China's Zheng reaches French Open second round

PARIS -- Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen of China defeated former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the French Open on Sunday.

"I'm happy to win this match, especially as I think she is a great opponent, playing really aggressively," Zheng said afterwards.

"The first match of the tournament never easy, so I'm happy today and I'm really happy to back at Roland Garros. Thanks to the crowd who supported me today," Zheng added.

Zheng, the No. 7 seed, advanced to the second round at Roland Garros for the fourth consecutive year and extended her winning streak at Roland Garros to seven matches tracing back to her gold-winning feat in Paris 2024.

She will next face either Alexandra Eala of the Philippines or Colombia's Emiliana Arango.