PARIS, May 26: Serena Williams got the successful defence of her French Open title off to the perfect start on the opening day here Monday as she streaked into the second round with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Barbara Rittner of Germany, to be joined by rivals Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Former men’s champion Andre Agassi also showed top form, taking his year record to 24 wins for only two losses with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 win over Karol Beck of Slovakia.

The 33-year-old Las Vegan has pocketed four titles this season - including the Australian Open, his eighth Grand Slam crown.

He came to Paris on the back of a first-round defeat in Rome against Spain’s David Ferrer, then skipped Hamburg - but the rest has clearly done the veteran good and he left the Philippe Chatrier showcourt with chants of “Andre, Andre” ringing in his ears.

“I’m here because I believe I can win,” Agassi insisted after coming off court, having bowed and blown air kisses to the fans.

Agassi now faces Croatian Mario Ancic, who was leading Chilean former world number one Marcelo Rios 6-1, 1-0 when the South American withdrew through injury.

Serena’s 29th straight Grand Slam win and Agassi’s saunter saw the formbook largely respected but it was well and truly upset when men’s fifth seed Roger Federer slumped out to Peruvian Luis Horna, who won their meeting on the Philippe Chatrier showcourt 7-6 (8/6), 6-2, 7-6 (7/3).

Federer, ranked among the favourites, turned in a dismal showing, netting a backhand on match point having flunked his first set chances with a rash of errors including a missed overhead smash which summed up his day.

“It’s a big disappointment. I’m very sad to be leaving so early. I should have played better,” said the 21-year-old Swiss from Basel, a quarter-finalist here two seasons ago.

Federer came here having lost the Rome final to Spaniard Felix Mantilla before losing in Hamburg to Australia’s Mark Philippoussis.

“I know it’s going to be tough for me ever to win this tournament - I have natural ability on clay. But it’s definitely the surface I have to make the most progress on,” he conceded.

Horna was delighted to have sprung a major surprise.

“It’s a dream to knock out a seed,” said the 22-year-old Davis Cup player from Lima ranked 73 in the world and who was making his debut at Roland Garros.

There was another shock among the men when experienced 49th-ranked Slovak Dominik Hrbaty ousted tenth-seeded Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 while Spanish qualifier Galo Blanco downed twice finalist Alex Corretja 5-7, 6-3, 6-0, 7-5.

Carlos Moya of Spain, the 1998 men’s champion who had expected to meet Federer in the quarters, defeated Filippo Volandri of Italy 7-6 (9/7), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to set up a meeting with either Philippoussis or American Alex Kim.

Also moving through was 1996 champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia, who destroyed Julien Boutter of France 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

Kafelnikov, 29, mulled retirement after winning the Davis Cup with Russia last year but has a new spring in his step after making the semi-final in Rome.

Back among the women fourth seed Henin-Hardenne beat Patricia Wartusch of Austria 6-3, 7-5.

Belgium’s Henin-Hardenne, who came here with the German Open under her belt after ousting compatriot Kim Clijsters in the final a fortnight ago, now meets Croatian Jelena Kostanic.

Serena, looking to emulate Steffi Graf’s 1988-89 achievement of capturing five straight Slam singles titles, took just 53min to see off Rittner.

“It’s nice to be out there where all the magic began last year,” said Serena, who beat elder sister Venus in last year’s final and then went on to land Wimbledon and the US Open.

“It’s nice to have all the fans cheering me out there. I feel like I’m where I’d like to be,” said the 21-year-old from Michigan, who next faces Switzerland’s Marie-Gaiane Mikaelian, a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 winner over Indonesia’s Angelique Widjaja, last year’s junior champion.

Serena came to Paris after defeats to Henin-Hardenne in Charleston and France’s Mauresmo in Rome and that pair bar her route to the final.

Fifth seed Mauresmo, who ousted compatriot Virginie Razzano 6-3, 7-5, is the American’s potential quarter-final opponent while Henin-Hardenne could end up as her semi-final rival.

Mary Pierce, the women’s champion in 2000, failed to even survive the opening round as Clarisa Fernandez of Argentina dealt the Frenchwoman a 6-2, 6-3 defeat.

First round results:

MEN:

Giorgio Galimberti (Italy) bt Ivo Heuberger (Switzerland) 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-2 6-2; Mark Philippoussis (Australia) bt Alex Kim (U.S.) 2-6 6-7 (1-7) 7-5 6-2 6-2; Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) bt David Sanchez (Spain) 6-3 6-0 6-0; Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) bt Cyril Saulnier (France) 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 7-5; Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) bt Julien Benneteau (France) 6-2 6-3 6-2; Mario Ancic (Croatia) bt Marcelo Rios (Chile) 6-1 1-0, retired (Rios withdrew injured); Andre Agassi (U.S.) bt Karol Beck (Slovakia) 6-2 6-3 6-3; Flavio Saretta (Brazil) bt Alberto Martin (Spain) 7-6 (7-4) 6-0 6-0: Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) bt Julien Boutter (France) 6-1 6-2 6-4; Marc Lopez (Spain) bt Nicolas Mahut (France) 7-5 6-1 7-6 (7-5); Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) bt Karol Kucera (Slovakia) 6-2 6-3 6-2; Galo Blanco (Spain) bt Alex Corretja (Spain) 5-7 6-3 6-0 7-5; James Blake (U.S.) bt Taylor Dent (U.S.) 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-3); David Ferrer (Spain) bt Jurgen Melzer (Austria) 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-2); Wayne Ferreira (South Africa) bt Tomas Behrend (Germany) 6-4 6-2 6-3; Carlos Moya (Spain) bt Filippo Volandri (Italy) 7-6 (9-7) 4-6 6-2 6-3; Christophe Rochus (Belgium) bt Hermes Gamonal (Chile) 7-5 6-3 6-3; Luis Horna (Peru) bt Roger Federer (Switzerland) 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 7-6 (7-3); Vincent Spadea (U.S.) bt Irakli Labadze (Georgia) 6-1 3-6 5-7 6-4 6-1; John van Lottum (Netherlands) bt Dick Norman (Belgium) 6-3 3-6 2-6 6-3 6-4; Jean-Rene Lisnard (France) bt Mariano Delfino (Argentina) 6-1 6-4 4-6 6-4; 11-Rainer Schuettler (Germany) bt Cecil Mamiit (U.S.) 6-1 2-6 6-4 6-2; Younes El Aynaoui (Morocco) bt Anthony Dupuis (France) 6-4 6-4 6-4; Mariano Puerta (Argentina) bt Justin Gimelstob (U.S.) 6-2 4-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-1; Xavier Malisse (Belgium) bt Alex Calatrava (Spain) 7-5 6-4 6-2; Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) bt Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) 6-4 3-6 6-0 7-5; Martin Verkerk (Netherlands) bt Zeljko Krajan (Croatia) 6-3 6-4 6-4; Stefan Koubek (Austria) bt Alexander Popp (Germany) 7-5 6-2 6-3; Mariano Zabaleta (Argentina) bt Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 6-2; 7-6 (10-8) 6-0.

WOMEN:

Meghann Shaughnessy (U.S.) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 3-6 7-5 11-9; Barbara Schett (Austria) bt Akiko Morigami (Japan) 4-6 6-4 6-0; Lisa Raymond (U.S.) bt Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) 6-1 7-5; Clarisa Fernandez (Argentina) bt Mary Pierce (France) 6-2 6-3; Flavia Pennetta (Italy) bt Amandine Dulon (France) 6-4 6-4; Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) bt Virginie Pichet (France) 6-1 6-0; Stephanie Foretz (France) bt Eva Birnerova (Czech Republic) 6-4 7-5; Lina Krasnoroutskaya (Russia) bt Jill Craybas (U.S.) 6-1 6-3; Stephanie Cohen Aloro (France) bt Natalia Gussoni (Argentina) 6-1 7-5; Chanda Rubin (U.S.) bt Henrieta Nagyova (Slovakia) 6-2 6-4; Petra Mandula (Hungary) bt Marta Marrero (Spain) 6-2 6-3; Ludmila Cervanova (Slovakia) bt Els Callens (Belgium) 7-6 (7-4) 6-3; Iva Majoli (Croatia) bt Cho Yoon-jeong (South Korea) 4-6 7-5 6-0; Amelie Mauresmo (France) bt Virginie Razzano (France) 6-3 7-5; Marie-Gaiane Mikaelian (Switzerland) bt Angelique Widjaja (Indonesia) 6-3 4-6 7-5; Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) bt Patricia Wartusch (Austria) 6-3 7-5; Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) bt Nicole Pratt (Australia) 6-4 6-3; Sandra Kleinova (Czech Republic) bt Sarah Taylor (U.S.) 6-3 6-4; Magui Serna (Spain) bt Maria Sharapova (Russia) 6-3 6-3; Laura Granville (U.S.) bt Meilen Tu (U.S.) 1-6 6-1 6-4; Anna Pistolesi (Israel) bt Camille Pin (France) 6-1 6-1; Anastasia Myskina (Russia) bt Dinara Safina (Russia) 6-2 6-2; Dally Randriantefy (Madagascar) bt Alexandra Stevenson (U.S.) 6-3 6-3; Fabiola Zuluaga (Colombia) bt Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) 6-0 6-2; Ai Sugiyama (Japan) bt Virginia Ruano Pascual (Spain) 4-6 6-4 6-4; Jelena Kostanic (Croatia) bt Sophie Lefevre (France) 7-5 6-7; (5-7) 6-4; Tathiana Garbin (Italy) bt Christina Wheeler (Australia) 6-4 6-3; Emilie Loit (France) bt Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) 6-3 6-2; Serena Williams (U.S.) bt Barbara Rittner (Germany) 6-2 6-1.—AFP/Reuters