The French Open 2019 began in full swing on Monday with the heavy favourites for the title all in action. In the men’s draw, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic cruised through their opening encounters to book a place in the second round, while Serena Williams had to overcome an early scare to continue her pursuit of a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title

Here is a wrap of Day 2

Sidelines

French teen scooting along nicely

Sixteen-year-old French player Diane Parry made the second round on Monday with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Vera Lapko of Belarus.

But the 457th-ranked Parry is too young to drive so has to find other ways to get to the tournament.

“I have an electric scooter. It’s easier to move around. Today I took the car with my mother, but it’s true that I usually take the scooter,” she said.

50 in a row for Cornet

France’s Alize Cornet began her 50th consecutive Grand Slam on Monday but the landmark was forgettable after losing 6-4, 6-3 to Ukraine’s Viktoria Kuzmova.

Long wait over

Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta, a Roland Garros quarter-finalist in 2017, celebrated his first win since the Australian Open in January by beating Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 to reach the second round.

Svitolina’s age concern

Ukraine’s world number nine Elina Svitolina was only two years old when Venus Williams made her Roland Garros debut and late Sunday she ended the American’s latest Paris bid in straight sets.

Venus is now 38 but Svitolina does not see herself playing that long.

“No. Definitely no. It takes lots of willpower. It’s amazing what she does and how she still keep going and still motivated to play. Even today, I was playing against her and thinking, you know, I’m not sure I will be here playing at that age.”

Smoke-free zone

Sven Groeneveld, the former coach of Maria Sharapova, is leading a campaign to cut out smoking at Roland Garros.

He tweeted:

Top results

Serena Williams (USA x10) bt Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) 2-6, 6-1, 6-0

Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt Yannick Hanfmann (GER) 6-2, 6-1, 6-3

Kiki Bertens (NED x4) bt Pauline Parmentier (FRA) 6-3, 6-4

Dominic Thiem (AUT x4) bt Tommy Paul (USA) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2

Who’s saying what

“It was like having a concrete block of my feet.”

– Serena Williams on dropping the first set to Vitalia Diatchencko before winning in three.

“I think she got very lucky in the start of the second set.”

– Caroline Wozniacki after her 0-6, 6-3, 6-3 defeat by Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova.

“I have so many critics on the networks, social networks, and people are so mean. 50th Grand Slam in a row and never a quarterfinal, which is ridiculous, because I do my best. I do what I can.”

– France’s Alize Cornet on playing her 50th successive Grand Slam tournament.

“I don’t think about it. I’m just, like, Okay. Fu–. now I’m going to start thinking about it. What do I do? I don’t even know. Oh, God, now they’re going to give me a fine.”

– Sloane Stephens on her tie-break strategy