PARIS — Maria Sharapova got back in the groove at her happiest hunting ground with the Russian opening her bid for a third French Open title with a 6-2 6-4 win over Kaia Kanepi on Monday.
The claycourt convert, champion last year and in 2012 and runner-up in 2013, went through her usual routines to great effect to ease through into the second round with few alarms.
With her nemesis and top seed Serena Williams keeping her powder dry until Tuesday when men's number one Novak Djokovic and nine-times champion Rafa Nadal also set out, Sharapova shared top-billing with Britain's Andy Murray on a breezy day in swanky western Paris.