PARIS — Serving well, Maria Sharapova began her French Open title defense with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over 42nd-ranked Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan on Monday.
The second-seeded Sharapova did not face a break point during the 54-minute match on Court Suzanne Lenglen, in part because she did not double-fault once and won 89 percent of her first-serve points.
She dictated the action, compiling a 25-8 edge in winners, including the backhand she hit to end the match.
A year ago, Sharapova won the championship at Roland Garros to complete a career Grand Slam, adding to her titles from Wimbledon in 2004, the U.S. Open in 2006 and the Australian Open in 2008.
She has won 37 of her past 38 first-round matches at major tournaments.
Her opponent Monday is 0-5 in Paris.