FRENCH OPEN Venue: Roland Garros Date: 24 May - 7 June Coverage: Live on BBC Red Button, live streaming and daily text commentary on BBC Sport website, updates on BBC Radio 5 Live plus second week commentary on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra. TV coverage on Eurosport.
Report - Safina crushes Keothavong
Dinara Safina produced a devastating display of power and aggression to beat Anne Keothavong 6-0 6-0 on a bad day for Britain's women at the French Open.
World number one Safina raced through the first set as her crashing forehands left Keothavong chasing shadows.
The 23-year-old was equally ruthless in the second and won in only 61 minutes.
Melanie South served for the match but lost 0-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 to Michelle Larcher De Brito, and Katie O'Brien went down 6-1 6-1 to Olga Govortsova.
"People are saying it's great that we have three women in the draw but we have higher expectations than that," said O'Brien. "It's disappointing we are out because we all thought we could have given a better account of ourselves."
Safina, last year's beaten finalist, will play fellow Russian Vitalia Diatchenko for a place in round three.
Keothavong, ranked 48 in the world, did not play badly but was simply outclassed by the top seed.
I can't remember anything like that happening to me before but in the end you just have to find ways to laugh about it - what else is there to do?
Anne Keothavong
"I'm not going to walk out of here and slit my wrists or anything," said the 25-year-old. "Overall I can be pleased with my clay court season. I had a great week in Warsaw last week when I reached the semi-finals of a tour event.
"This week I couldn't have asked for a tougher draw than Dinara. She is the number one player in the world and the in-form clay court player of the season.
"I can't remember anything like that happening to me before but in the end you just have to find ways to laugh about it. What else is there to do? I'm sure there will be a few jokes about it but I can take it."
Keothavong made an encouraging start by going 0-30 up on Safina's serve in game one, but the Russian saved and it was not long before she was 2-0 up as Keothavong netted a forehand to gift her opponent the first break.
The Briton responded aggressively and engineered two break points in game three but Safina scrambled through to extend her lead.
Keothavong eager to forget heavy loss
Keothavong's movement and shot selection was improving all the time but Safina seemed capable of upping the intensity at will and when Keothavong went long with a forehand she had the double-break.
The power and variety of Safina's groundstrokes were overwhelming Keothavong and a thumping forehand winner put her within a break of winning the first set to love.
That was secured with three outstanding forehand winners and another which Keothavong could only net.
It was more of the same at the start of the second set as Safina held serve and then raced to 0-40 on the Keothavong serve. She let slip the first two opportunities but a backhand winner sent her 2-0 up.
Keothavong battled to 0-30 up on Safina's serve in game three and later levelled for deuce, but when she missed a straightforward volley to hand over the game, the end was in sight.
The London-based player opened a 40-0 lead on serve in the next game but two double-faults aided Safina's recovery and a passing shot at the net, followed by Keothavong going long with a forehand, made it 4-0.
Safina held with a delicate drop shot after a succession of overhead smashes and then confirmed her place in the second round by breaking Keothavong for the fifth time in the match on her fifth match point.
South, meanwhile, squandered a glorious opportunity to reach the second round on her first appearance at Roland Garros.
The British number three dominated the early stages against De Brito, a 16-year-old Portuguese qualifier, and charged through the first set in 22 minutes.
Numerous breaks were exchanged in the second set and South served for the match at 5-4, but De Brito kept her composure to turn the tie on its head.
De Brito, who is a member of Nick Bollettieri's academy and tipped for a great future, took the second set at the third time of asking in a nerve-racking tie-break and more breaks of serve followed in the deciding set as the pressure mounted.
South, number 121 in the world, saved a first match point in the 10th game and three more in the 12th but on De Brito's fifth match point, the Briton hit a forehand long to end her hopes.
"I started really well but she always fights," said South. "She is a huge competitor and managed to turn it around. She played better and better as the match went on. My serve let me down. I didn't close it out at 5-4 (in the second set)."
De Brito will go on to play China's Jie Zheng after the 15th seed beat Stephanie Cohen-Aloro of France 6-1 6-3.
O'Brien had fallen in the last round of qualifying and only made the main draw as a lucky loser after Vera Zvonareva pulled out.
"I was very lucky to be given a second opportunity but I don't think I did myself justice today," she said. "She started well and that was a key factor. If I had pressurised her from the beginning, I could have made her doubt herself."
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