The Japan Times - Swiatek, Zverev, Djokovic in action as French Open hots up

Novak Djokovic will meet a second hometown player on Court Philippe Chatrier as he seeks to continue his quest for a record 25th major title and Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina is also in action.

Four-time Roland Garros winner Swiatek will open the day's play on centre court against upcoming Sara Bejlek.

The 20-year-old Czech has never got further than the round of 64 in Paris, but won her first WTA title in February in the 500-level event in Abu Dhabi and has broken into the world's top 40.

After a comfortable opening win for Swiatek against Australian wildcard Emerson Jones, Bejlek should provide a sterner test of the Polish third see bid to regain the trophy she last held in 2024.

Men's second seed Zverev also glided through the first round in straight sets, but the three-time Grand Slam runner-up will next meet 43rd-ranked Tomas Machac in the night session on centre court.

The German beat Machac in their only previous meeting, at the Paris Olympics two years ago, but the Czech has progressed, earning himself two ATP titles and briefly cracking the world's top 20.

Following a battling win over big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, 24-time major champion Djokovic will face a different challenge in the round of 64 against Valentin Royer.

One thing that won't change for the 39-year-old, will be the atmosphere in the stadium as he takes on another local.

"Obviously playing a French player, centre court, Roland Garros, is never so easy, you know. Obviously the crowd gets into it, and then you feel the pressure even more," Djokovic said after his opening win.

Kazakh world number two Rybakina, seeking to win her second Grand Slam of the season, will meet Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva on Court Suzanne Lenglen for a place in the third round.

- 'Like a zombie' -

Italian Open champion Elina Svitolina narrowly avoided a shock first-round exit on Monday, before enduring an emotional five-set loss by her husband Gael Monfils on his Roland Garros farewell.

The seventh seed will have to lock back in to ward off the challenge of Spanish qualifier Kaitlin Quevedo.

"So I'm not thinking too much about (being considered a favourite to win the tournament)," the 31-year-old Ukrainian said after her opening victory.

"I was really focused on the first round, because it was a really big challenge for me, and I was not sure I would be in the second round.

"As always, you know, focus on the recovery, focus on the game plan that I have to execute for my next round. When you are playing well, when you are at the, you know, top of kind of like in the ranking, everybody is playing free against you."

Former finalist Casper Ruud said he felt "like a zombie" at times during his first-round five-set marathon under the blazing Parisian sun.

With the heat showing no signs of abating, the Norwegian will be hoping for a shorter match later in the day when he plays Serbian Hamad Medjedovic in the fourth and final encounter scheduled for the second showpiece court at Roland Garros.

Teenage stars Mirra Andreeva, Rafael Jodar and Joao Fonseca will seek to book their spots in the round of 32 on the outside courts, while 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko is in action too.

S.Fujimoto--JT