Paris, May 25 (IANS) The opening day of the women’s singles draw at the French Open 2026 produced contrasting fortunes for two seeded contenders, as China’s Qinwen Zheng suffered a shock first-round exit while Italy’s Jasmine Paolini advanced in commanding fashion on Monday.

The biggest upset of the day came on Court Philippe-Chatrier, where Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska produced a statement performance to defeat the fifth seed Zheng 6-4, 6-0 in one hour and 30 minutes. After a tightly contested start in which both players exchanged breaks to reach 4-4 in the opening set, Chwalinska seized full control of the match, winning the final eight games without reply.

The left-hander, who came through qualifying without dropping a set, extended her dominant run in Paris and underlined her strong clay-court form following a WTA 125 title in Oeiras last month. The win marked only her second main-draw victory at a Grand Slam level and her first over a top-tier seeded opponent on such a stage.

For Zheng, the defeat marked an unexpected early exit in Paris, where she had previously enjoyed consistent success. The Chinese star had never lost in the first round at the French Open before Monday, having reached the fourth round on debut in 2022 and the quarterfinals last year. The result also marked only her fourth opening-round defeat in 16 Grand Slam appearances.

Elsewhere, 13th seed Paolini delivered a composed performance to overcome Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska 7-5, 6-3 in one hour and 40 minutes, overcoming a brief mid-match surge from her opponent to secure a straight-sets win.

Paolini led early in both sets but was forced to recover from momentum swings, particularly in the first set, where she dropped four consecutive games before responding with a seven-game run to seize control of the match. She then maintained her composure in the second set to close out victory comfortably.

The win extended Paolini’s remarkable consistency at the Grand Slam level, marking her ninth consecutive first-round victory at a major. The Italian, a finalist at the French Open in 2024, has now become one of only three players, alongside Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, to reach the second round at each of the last nine women’s Grand Slam events.

Paolini also improved her head-to-head dominance over Yastremska, now leading 7-1 in career meetings, with five of those wins coming in straight sets. She will next face Argentina’s Solana Sierra for a place in the third round. For Yastremska, the defeat marked another difficult outing at the French Open, where she has now fallen in the opening round five times in her career, highlighting her continued struggle for consistency in Paris despite flashes of strong form in recent seasons.

With early upsets and steady starts already shaping the women’s draw, the opening day at the French Open set the tone for what promises to be another unpredictable fortnight in Paris.

–IANS

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