shook off the morning chill to ease into the second round.
<span id="midArticle_6"/>Poland's Radwanska, the third seed, won 6-3 6-0 after the first seven games against Zhang Shuai went against serve. Canadian Raonic, seeded eighth, beat the feisty Australian Nick Kyrgios 6-3 7-6(1) 6-3 and then charmed the Roland Garros crowd by conducting his on-court interview in French.
<span id="midArticle_7"/>Radwanska set the ball rolling on the main Philippe Chatrier show court under overcast skies. Forecasters warn intermittent rain is expected over the early days of the tournament.
<span id="midArticle_8"/><span id="midArticle_9"/>SPRINGLIKE TEMPERATURES
<span id="midArticle_10"/>Wearing a floral print dress perhaps in anticipation of more springlike temperatures, Radwanska took a while to get into her rhythm against Zhang and both women struggled badly with their service.
<span id="midArticle_11"/>But the Pole eventually held for 5-3, after saving three break points, and then broke the Chinese to take the set. The second set was a rout, however.
<span id="midArticle_12"/>"I think it was a very wet court. I think the courts are not always dry, it's raining every day, so it makes the courts much slower," Radwanska said.
<span id="midArticle_13"/>"Every two-set match is great in a two-week tournament. It's important that I spent only one hour on court," added Radwanska, who played with a heavily strapped thigh.
<span id="midArticle_14"/>She was badly hobbled by a knee injury when losing the Indian Wells final to Flavia Pennetta in March.
<span id="midArticle_15"/>Another Chinese, Zheng Jie, was also among the early losers, going down 6-7(2) 6-3 6-4 to Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia. Daniela Hantuchova, another Slovak and seeded 31, came from a set down to beat Jovana Jaksic of Serbia 2-6 6-2 6-4.
<span id="midArticle_0"/>Serena Williams, the No. 1 seed, younger sister of Venus and the strong favorite to retain her title here, will also be in action on Philippe Chatrier against France's Alize Lim.
<span id="midArticle_1"/>Raonic pushed Novak Djokovic in the Rome semi-finals before losing in three sets to the eventual champion and he eased through the first set against Kyrgios.
<span id="midArticle_2"/>The eighth seed was broken midway through the second but recovered immediately, leaving his 19-year-old opponent to hurl his racket to the court, shaking his head.
<span id="midArticle_3"/>The Australian got increasingly frustrated through the second-set tiebreak, berating himself repeatedly, before Raonic took it 7-1.
<span id="midArticle_4"/>Raonic served out to win the third set on his third match point.
<span id="midArticle_5"/>"I felt very good," said Raonic.
<span id="midArticle_6"/>"I was able to do the things I wanted to do. In the first round you go in not knowing exactly how things are going to play out, and I was able to, when it mattered, put forward the right attitude and the right level of tennis."
<span id="midArticle_7"/><span id="midArticle_8"/>(Reporting By Robert Woodward, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
<span id="midArticle_9"/>
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