There will be no first-round exit for Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros this year. The 6’6” German dominated his opener on Sunday, cruising past Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 in only 69 minutes. The second seed hit 11 aces and dropped only four points on his first serve (27/31).

Last year, Zverev, after winning his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Rome, lost to Fernando Verdasco in the first round in Paris. Zverev is now a two-time clay-court Masters 1000 titlist after winning the Mutua Madrid Open earlier this month (d. Thiem), and he’s looking to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final this fortnight.

“On clay especially I have been playing well… I have won two tournaments (Munich, Madrid), made the finals in Rome; again, losing to Rafa in a close match. I feel good, and today was a good start to the tournament,” Zverev said.

His best showing at a Grand Slam was a fourth-round run at 2017 Wimbledon (l. to Raonic). Zverev made the third round at Roland Garros two years ago. He will next meet Serbian Dusan Lajovic or Czech Jiri Vesely.

The highest-seeded Frenchman in the draw cruised in his opener. Fifteeenth seed Lucas Pouille routed Russian Daniil Medvedev, a titlist in Sydney earlier this year, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Pouille won 82 per cent of his first-serve points and won almost half of his return points against the 22-year-old Medvedev.

“The beginning of a tournament is always complicated, and it’s reassuring when you have a problem of confidence to realise that you were playing well during training and you could apply the game today,” Pouille said.

“I tried to focus on very simple things. I tried to have a sound and sturdy game without trying any wild things, play effective tennis without trying to shine… I’m very happy with the way I managed to cope with my emotions.”

France’s No. 1 enjoyed his best Roland Garros showing last year when he reached the third round (l. to Ramos-Vinolas). He’s into the second round for the fifth time. Pouille will next meet Brit Cameron Norrie or German Peter Gojowczyk, who finished as the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open runner-up on Saturday (l. to Fucsovics).

It’s been 35 years since France’s Yannick Noah won Roland Garros in 1983. No other Frenchman has matched the feat – or won another Grand Slam title – in the Open Era.

In other action, 26^th seed Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina saved nine of 10 break points to beat American qualifier Denis Kudla 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. Dzumhur, a two-time ATP World Tour titlist, will next meet Radu Albot of Moldova, who came back to beat Frenchman Gregoire Barrere 4-6, 0-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-2 in two hours and 33 minutes.

“I have sort of lukewarm feelings,” Barrere said. “I’m obviously disappointed to lose like that, but I’m very happy about my playing level for the first three sets. I’ll have to continue playing like that and seizing the game in my hands.”

Did You Know?
Pouille broke into the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings in March for the first time. View ATP Rankings

Grigor Dimitrov adapted well to the challenge of facing a late replacement in the draw on Sunday, beating lucky loser Mohamed Safwat 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(1) to reach the second round at Roland Garros.

Dimitrov had prepared to face Viktor Troicki in the opening match of the tournament on Philippe-Chatrier Court before the Serb withdrew with lower back pain, handing Egypt’s Safwat a place in the main draw. Safwat, the first Egyptian man to compete at a Grand Slam since Tamer El Sawy at the 1996 US Open, handled the occasion well, testing the World No. 5 after a slow start.

The fourth seed hit 31 winners and won 88 per cent of first-serve points to snap a three-match losing streak after just over two hours. Dimitrov entered Roland Garros after opening-match losses at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Madrid (l. to Raonic) and Rome (l. to Nishikori).

Dimitrov awaits the winner of the first-round encounter between Chile’s Nicolas Jarry and Jared Donaldson. Dimitrov is yet to meet either player on the ATP World Tour.

Dimitrov controlled the opening set from the baseline, hitting with greater power than his opponent off both wings to take a one-set lead after 22 minutes. The reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion dropped just eight points in the opener, taking charge of important points on his forehand side to outmanoeuvre the lucky loser.

The second set appeared to be following the same pattern, with Dimitrov, once again, using his forehand to great effect to secure an early break. But Safwat rallied, after taking a medical time-out at a set and 4-1 down, to come to within a point of levelling proceedings at 4-4. Dimitrov saved break point, taking the initiative with a strong forehand before finishing at the net, to maintain his advantage before sealing the set with a composed hold to love two games later.

The Egyptian carried his improved level into the third set, bravely saving break points at 3-3 and 4-4 to keep pace with Dimitrov before reaching a tie-break. At that point, Dimitrov rediscovered his first-set form, dominating with the forehand to race to the finish line.

Did You Know?
Grigor Dimitrov is now one victory away from his 50th Grand Slam match win (49-30). The 27-year-old has won 20 matches at the Australian Open (20-8), six at Roland Garros (6-7), 15 at The Championships (15-8) and eight at the US Open (8-7).

Marton Fucsovics clinched his first ATP World Tour title on Saturday, beating Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk 6-2, 6-2 at the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open. The 26-year-old dropped just four games to become the first Hungarian to win a tour-level title since former World No. 12 Balazs Taroczy in 1982 (Hilversum) and will make his debut inside the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings on Monday 26 May.

Fucsovics is the seventh first-time winner on the ATP World Tour this season, which equals the total number of maiden titlists throughout the 2017 season.

First-Time ATP World Tour Champions In 2018

After the 67-minute triumph, Fucsovics spoke to ATPWorldTour.com:

How does it feel to become a first-time ATP World Tour champion?
[It is a] great feeling. It is good to experience it. I was always dreaming about it and finally I achieved it.

What was your approach heading into today’s final?
I was very confident before the match. I was feeling the ball very well all week. I beat good players. I beat Wawrinka in the quarter-finals and I beat Johnson from a set and 3-0 down. I was very confident, I came into the match with a lot of energy. I really wanted to win this title.

You only lost one set en route to the title, what did you do so well this week?
I think I did everything well. I was serving very well, the court fitted to my game very well. I really liked the ball. I could use my strategy to hit big winners, come in to the net and play aggressively; that was the key I think.

You are the first Hungarian champion on the ATP World Tour since Balazs Taroczy in 1982, how does that feel?
It is special for me. He was the last one and it was a long time ago. Tennis was not the top sport in Hungary and now I am a Top 50 player so hopefully it will be even more popular in Hungary.

Now you are in the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings, what are your goals for the rest of the season?
My goal was to stay in the Top 100 at the end of the year, now I am in the Top 50. My biggest goals and dreams [are] to be a Top 10 player or… win a Grand Slam.

You started the 2018 season reaching a final on the ATP Challenger Tour in Canberra before making the fourth round at the Australian Open, what did that good start do for your confidence?
I had a good preparation working with my coach day-by-day. I started the year with the No. 85 ranking and after the Australian Open I was No. 63, now I [will be] No. 45. We are working day-by-day. I had a very bad start to the clay season, but at the end it ended up [going] well.

Who are the people that helped you get to this level that you are at now and who would you like to thank?
My coach. He helped me a lot, he changed my mind. I was No. 270 when we started to work together and now I am a Top 50 player; big thanks to Attila [Savolt]. My family who were always supporting me, even in the hard times. My fiancee who came into my life two years ago. My manager, my friends, my fitness coach and my team who were working with me day-by-day.

Which ATP World Tour players did you look up to when you were younger and who did you admire growing up?
I really liked the Swiss players. Federer was always my idol and then I started to like Wawrinka. That is why it is a little bit special for me to win here.

When you are not on the tennis court, what are your interests besides tennis?
I like to stay at home and play with my dog, go to the cinema, relax at home and hang out with friends.